Martina Nicolls was born in a farm house on Cherry Tree Lane in Gayton, England, and grew up in Elizabeth in South Australia.

Her mother started a magazine subscription for her as a birthday present – and she chose the magazine called Animals. Belgium environmentalist and film-maker Armand Denis established the weekly magazine Animals in 1963. In 1974 the magazine was renamed Wildlife and in 1983 it was renamed BBC Wildlife – now a monthly magazine. Armand Georges Denis was born on 2 December 1896 in Brussels, Belgium, and died on 15 April 1971 at the age of 74 in Nairobi, Kenya, where he lived with his wife Michaela.

Martina became a primary school teacher and a secondary school teacher in the South Australia education department, specialising in English, science, mathematics, inclusive education, children with special needs, and peace in education. She also worked in the vocational education and training sector (TVET) and in universities in Australia as a training consultant, information technology researcher, children’s television researcher, conflict mitigator, disaster risk focal person, and campus manager.

Martina studied for her master of sciences communication degree at the Central Queensland University and won the marine science journalism prize for her article on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

Martina thought of the idea for ‘Similar but Different in the Animal Kingdom’ through her work as an international consultant in education and her visits to many countries. Her interest in animals, the environment, and nature led to this book.

In this website, Martina writes about the animals that she has personally photographed around the world – in the wild; in reserves, zoos, and conservancies; and in domestic situations.

 

Her main website is www.martinanicolls.net

Her blogsite is Feast or Famine at www.martinasblogs.blogspot.com