ROWENA, born on the 1st of July 1972

​1st July, I will celebrate ME. The birth of ME, MYSELF and I. The person I have grown to be. The person I will become. The daughter, sister, auntie, niece, cousin, friend, wife and I am.

Life does begin at 50 (not 40). Goodbye, adieu, adios, arrivederci, cheerio, sayonara, au revoir, so long 40s. Hello, howdy, bonjour, buenos dias, what's up 50. I’m no longer 40-something. I’m now a 50-somebody.

I wish myself many more years of joy, love, laughter, good health and prosperity. I wish myself strength and wisdom for days to come and success with everything I do today and tomorrow.

Thank you God for the gift of life and for giving me another year to live. Thank you Lord for giving me the courage and strength to face any challenges that comes my way.

Thank you God for all the experience of this past year, for times of success which will always be happy memories, for times of failure which reminded me of my own weakness and of my need for you, for times of joy when the sun was shining, for times of sadness which drove me to you.

Rob… Thank you for always making me happy. I feel like every day is my birthday. You are the most loving, caring, affectionate and dependable husband. Thank you for encouraging me to follow my heart and do what I love to do. Thank you for supporting my passion and interest in writing and photography. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for always bringing out the best in me. Thank you for being my number one fan, my staunch supporter, my most loyal ally. You are truly my rock and the wind beneath my wings. I love you for loving me tremendously.

Daddy Leon and Mommy Angie… Thank you for being the best parents a child could ever ask for. Thank you for your unconditional love and endless care. Thank you for making sure I have a wonderful and memorable childhood. Thank you for supporting my every endeavor and encouraging me to do my best in everything I do. Thank you for your advice and wisdom. I am who I am today because of you. Thank you for nurturing me into the woman I am today.

Thank you Mommy Angie for giving birth to this awesome, amazing, brilliant and smart child.

Thank you brother Russel, sis-in-law Myla, nephew Gabriel and Miguel, sistah Rachel for all your love and care, thoughtfulness and generosity. Thank you for always sharing your blessings. Thank you for looking after my best interest. Thank you for always having my back.

Thank you my dear friends from the University of the East College of Dentistry and Manila Central University College of Dentistry for the friendship. You made my Dentistry days so much fun and enjoyable, wonderful and memorable. You coloured my world.

Thank you BFF Nelinda Cupino for the friendship, for always being there for me eventhough we're miles away.

​Thank you my lovely Soroptimist friends Maggie Hamilton, Jane Bridges and Kay Turner for your friendship, kindness and thoughtfulness. I really appreciate you. You're the sweetest.

Thank you my good friends Paul Miles and Dawn Miles for your thoughtfulness and generosity. You are truly the most dependable and most helpful friends.

Thank you my good friends Lee Slaughter, Russell Hemmings and David Conway for taking me to Cerne Abbas, Dorset to see the Duke of Burgundy butterfly; Fontmell and Melbury Downs, Dorset to see the Glanville Fritillary, Adonis Blue butterfly and Small Blue butterfly and Daneway Banks to see the Large Blue butterfly. Five butterflies now tick off my list.

Thank you to all my family, relatives and friends who remembered my special day... for the cards, gifts and good wishes. I'm forever grateful.

The big FIVE-OH.
My golden year is here.
I had five decades of an amazing life.
But I’ll go and make this one the best year yet.
I hope I will live them to the fullest, starting today.
The older you get, the more you shine.
Here's to 50 amazing years on earth! Cheers! 

50 for 50

​Hobbies and Interests:
 1.  Photography
2. Writing
3. Bird-watching
4. Butterfly-watching
5. Nature and Wildlife Walk
6. Rockpooling
7. Wildflower and Wild Orchid Hunt
8. Cooking and Baking
9. Gardening
 
Talks and Presentations:
10. Butterflies in Cornwall
11. Butterfly Watching in Cornwall
12. Chough Watching in Cornwall
13. A Decade of Chough Watching
14. Top 20 Sightings of the Decade

Advocacy:
15. Wildlife Advocate, raising awareness on the importance of wildlife through "Wildlife Matters".
16. Mental Health and Well-being Advocate, raising awareness through “Connect with Nature” because it benefits both the mental health and physical well-being.
 
Book Published:
17. Paloresow Kernewek, the Cornish Choughs on the North Cornwall Coast, published in 2013.
 
Books Written:
18. Butterfly Watching in Cornwall
19. Cornish Choughs, Paloresow Kernewek
20. Nature and Wildlife Walks in Cornwall
 
Volunteer:
21. Chough Watcher, nest protection and nest location for RSPB.
22. Chough Watcher, nest protection and nest location for National Trust.
23. Butterfly Transect in Lower Portmellon Valley for Three Bays Wildlife Group.
24. Seaquest Survey in The Dodman Point for Three Bays Wildlife Group.
25. Bumblebee Transect for Bumblebee Conservation Trust.
26. Wildlife Recording at Woodland Valley Farm.
27. Founding Member and Trustee for Cornwall Butterfly and Moth Society.
28. Committee, Marketing & Communications Sub Group, Social Media Admin for Campaign to Protect Rural England, Cornwall branch. 

Sightings:
29. Bearded Vulture, also known as the Lammergeier or Ossifrage on 23rd May 2016 in Helman Tor. This species is a first in the UK and first in Cornwall.
30. Dalmatian Pelican in Drift Reservoir.
31. Grey Catbird in Treen near Land’s End.
32. Brown Booby in Kynance Cove.
33. European Roller in Clowance Estate.
34. Brambling in my garden for the past few years.
35. 36 Butterflies of Cornwall.
36. Large Blue butterfly in Daneway Banks.
37. Glanville Fritillary, Adonis Blue butterfly and Small Blue butterfly in Fontmell and Melbury Downs, Dorset.
38. Duke of Burgundy butterfly in Cerne Abbas, Dorset.
39. White Admiral butterfly and White-letter Hairstreak butterfly in Bovey Valley Woods.
40. High Brown Fritillary in Aish Tor.
41. Long-tailed Blue butterfly in Killigerran Head.
42. Pearl-bordered Fritillary aberattion Albomaculata in Fellover Brake.
43. Silver-studded Blue butterfly aberration Bilateral Gynandromorph in Penhale Sands.
44. In 2012, a pair of Cornish Choughs on the north Cornwall coast bred for the first time after 40 years. On 25th June 2012, so lucky to see 2 Choughlings fledged.
45. In 2016, saw the first Cornish Choughs to breed on the Roseland Peninsula for decades, around 200 years (a century even). One year old female fledged three chicks, a very rare event.
46. Bee Orchid, Lesser Butterfly Orchid, White Fragrant Orchid, Common Twayblade Orchid, Green-winged Orchid, Southern Marsh Orchid, Early Purple Orchid, Pyramidal Orchid, Heath Spotted Orchid and Common Spotted Orchid.
47. Gem, Dahlia, Daisy, Snakelocks, Strawberry and Beadlet Anemone
 
Women’s Organisation:
48. Ladock Women’s Institute
49. Soroptimist International, St Austell and Disrtict
 
Others:
50. Set-up Ladock Parish Wildlife Group. Organised talks and presentations. Organised nature and wildlife walks.