"At that time, conservation wasn't a high priority here. I thought, maybe I could help."

Living off savings, he gave himself two years to meet people and start environmental projects. A breakthrough came unexpectedly: a birdwatching trip with Wendy Paulson, the wife of Henry Paulson, the former United States Treasury secretary. Their outing led to more birding trips, and eventually, a role with a sustainability-related institute in Beijing.

"The lesson for me is that when you're really passionate and committed, you find a way," he says.

Growing up in a coastal village in England, he found solace in nature, especially when he endured bullying at school. "I'd come home and watch yellowhammers in the dunes. That peace ... in nature helped me through."

That feeling returned during the pandemic lockdowns, when people worldwide turned to the birds outside their windows for solace. "It's a global phenomenon," he says. "When we slow down, we pay attention."