Chris Tomson trained at Seale Hayne Agricultural College to HND (Agricultural Subjects) level. 1972 to 1976 and then worked on farms in West Germany, Western Australia and Devon.
From 1979 -1999 Chris was the Farms Manager on the 5,000 acre Broomhead Estate in the Ewden Valley, which was followed by six years at the Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA) in the Farm and Countryside Service developing conservation plans for farmers and landowners.
Whilst at the PDNPA Chris was seconded for a year to United Utilities to draw up conservation plans for their Peak District tenanted farms under OFWAT’s Sustainable Catchment Management Plans (SCaMP) scheme. This was followed by 13 years at the RSPB based in Denby Dale as the Farm Conservation Adviser for Yorkshire and Humber working with private landowners, Natural England, Forestry Commission and National Park and AONB’s etc.
Since September 2019 Chris has been working as a self-employed independent conservation adviser with clients across Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and the Peak District National Park working with farms and Estates developing Countryside Stewardship applications, woodland creation plans, rewilding projects and wildlife surveying. Chris also works with Defra as a facilitator under the Countryside Stewardship Scheme for a group of 25 farmers in the Yorkshire Wolds with the aim of achieving landscape scale conservation.
Chris has also been working on Defra’s Test and Trials for ELMS with farmers in the Peak District and Wentworth Estate.
With a lifelong interest in Natural History and Countryside management, you may see Chris regularly volunteering on Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust nature reserves including Carr House Meadows, Greno Woods, Agden Bog, Wyming, Brook and Moss Valley.