Valerie Montero
Valerie Montero, a former civil servant, lives in Teddington, in the London Borough of Richmond, with her husband. She has three adult children and three grandchildren. For a number of years, she has been a volunteer based in Bushy Park, West London, with The Royal Parks and the Field Studies Council, taking local schoolchildren on the nature trail and welcoming them and other family members at the Visitor Centre. During this time, she has developed a keen interest in natural history and, in an increasingly technological age, a growing awareness of the importance of connecting children to the natural world. She was awarded an MBE in the late Queen’s New Year’s Honours List in 2004.