This is going to be a very short post, because 12 hours of running all over London’s busiest landmarks (often literally!) with a crocodile and kangaroo in tow has tired me out. I’ll give an update soon with lots more photos and stories of the great people I met.
So here’s a picture or two to give you a clue about what my weekend’s been like so far:
I’ve been in London for two and a half years without doing the Phone Box shot… how could I miss the perfect opportunity at Trafalgar Square? And these kids were just a couple of many who took the Queensland Quiz, with the London Eye and Big Ben in the background.
And if you want to be my Ultimate Referee, but haven’t gotten your endorsement in yet – get cracking!
I’ve made the top 25 – from a field of 45000 – for the Queensland Park Ranger role in Tourism Australia’s Bests Job in the World. The opportunity could change my life. But to make the cut for the final 3, I need to secure the support of ‘ultimate referees’ for the position.
A Park Ranger’s job is to watch over and protect the environment – which means I’ll be doing a job that’s important to everyone. That’s why I think the ultimate referee isn’t just one person. It’s the multitude of people around the world who appreciate the most inspiring areas of the planet we live on.
That means you!
Why should you be my referee?
My whole life so far has been preparing me for this job; academically, professionally and in thousands of hours spent experiencing Australia’s unique wilderness.
This job isn’t just about promoting the Great Barrier Reef – though that’s important. It’s also about the sweeping outback, which is too often out of sight and mind of environmentalists. It’s about animals like the Armoured Mist Frog, thought extinct but recently rediscovered in the remote Far North, and intricate ecosystems of all kinds. It’s about a landscape with tens of thousands of years of enchanting heritage. And it’s about helping people to feel a sense of wonder and connection with nature. I will strive to share stories of Queensland that you haven’t heard before.
So what am I asking you to do?
Some of my first referees – signs in any language welcome!
I need people who believe I can be a great Park Ranger to endorse me, and the video below explains how you can help me by doing this. I need voices of all ages, walks of life, and continents – because everyone has a stake in the natural world. To become one of my ultimate referees, just do these four things:
1. Get your pen and paper out and make a sign, or print one.
2. Take a happy snap with the sign – it could just be you, or with a local landmark, pet, park or doing something you love.
3. Send the picture(s) to me at dave4ranger AT gmail DOT com by the end of Sunday 5th May.
4. Use the sharing options below to spread the word about this post far and wide! In many ways this is the most important part – I’m putting my chances for getting this job in your hands.
Everyone who endorses me will be a part of my ‘ultimate referee’ package that will give me a shot at reaching the final. Think of it like a kickstarter, except it’s free for you to become a backer, and if it succeeds I’ll give you 6 months of great photos, videos and stories :-)
To see my initial application video and find out why I’m perfect for this job, click here.
Despite my inattention, this year my blog is more popular than ever. It’s because of this.
I need a new question. I need to answer a question. The question needs to be universal, it needs to be something that elicits emotions (preferably not disgust) and it needs to be one that hasn’t been answered hundreds of times on the internet already.
For that, I need your help.
What do you want to know, but have never been (a) motivated enough to find out or (b) brave enough to ask? I will pick the best response using completely arbitrary criteria, and do whatever’s necessary to uncover the state of the art. Shoot!
12,000 people came to ZombieLab over three days. It was quite a big thing.
Anyway, I’m back to a semblance of a normal life now. Which means filming a Chinese Kung Fu demo (or 3) in Chinese New Year celebrations in Central London (in 0C sleet – expect to see pictures/videos soon!), lots of bouldering, games of coup, and planning a ski holiday to the Alps for March (which I am absurdly excited about). Oh, and there’s still some science and stuff happening.
It was quite odd to get so absolutely used to emails with Re: Zombies in their subject.
I’ve been in London for two and a half years without doing the Phone Box shot… how could I miss the perfect opportunity at Trafalgar Square? And these kids were just a couple of many who took the Queensland Quiz, with the London Eye and Big Ben in the background.
