NixonScan

Airedale: Terrier and Terrain

This ten-minute film takes a dog-eye view of places in Yorkshire that form part of the history of the AiredaleContinue Reading

Latest Posts

by J. Ashley Nixon September 5, 2013 0

Ecology Natural heritage

Shell Buffalo Hills Conservation Ranch: protecting wetland and native prairie grassland in Alberta

Opening of the Shell Buffalo Hills Conservation Ranch, September 4, 2013. © J. Ashley Nixon Wetland and nativeContinue Reading

by J. Ashley Nixon September 1, 2013 0

Art & Design Poetry Pun intended

Pun Intended: Scissor salad

Take a few bunches of scissors Preferably multi-coloured Add to a bowl Mix and serve.

by J. Ashley Nixon August 26, 2013 0

Calgary Canada Cultural heritage Dance Music Photography

Calgary’s Expo Latino just got hotter

Calgary has a lot of events to boast about during its short summer recess. Alongside the world famous Stampede, nowContinue Reading

by J. Ashley Nixon August 2, 2013 1

Food and Agriculture Gardening

Edible walls and urban gardening

Here’s a good horticultural challenge: A short growing season, the prospect of frosts in May and again in August and aContinue Reading

by J. Ashley Nixon August 1, 2013 3

Cultural heritage Yorkshire

Eleven things to do on Yorkshire Day

Sheep near Gaping Ghyll, Yorkshire Dales. © J. Ashley Nixon Happy Yorkshire Day to all Yorkshire folk, Tykes abroad andContinue Reading

by J. Ashley Nixon July 31, 2013 6

Pets

Name of the Dog: Arya the Airedale

After many years without one (I had a couple when I was a kid) and several years of pleading forContinue Reading

by J. Ashley Nixon July 29, 2013 0

Calgary Canada Photography Rugby Sports

Canucks clinch U15 Rugby Alberta provincial title

Calgary Canucks U15 Rugby made it three provincial titles in a row on Saturday with a strong performance against Edmonton’sContinue Reading

by J. Ashley Nixon July 24, 2012 1

Energy

World record set for fuel efficient drive across Canada

Shell Smarter Driver Challenge: Day 12 Chilliwack to Vancouver The final day of our drive across Canada. About 6,200 km inContinue Reading

by J. Ashley Nixon July 24, 2012 0

Energy

Over the Rockies

Shell Smarter Driver Challenge: Day 11 (June 21, 2012) A good start off from the Sheraton in Calgary this morning.Continue Reading

by J. Ashley Nixon July 24, 2012 0

Energy

Med Hat to YYC

Shell Smarter Driver Challenge: Day 10 (June 20, 2012) A relatively short distance this morning-300 km or so from MedicineContinue Reading

About & Contact

J. Ashley Nixon in Waterton National Park, Canada. © Maria Carmen Nixon

I’m Ashley Nixon, a photographer, filmmaker, writer, and university teacher living in Calgary, Canada. I am a curious explorer and passionate communicator on sustainability, culture and natural heritage.

I grew up in the village of Haworth, in Yorkshire, England, well-known for its connections with the Brontë sisters, its splendid, rugged moorland and cobbled main street, as featured in my book Cobbled Together.

My international business career focused on environmental and social performance management and communications, and I teach writing about photography at Mount Royal University. I am a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society.

I earned my Ph.D. in ecology from Coventry University, studying environmental changes associated with woodland restoration on the beautiful island of Rum in the Scottish Hebrides. A camera and binoculars, notebooks, Lamy pens and field guides tucked into my Fjallraven jacket pockets became part of my regular appearance!

I established Betula Books in 2021 as an independent publisher of photography books exploring sustainability, culture and natural heritage.

Free download of PeruZine with Betula Books Bulletin

It would be great to connect with you via the Betula Books Bulletin for some of the behind the scenes about my work, news and special offers. By connecting, you can download a free pdf copy of the first edition of PeruZine, my series of books about people and places in Peru with a focus on sustainability and culture. You can, of course, unsubscribe at any time.

Please click on the button below to find out more.

Betula Books

Books

My first book Environmental Assessment in Practice (Routledge, 1999) was written while working around the world as an environmental consultant. Developing Communities in Peru (2018) emerged from working in mining and energy in Peru. I have published a history of the Calgary Canucks Rugby Club, photo books about female hockey, pop culture and cosplayers (All Dressed Up) and musical performance (Sledding).

Beyond the Mask is about the Huaconada, an ancient ritual dance in Mito, Peru, recognized by UNESCO for its intangible cultural heritage. Written in English and Spanish, it compliments my documentary film La Máscara y Más, which you can see on my Vimeo site. The full version was featured on Peruvian national television; the short version was a finalist in the RATMA International Film Festival in 2021.

World Heritage. Environmental Change (2022), examines climate change with images from World Heritage sites in Canada.

Photography and films

You can see galleries of my images in my photography portfolio. My documentary films are posted on my Vimeo film site. If you are looking for help or collaboration on photography, films or other sustainability projects, it would be great to hear from you via this contact form.