About

Helena Finden-Browne is The Surrey Stuffer.

Helena Portrait

I am an amateur taxidermist working in Surrey since 2017.  I mainly work with British Native Wildlife which has died accidentally or as result of pest control/culling.  No animal or bird has ever been killed for the purposes of my taxidermy.  I donate a percentage of any profit to wildlife rehabilitation.

I have always taken great pleasure in bird-watching (though definitely not a ‘twitcher’). As a teenager I had a fancy to become a vet, but allowed myself to be persuaded otherwise.  I was fascinated by taxidermy from an early age, sparked by a visit to the Rothschild Museum at Tring (now part of the Natural History Museum).

So learning taxidermy became the new focus of my leisure time.

With help from my husband, I enjoy showing my work at craft fairs and similar events.  This short video shows an example of setting-up my stand.

Helena at work with a corvid
My first bird

My primary interest is birds and, like most taxidermists,  I strive for a naturalistic mount.

I also work on mammals; I occasionally pose smaller specimens in  anthropomorphic poses.

I am a member of the Guild of Taxidermists, and follow all protocols and legislation related to protected species.  In 2024, I received a grant from the Rural England Prosperity Fund towards purchase of taxidermy equipment – details on the Surrey CC website here.

Buzzard in flying pose
The Galleries pages feature some recent work.  If you are interested in anything please contact me to discuss availability or a specific commission.

 

I am a member of the Surrey Hills Enterprises.