Can you tell me about the range you?ve worked on with Wildlife World?
Over a period of several years I developed various garden wildlife product designs, based on my knowledge of the natural world and wildlife behaviour. Norman and I have known each other for some time, and decided to sit down and put my ideas into practice. I had various prototypes that I had tried and tested previously, which after much discussion and planning we began to put into production. We launched our first collaborated product, the brushwood robin nester, at GLEE last year, which received a lot of really positive feedback and won the award for best new wildlife product of the year.
The range seems to be going from strength to strength; it?s unique I think in that each product really focuses on the individual requirements of each species, and is designed to be beneficial for wildlife.
This year – and possibly moving into the early part of next year – we will be going to market with a few more brushwood concepts, including one that is created for birds like treecreepers who tend to like nesting up against a tree trunk. ?If you want to talk about a thrush they build their nests in amongst the branches of a bush or tree!? We’re also looking at the opportunities in wildlife observation products, and have already produced a unique hide that has won a number of awards. Currently we have seven products currently available in the Simon King Wildlife World range, and we’re looking to develop more in the near future.
How did the partnership come about?
I’ve had relationships with a number of different garden wildlife companies in the past; I’ve always wanted to expand on those relationships beyond the simple endorsement stage, but I’ve not found anyone to be receptive to that before. When I spoke to Norman about it, he was immediately on board for developing products together, so that’s where it all stemmed from.
What is your hope for the range?
I’ve got lots of ideas currently in production, and there are always opportunities to enhance the environment and habitats both in urban garden settings and rural areas. It’s not just a question of making good habitats for wildlife for us, it’s also about bringing people and wildlife together, that’s the key. We want to engage the public with the intrinsic value of wildlife by showing them it in their own garden, and make them feel that they are doing something positive to contribute to that. We?ve ensured all products in the range are easy to understand and straightforward to apply, so that anyone and everyone can use them.
