Our thanks go to George Verdon – biologist turned cameraman and documentary film maker – who spoke on ‘Dream Jobs & How To Have More Than One’ at this week’s Sixth Form lecture.
After graduating with an environmental science degree, George worked in mammal curation at the Natural History Museum in London and helped start a genetics-led conservation project in Madagascar before turning to television.
He currently works with the BBC Natural History Unit, in Bristol, and has gained an amazing wealth of experience in Europe and around the world. In 2019 alone, work carried him to fourteen different countries, including spending weeks at a time on uninhabited islands in the Pacific Ocean filming and documenting endangered bird species and three months in Malaysia shooting, directing, and editing a short documentary – called Turtle Recall – about Sea Turtles and the impact of tourism on environmentally sensitive areas. He has also worked on shows for National Geographic, the BBC and Netflix.
George’s love of the natural world shone through in the lecture, as did his willingness to push the boundaries of his experience and understanding. He is driven both by his desire to document and communicate the wonders of the world around us, as well as by the fascination of film making. A thoroughly enjoyable and insightful lecture.
George also presented in this year’s Beyond Downside programme which is aimed at widening Upper Sixth pupils’ knowledge and understanding of life beyond school, whether that is in further education or in a job.
Click here to find out more about George’s career.
The Sixth Form Lecture Series covers a wide range of topics from politics to modern slavery, mental health to ethics.