April Windle

April Windle is a naturalist who specialises in lichens - the intricate symbiosis between fungi and algae / cyanobacteria that characterise the world around us. With over 2000 species in Britain and Ireland, April dedicates her life to understanding these complex lifeforms, their fascinating ecology and the variety of habitats in which they occupy. Her unrequited love centres around lichens in Atlantic woodlands, including the oceanic woods in the south and temperate rainforests in the west. She is a freelance lichenologist and Chairs the Education Committee for the British Lichen Society. Her past employment includes Plantlife International, the Natural History Museum, Exmoor National Park Authority and the RSPB.

Whether she is leading guided walks, speaking on stage or featuring on television, April strives to share her discoveries and interest from the field with audiences, to encourage them to see the natural world from a different perspective. April bridges the gap between science and communication, with an ability to translate complex science into narratives that sparks curiosity and a deep, long-lasting interest in the subject. An ultimate aim is to bring a fresh, renewed and vibrant energy into lichenology. At this festival, expect a journey into the microcosm around us...expect to be bewildered, surprised, encapsulated...and expect to never look at the world in the same way again!