It's not every day you come nose to nose with a seal, but that's exactly what the newest recruit to Northumberland County Council's 'Discover our Land' campaign, Jane Hardy, is very used to. Marine conservationist, environmental volunteer and wild-swimming enthusiast Jane pledged her support to the campaign after being nominated as an ambassador by a close friend, and the resulting campaign film of her adventures around Northumberland's coast makes for inspiring viewing.
Jane's passion for Northumberland's natural environment is infectious as she spends her free time volunteering to keep its magnificent landscapes tidy through organised beach cleans, and its coastline creatures protected through her work as a marine mammal medic with British Divers Marine Life Rescue.
When not caring for injured or orphaned seals, Jane can be found indulging her love of the outdoors with open water swims along Northumberland's coast. A strong advocate of the physical and mental benefits of an outdoor dip, Jane has introduced hundreds of people to the joys of a bracing swim in the north sea.
Speaking of Jane's passion for conserving the natural beauty of the county, Cllr Cath Homer, cabinet member for Culture, Arts, Leisure and Tourism at the council said:
"Jane is exactly the sort of person we hoped to find when we asked people to nominate ambassadors to our Discover our Land campaign. She is one of the many amazing people we have met and we look forward to discovering even more inspiring stories as the campaign progresses.
"Jane's dedication to conserving Northumberland's natural environment and its wildlife is admirable and the breadth of her volunteering effort is inspiring. Our enviable natural resources are undoubtedly one of Northumberland's greatest assets, and it's up to every one of us to follow Jane's example to look after this special part of the world."
Jane said: "I am absolutely honoured to be involved in the Discover our Land campaign and think that telling these personal stories is a way to make people sit up and notice our fantastic county. I moved to Northumberland in 2004 having followed my husband’s career around the globe and since being here I have never felt happier and more settled and I certainly don’t want to leave. I love the beauty of Northumberland, the beaches, the wilderness, nature, wild swimming and the well-being it brings to my soul."
You can watch Jane's film at: www.discoverourland.co.uk/jane-hardy
Discover our Land was launched in January by Northumberland County Council and aims to promote the county as a great place to live, work, visit and invest.
If you know someone who is doing something amazing in Northumberland, get in touch with us at discover@northumberland.gov.uk and they could be the next story we tell!