Derek founded the Derek Gow Consultancy Ltd in 2003 having begun working with water voles in 1995. Derek has played a significant role in the reintroduction of the Eurasian beaver, the water vole and the white stork to England. He is currently working on a reintroduction project for wildcats in England and the other species identified above.

The WCWPC facility is provided by the Derek Gow Consultancy Ltd.

Derek helps host our annual conferences and is the author of ‘Bringing back the Beaver‘, ‘Birds, Beasts and Bedlam’ and ‘Hunt for the shadow of the Wolf’. He has written and presented to wider news media for many decades on the need for more effective systems of nature conservation in Britain.

Most recently Derek starred in the film Derek vs Derek, an amusing portrayal of the relationship between two farming neighbours, one a traditional farmer and the other a notorius rewilder.

Deryck vS is the founder of Wild World Impact Ltd and is an executive creative producer, photographer, filmmaker and writer and manages the WCWPC.

Raised in Southern Africa, Deryck now works internationally from the U.K.

Originally an aspiring photojournalist, then a commercial photographer and filmmaker, Deryck now focuses on ecological restoration, rewilding and nature based solutions projects. He strongly believes that if we do not find the right solutions to climate change nothing else will matter. He is particularly passionate about rewilding, that he sees as essential to the survival of all species.

Deryck graduated from Cambridge University’s Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership in Business Sustainability Management in 2021 and lectured in photography at the Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography (2008 – 2012), Cape Town School of Photography (2012 – 2013), City Varsity (Cape Town, 2010), The Market Photo Workshop (Johannesburg, 2012) and was an invited speaker at the Photo & Film Expo (2011-14).

He received a scholarship to study landscape design and environmental studies at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). After graduating he worked in the landscape design, construction and environmental rehabilitation industry for five years until returning to photography in February 2000. Since then he has worked as a freelance commercial photographer, director, filmmaker, writer, guest speaker and creative producer.