MICHAEL JOHN BALL
ADDRESS: 49
Baglan Heights Mob:
+44 (0)7951 035241
Baglan Work:
+44 (0)1639 767660
Port Talbot Home:
+44 (0)1639 822398
UK Email:
mikeball.eco@ntlworld.com
SA12 8UF
Marital Status: Co-habiting Nationality:
British
Full Clean Current Drivers Licence Born:
4/4/63 (Surabaya, Indonesia)
Mike
Ball (left) & Paul Batuna (right): Tomahon, Nth. Sulawesi (copyright: Murex
Dive, Manado)
Work Experience
Tourism Consultant April
01 – present
- The Travel Foundation – Research, development of applied and
decision making tools e.g. Children’s Insider Guides, Caribbean
& UK outbound tourism
Destination Matrices, FTO Codes Of Practice Country Brief
(Mexico), Monitoring &
Evaluation, Practices: Sinai Hotels & Desert Tourism, etc. see: www.thetravelfoundation.org.uk
- Freelance Writing. Published record: BBC Wildlife, Geographical,
New Scientist, Wanderlust, Diver magazine, Yoga Magazine, etc. I was Asia
Editor at www.ifyouexplore.com
- Itinerary planning and Sales for clients of Symbiosis Expedition
Planning.
- Consultation bids e.g. Ang Trapaeng Thmor Sarus Crane Reserve,
Cambodia; UNDP Peat Swamp Forests, Sabah & Sarawak.
- Research assistance e.g. BBC ‘Planet Earth’.
Mike Ball, summit Gunung Batur, Bali (copyright:
Mike Ball)
Wildlife & Ecotourism Consultant Nov
97 – April 2001
Symbiosis Expedition Planning
Tel: +44 (0)845 123 2844
Fax: +44 (0)845 123 2845
Website: http://www.symbiosis-travel.com
Planning, sales and execution of sustainable
tourism outbound special interest itineraries in: Thailand, Myanmar, Laos,
Cambodia, Vietnam, The Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea,
Brunei and Singapore. Business research and liaison.
Freelance Consultant / Volunteer & Temp Work Sept
96 - Nov 97
- Consultancy bids - sustainable development of ecotourism and
wildlife conservation sectors e.g. GEF-World Bank Mulanje Mountain
Project.
- Temp work at the Dept For Culture, Media and Sport, and
telemarketing.
- Volunteer for Plantlife at The Natural History Museum, researching
and producing portfolio of answers to FAQ.
Project Officer Jan
- Sept 96
The Living Earth Foundation
4 Gt. St. James St.
London WC1N 3DA
Project management of a UK schools green textbook
for key stages (educational age groups) 2 & 3; budgeting; liaison with
project sponsors and other resources (e.g. authors); research; sub-editing;
writing text and designing tasks and questions.
Research Assistant Aug
- Dec 95
Field research. The predatory strategies of the
European Stork (Ciconia ciconia), Luneburg, Germany.
Volunteer RSPB Warden Jun
- Sept 93
Tudely Woods, Tunbridge, Kent. Temperate deciduous
broadleaf woodland management for conservation purposes, visitor access and
financial return. Acid heathland regeneration. Field surveys of birds &
other fauna.
Volunteer / Temp Work + Freelance Writer Jan
92 - May 93
Clerical and financial (e.g. Thomas Cook Forex
dept) temping work. Writing travel articles (e.g. Bulletin Of Tanzanian Affairs,
Traveler). Volunteer Speaker, fundraising and recruitment for Voluntary
Services Overseas.
District Extension Officer (VSO) Sept
89 - Dec 91
Nzega District, Tabora Region, Tanzania
Voluntary Services Overseas
317 Putney Bridge Rd.
London SW15 2PN
Rural extension of post harvest crops protection
techniques, controlling infestations of an introduced pest species. Locating
and working in remote subsistence farming villages over an administrative
district of more than 10,000 km2, without maps.
Membership Of Organisations
The Tourism Society – Member (No. M6327)
Skills
- Other Languages: Fluent Swahili, basic Bahasa Indonesian, also
French & German.
- Computer – 13 yrs experience including FileMaker Pro; Excel;
Word; extensive use of email and the Internet, etc.
- Wildlife - Ornithology, Mammalian Ecology, Marine Ecology, Herpetofauna,
Flora, and Arachnids.
- Field skills - mountain, savannah, marine & forest
environments.
Qualifications
MSc Conservation Biology Durrell
Institute Of Conservation & Ecology (DICE) at The University Of Kent
1993-94
Thesis:
An Analysis & Contextual Case Study Of Ecotourism In Tanzania
BSc (Hons) Ecology The
University Of Westminster 1984-87
2 x A levels (English
Literature, Geology)
6 x O levels (Maths
– A, English Lit – B, Film Studies – B, English Lang –
C, Additional Maths – C, Geometrical Drawing – C)
8 x CSE’s (5
x Grade I, 2 x Grade II, 1 x Grade IV)
Interests
- Travel: South East Asia. East,
central and southern Africa (I was brought up in Zambia & Malawi).
Eastern seaboard of the USA and California. Western and Southern Europe.
- Nature.
- Photography.
- The outdoors, especially trekking, mountains, camping, PADI Open
Water dive certificate.
- Sports: Arsenal FC (‘The Gunners’); Formula One; International
Cricket (England & Wales)