Staff Profiles

Nicky is an experienced project manager and is responsible for the day to day running of the consultancy. She has a BSc (Honours) degree in Zoology and a Masters degree in Wildlife Management and Conservation. With four years experience of ecological consultancy, she specialises in protected species surveys, particularly for reptiles and amphibians and also undertakes Phase 1 habitat surveys and BREEAM assessments.

Nicky holds a Natural England great crested newt survey license and is involved in voluntary bat and reptile monitoring, such as for the rare smooth snake and sand lizard. Nicky is also an experienced dive professional and has spent several years conducting baseline monitoring of coral reefs and associated marine fauna (turtles, whale sharks and commercial fisheries) particularly in the Seychelles. She has extensive experience of training and co-ordinating field surveyors gained in the UK, Seychelles and during baseline rain forest surveys in Uganda and the Philippines.

After completing her Environmental Sciences degree at Surrey University, Isobel moved to Somerset Environmental Records Centre to work as an a trainee Environmental Surveyor and Biodiversity Projects Officer. In 1997, she moved back to Surrey to begin working at the Wildlife Trust. She is now the Principal Ecologist for the Consultancy Team, specialising in meadows as the Leader for Surrey’s lowland unimproved neutral and dry acid grassland Habitat Action Plan.

With almost 15 years experience in the environmental sector Isobel is an experienced botanist, Phase 1, 2, NVC and FEP surveyor and has a postgraduate certificate in Biological Monitoring & Species identification from the University of Birmingham. She has been an Associated Wildlife Trust Consultancies (AWTC) committee member since 2002 and has had full membership to the Institute of Environmental and Ecological Management (IEEM) since 2003. She is also a member of the Surrey Botanical Society, Botanical Society of the British Isles and a member of the British Myriapod & Isopod Group (BMIG).

Claire is an experienced ecologist having worked for over 10 years in the conservation sector. She has a first class degree in Ecology and Conservation and a Masters in Environmental Management. Claire is experienced in undertaking Phase 1 ecological surveys as well as Phase 2 botanical surveys. She has particular expertise in the production of management plans for sites in the CMS (Countryside Management System) format and BREEAM assessments.

In addition Claire coordinates and undertakes surveys of Local Wildlife Sites, known as Sites of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCIs) in Surrey on behalf of local authorities. Claire is also a certified auditor for the Biodiversity Benchmark scheme coordinated by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts.

Scotty has had a broad interest in natural history for 20 years, specialising in studying invertebrates for the past seven. As SWT’s Invertebrate Ecologist he conducts entomological (both aquatic and terrestrial) surveys, and has a particular expertise in interpreting findings of surveys to make practical management recommendations.  Scotty has a Masters Degree in Recording from the University of Birmingham’s School of Biosciences and a National Certificate in Practical Habitat Management from Merrist Wood.  In addition, he manages the national Heath Tiger Beetle Species Action Plan (SAP) and co-ordinates field work for the Red-barbed Ant SAP.

Scotty is a member of the Royal Entomological Society, British Arachnological Society and an associate member of IEEM. He also sits upon the British Entomological and Natural History Society council and has spent five years on the steering group of the Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society (BWARS). Scotty regularly submits papers and short communications to entomological journals on the distribution and ecology of a range of invertebrate groups and attends training courses in invertebrate identification which helps keep his knowledge up to date. Scotty is also county recorder for plant galls and the national recorder for Darkling Beetles (Tenebrionoidae) with Dr. Jonty Denton. His current research projects include the distribution of gall wasps in Surrey for the SWT Atlas Project, autecology of the Heath Tiger Beetle, chalk grassland and hedgerow quality assessment using invertebrate assemblages.

 

Sue is an ecologist with 6 years professional experience. She has a BSc (Honours) degree in Environmental Science and holds an Advanced Certificate in Biological Surveying and a Certificate in Biological Recording and Species Identification. Sue has undertaken Phase 1, Phase 2 and NVC surveys and has conducted amphibian and reptile surveys. She has carried out a large number of surveys for Surrey’s Sites of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI) project and has a particular interest in wetland habitats.

Sue has been actively involved in the voluntary sector of conservation for more than 20 years and is a voluntary warden of a Surrey Wildlife Trust nature reserve. She holds a Natural England Dormouse Licence and takes part in the National Dormouse Monitoring Programme.

Dave has over 25 years experience of conducting mammal surveys, including licensed trapping. He has completed field work with Professor Stephen Harris, Bristol University, and Professor David McDonald, Oxford University. Dave holds a Natural England Dormouse Survey Licence and has completed licensed work for badgers and great crested newts. Dave is also an active member of the Mammal Society, a regional co-ordinator for small mammal trapping, a recognised trainer for dormouse workers and has acted as expert witness for the RSPCA and the police in court cases. He has worked on many development mitigation projects such as for local authorities, private land owners, large road schemes, pipelines, landfill sites and Environment Agency flood relief.

In his capacity as Mammal Officer for SWT he undertakes surveys and works on all aspects of mammal ecology, including a long term Surrey Dormouse Project which has been running since 2002 and now includes 22 Surrey sites. This includes monitoring dormice, surveying new sites and training dormouse workers. He has also worked with the Environment Agency on a water vole conservation project since 2004.