My friend John Weavers, who has died aged 69 of a brain tumour, enjoyed being outdoors and spent much of his time walking, sailing, skiing, birdwatching or playing sports. He was commodore of the Kent Schools Sailing Association, a senior instructor for the Royal Yachting Association and inspector for sailing clubs in east Kent. With the Invicta Sailing Club, he sailed the length of the Thames and round to Dover and from Dover to the Netherlands.
John became known to many people as a leader of natural history walks in Kent, initially through Hilderstone adult education centre in Thanet, later for Canterbury Adult Education and Canterbury University School of Continuing Education. Starting in 1981, he led up to three groups per week in the summer months, and two groups throughout the year for over 25 years. When he retired, the groups continued and invited John as their guest.
Through John, many learned about plants and animals and corners of their county which they had not known to exist. He estimated that he had walked more than 25,000 miles leading gzroups in east Kent alone. His courses were always oversubscribed, because of his encyclopedic knowledge and easy manner of communication. No topic was too obscure for him: he enthused everyone by turning an educational experience into a social event.
John was the son of Alan Weavers and Adrienne Loveri: his father was a flight engineer for BOAC. John was born in Enfield, north London, but the family moved to Feltham when he was two years old. Later they moved again, to Goring-by-Sea, West Sussex, and he attended Worthing high school for boys. He started his training as a maths teacher in 1965 at Christchurch College Canterbury (now Canterbury Christ Church University), where he met Frankie Harman, whom he married in 1969. In the same year he started teaching in schools in east Kent.
A true friend of nature, he wanted people to share his joy in being outdoors in all seasons and demonstrate the importance of conserving our wild places. Many will remember him with affection as they recall watching hobbies swooping to catch bees over Stodmarsh lakes or studying rare orchids at Park Gate nature reserve.
He is survived by Frankie and their daughter and granddaughter.
