Introduction

So, I have been asked to give a little background on both the blog/site and myself. It seemed an opportune time to do this, because as you read this I’m on a 2-week business trip and I’ve written this piece during the late hours while the others are asleep and during various short breaks from some urgent work that needs to be completed (yes I know, I should be walking around stretching and not behind a screen for 5 minutes … but I do not want to accidentally wake anyone up).
Anyway, feel free to skip this post if you’re here for nature …

Personal Background

I studied Architecture at the Delft University of Technology and finally did get a BSc in Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences. I am super proud of that because Delft is very highly rated both in Europe and in the world for engineering and architecture (top 3 in the world since 2012 right up there with MIT and UCLondon). But I realised fairly soon that I did not want to be an Architect per se, though I really loved the theory and architectural history aspects of the degree. Hence, I did English Language & Literature at the University of Leiden at the same time. So much fun (outside of Old English, oef).

After going through a difficult personal period, where I actually worked as a house painter and went through a 6-year vocational study in 2 years (I am officially one step below a Master Painter in The Netherlands – I have the skills (I can do fake marbling etc.) but not enough experience time-wise). I ended up moving to Spain, in 2010, with a lovely woman I met while living in Brussels (we met at the Institute Supérieur de Peinture Van der Kelen-Logelain where my partner and I got the highest grades of our year).

In Spain I again switched focus and started working for an oil & gas major in the Knowledge Management department. I’ve worked my way up (slightly) to be the Lead Technical Writer heading up a very small team. It has been an immense learning period for me, and it is super interesting as the company heads into the energy transition, lots of stuff on electric mobility and such (I daily drive a fully electric car and love that technology!). A great part of the work is that I’ve been able to work from home since I started there. The team I work in is based in The Netherlands.

We have two kids, aged 9 and 7. I’m not the greatest dad, but I’m as good as I can be and always trying to be better … the learning curve has been far steeper in how to be a good parent than the curve for learning about nature that’s for sure.

Blog Background

Everything I know about nature has been gained through self-study. I have done a lot of reading and trying to put that knowledge into practice in the field. At times I’ve had help from experts and knowledgeable friends. I sometimes wish I’d followed my kid dreams while living in New Zealand of being a Marine Biologist or followed through on a visit I made as a teenager to the University of Wageningen, but hey.

Even without the correct education I’ve been able to publish some pieces in reputable scientific publications, so I’m happy.

I set up the blog because I had the urge to “speak” to someone about the stuff I was learning. Yes, I have friends in Spain, and I’ve picked up Spanish quite well, but I wanted more … to have conversations with people who are interested in the same stuff as I am and to be able to learn from them. So basically, the blog is there to speak to the reader, and indirectly myself, and help me process my thoughts and knowledge about certain aspects and topics dealing with the natural world around us. I guess I needed a way to validate what I know.

The name of the blog/site is Searching for Cullum’s Bee, here is some background to it:

• Cullum’s Bee is a bumblebee, Bombus callumanus, it used to be present in Cantabria, in high mountainous areas, but is probably extinct in the region (though not the world, where it is still a very rare bee).
• Waiting for Godot is an inspiration. A play by Samuel Beckett about two guys waiting by a tree for another person, Godot, to meet them there … but Godot never comes.
• Waiting for Guffman is another inspiration. A mockumentary by Christopher Guest about a bunch of unique people in a small town and performing in a talent show, all waiting for Guffman to review their skills, but he never shows up.

I think you can see where I’m going with this. The change I made was to switch out waiting for searching because I wanted a more active verb … I, the blog writer, am not just sitting around, I’m actually doing something until I sit here in my chair writing the blog posts. Anyway, all these unique characters are the insects, reptiles etc. that I write about and I’m taking you on a journey where I chat to you (the reader) about this and that (like Valdimir) in our search to gain knowledge about nature … and there is that one elusive species, which we will probably never end up seeing … that empty chair in the audience with a special guest ribbon on it … Cullum’s Bee.

Remember to take it all with a bit of humour and not get too serious.

Conclusion

So that about covers the basics. If you want to know more, just ask, I’m very open about everything. I won’t be posting next week, too busy with work. Back in July!

I do want to mention one last thing that I am proud of … I’m dyslectic … couple that with studying English, all the writing I do (I’m a Technical Writer in my job! And I’m good at it), learning languages and all the reading I do to make sure I continually learn and gain knowledge … I never take the easy route … and so I write a blog about a topic that I know I do not really know a lot about, and push myself to know more with each post.