Contributors
Most of the Inspire Me content in the Encounter app is written by the brilliant nature writer Jane Adams, with the exception of posts badged with the following friendly faces:
Linda Clark
Linda Clark is originally from West Cumbria and is now based in south Manchester. With a static caravan near Kendal, she moves between urban canals and parks and the quieter edges of the Lake District. Linda is especially drawn to birds, hedgehogs, dragonflies and fungi, though she’s fascinated by all aspects of nature – particularly the overlooked and ‘hidden’ wildness found along canal paths. For Encounter, Linda covers counties in the North-East or North-West.
Guest contributor
Melissa Harrison
Melissa Harrison is a nature writer and novelist, and the founder of Encounter. Based in Suffolk, she walks amid woods and agricultural fields every day, and along the Suffolk coastline, too. She’s particularly drawn to trees and wildflowers, as well as animal tracking signs like prints and poo. She posts now and again to all users of Encounter, and sometimes to people more locally, in East Anglia. She also contributes some of the general posts in the app that go out with the Encounter badge.
Founder
Sally-Ann Smurthwaite
Sally-Ann is based in Cardiff on the edge of the Gwent Levels. She spends her spare time exploring and watching wildlife in South Wales, from the wetlands of the Severn Estuary to the ancient woods and mountains of Bannau Brycheiniog and the vast beaches of the Gower peninsula. She has worked in the environmental sector for over 10 years, engaging people with nature through campaigning and communications. She is passionate about rewilding, urban nature, and nature-friendly farming. For Encounter, she posts to Wales.
Guest contributor
Vanessa Wright
Vanessa Wright divides her time between Hertfordshire and the Hebrides, where she is inspired by birds and beachcombing finds. She left corporate life during the pandemic to follow a pull toward wildlife and nature-based writing. She’s completed a Masters in Nature and Travel Writing and was Runner-Up in Countryfile’s New Nature Writer of the Year competition in 2022. More recently she was awarded second place in The Wild Muse Prize. For Encounter, Vanessa covers counties in Scotland, including the islands.
Guest contributor