I first moved to the area in 1985 and loved the way the Hills and Commons make Malvern such a special place. I am delighted to be able to contribute to the MHT as a Board Member. I live in Castlemorton and since retiring in 2020 I have been a Parish Councillor. I am a keen walker, cyclist and member of several conservation organisations.
I trained as a botanist/ecologist and spent most of my working life in nature and environmental conservation for Natural England, its predecessors, Government Departments and RSPB-Cymru. For 20 years I worked in local teams largely on the designation and management of Sites of Special Scientific Interest including manging English Nature's Gloucestershire Team. I then worked in various regional and national roles in sustainable development, stakeholder relations and evidence. I developed an interest in climate change the the environmental impact of tidal renewable energy. For 2 years I worked on the Government's Severn Tidal Power feasibility study investigating and reporting on the potential for compensating for wildlife impacts.
After leaving Natural England I worked for RSPB-Cymru HQ, again on the environmental impact of tidal energy. Then moving on to lead on their advice to the Welsh Government on climate change and planning including the Wales National Plan and Marine Plan. A recurring theme of my career has been the importance of developing partnerships and relationships with key stakeholders - something which I think is vital to the work of the MHT.