We’re incredibly proud of our alumni continuing to reach for the sun and who, in doing so, have become hugely successful in a wide range of fields. From Old Dragons playing for England like Maia Bouchier (OD 2012), and making life-saving apps like Michael Dent (OD 2002), to our Junior Old Dragons making a difference, such as Anya Katanyutanon (OD 2021) who presented her research findings at the World Conference on Public Health (WCPH).
From learning Czech in a remote village shortly after the fall of the Iron Curtain to turning used shotgun cartridges into wildflower meadows, the latest feature in our Diversity of Dragons series follows the remarkable journey of an Old Dragon, Edward Donald (OD 1983) whose curiosity has shaped both his career and his commitment to the natural world. After a decade in European advertising and marketing, he went on to advise governments on digital export strategy before founding Natural Shoots in 2023. His innovative approach gives waste a new purpose, helping restore habitats and encourage biodiversity, one metre at a time. His story is a reminder of the value of following your curiosity, embracing the unexpected and finding new ways to make a difference.
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After school and University where I read French Language & Literature, I produced and directed a French language play at The Edinburgh Fringe. I then went to live in former-Czechoslovakia, now Czech Republic, where I learned Czech living in a small village in the far north-east of the country. I taught French and sport in a primary school. The Iron Curtain has just come down. I could have ended up just about anywhere in Central Europe but luckily the school had arranged for me to be lodged with the local gamekeeper. I was set. My new-found knowledge of the Czech language and the experience managing theatre productions secured my first job in advertising in Prague after a year living in the country. From there I worked in Europe in a variety of roles spanning advertising and marketing for 10 years before returning to the UK to work in roles focussed on ecommerce and consultancy, advising the UK Government, World Trade Organisation, and various other national governments on digital export strategy design.
I have a lifetime interest in the environment which spans may different activities from fishing and falconry to climbing and skiing. In a pre-Internet era, I ran a fishing destination holiday company taking visitors to former Communist countries such as Slovenia and Kazakhstan. I also trained and qualified as a level II instructor with the Austrian Ski School. Professionally, I have worked mostly for technical companies in the Outdoors and Sport sectors (Nike, Alpina, Timberland), more recently with B-Corporation certified companies.
I set up Natural Shoots in 2023. The company’s mission reimagines how waste can be used to encourage habitat recovery and stimulate the expansion of biodiversity one metre at a time. It does this by remanufacturing used paper and plastic shot gun cases and filling them with a range of premium grade, fully traceable wildflower seed mixes. More and more of the wildflower meadow seed I sell is grown on meadow areas that I manage with shire horses and a unique ground-based brush harvester. This nature-based approach ensures that while the seed is harvested the pollinators and invertebrates escape unharmed.
The father of a good school friend was an author called Roger Parkes who lived in Cookham, Berkshire. I found his sense of adventure, his freedom of thought and his story-telling fascinating. I have always enjoyed reading, particularly travel books by Colin Thuberon and Bruce Chatwin; to borrow from the latter I was ”horizon struck” from the age of 6 after living a year in Germany when my parents moved there for work. I find biographies and obituaries fascinating. I read books as much as I can. Being curious is good and gives one lots to talk about which is helpful in business I find.
Edward Donald (OD 1983)
Let us know what you’ve been up to since your Dragon Days, we’d love to share your story.
