People

David has had a life-long interest in the British countryside, its function and conservation. After 10 years in the Army he moved to Norfolk, where he has lived ever since. His business career has involved working with UK-based companies in the bottled water industry. He recently started a Norfolk company with the aim of encouraging more people to take an interest in the natural environment.

Jonah is a river ecologist, with a background in conservation and research. He has previously worked with Wester Ross Fisheries Trust, University of Highlands and Islands, Yorkshire Water and the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Ed is our Operations Director, providing a strategic and integrated approach to delivering projects. Previously, Ed worked as manager of NRT's Water Sensitive Farming initiative, in which he forged many positive relationships within the agricultural sector. Ed used to work as a Reserve Manager at Pensthorpe Natural Park after gaining an HND in Countryside Management. He holds a BASIS Soil and Water and a FACTS qualification.

Marie-Anne is our Finance Manager. She has a wealth of experience and knowledge in managing the accounts of small businesses and charities.

Ursula coordinates the West Norfolk and North Norfolk CaBA catchments and runs the ‘Fishing for Youngsters’ Fishing School at Bayfield. She has worked with over 1000 children on projects such as the 'HLF Glaven Eel' and 'Hidden Heritage of The River Gaywood' projects, taking tanks of eels and invertebrates into the classroom, as well as coordinating river visits. Ursula has also led GCSE groups on their river study days and has ran several Yellow Fish Campaigns in local schools. With a background in ecology and conservation (as well as outdoor education), Ursula holds a crayfish survey licence and is currently working towards a great crested newt and water vole survey licence.

Georgia oversees the Trust’s communications work, as well as supporting various projects in a reporting, data and mapping capacity. This involves using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to analyse, visualise and identify areas to target measures to improve water quality and habitats. Her academic and work background has been in Environmental Science, Research and Science Communications, with a focus on aquatic ecology, conservation and agriculture.

Alison is our Farm Advisor working within the Broadland Catchment as part of the Water Sensitive Farming initiative, funded by the WWF & Coca-cola Freshwater Partnership. She has nearly 30 year’s involvement with farming and land management. Alison has previously worked for 10 years as the National Trust’s East of England Regional Farms Advisor and has also undertaken extensive work on agri-environment schemes; with a particular interest in soil and water management. In her current role, she covers the rivers Bure, Wensum, Waveney and Yare (and their tributaries), providing advice to farmers and implementing projects to reduce diffuse pollution from agricultural practices. She has a BASIS Soil and Water qualification.

With a background in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management, Becky has 18 years’ experience within the environmental sector providing technical advice, training, surveying, monitoring and management services. She has worked with Wildlife Trusts, the National Trust, local and regional authorities, NGO’s and private landowners to develop, implement and monitor a variety of landscape-scale projects including wetlands, catchment scale Non-Native Invasive Species (NNIS) control and eradication programmes; river walkover surveys and restoration; HLS schemes; white-clawed crayfish monitoring and translocation; and water vole monitoring and mitigation. Becky holds a crayfish survey licence.

Sam is our Farm Advisor working in the Cam and Ely Ouse (CamEO) river catchment as part of the Water Sensitive Farming Initiative, funded by the WWF & Coca-Cola Freshwater Partnership. Prior to this, Sam spent the past 5 years working at the Environment Agency in the CamEO Catchment to improve water quality and prevent pollution, with a focus on the water industry and agricultural sectors. In his current role, Sam covers the rivers Cam, Lark, Little Ouse and Thet (and their tributaries), providing advice to farmers and implementing projects to reduce diffuse pollution from agricultural practices.

Zac is our Farm Advisor working across the Broadland and North Norfolk catchments as part of the Water Sensitive Farming Initiative funded by the WWF & Coca-Cola Freshwater Partnership. Prior to this, Zac worked for Anglian Water in the regulatory sampling team and as a fishery manager for a small sports fishery. His academic background in Environmental Science has a bias for aquatic ecology and catchment water resource management, using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to identify sites at risk of generating diffuse water pollution from agriculture. In his current role, Zac covers the rivers Wensum, Glaven and Stiffkey (and their tributaries) providing advice to farmers and implementing projects to reduce diffuse pollution from agricultural practices.

Ant is an ecologist with a background in landscape ecology, ecosystem services and ecological mitigation. After completing his MSc in Applied Ecology and Conservation, Ant went into consultancy where he worked on a variety of large development schemes. Ant will be helping to deliver a series of river restoration projects, taking place predominantly in the Stiffkey catchment.

Nathalie has an MSc in Water Security and experience working in coastal management and surface water flood investigations and mitigation. Nathalie will be working on delivering a number of river restoration projects with a particular focus on the Stiffkey catchment.

With expertise in the linkages between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, Jonathan leads the ecology team and has experience in delivering a variety of river restoration, wetland creation and rewilding projects. He also runs our Norfolk Rivers Ecology consultancy arm, which can be found here: norfolkriversecology.co.uk/

Lily has a MSc in freshwater management with an expertise in geomorphology. She has previously worked within the Rivers Trust delivering a number of projects, including chalk stream restoration, natural flood management and wetland creation.

Sharon has recently completed an Apprenticeship working on the National Trust's Upper Bure Riverlands project. She previously worked as a Countryside Assistant for Epping Forest District Council after completing a Traineeship with the Wildlife Trust at College Lake. Sharon will be helping to deliver the river restoration project at the Hun.

Cassie is our Trees and Meadows Advisor, working across Norfolk to deliver the Woodlands for Water and Botanica by AirWick projects. She has experience with practical land management and ecology from her previous roles as an assistant ranger and assistant reserves ecologist at Essex Wildlife Trust. Through this experience, Cassie has managed a range of habitats including species-rich flood and hay meadows, fen, riverbanks, ponds, woodland, scrub and hedgerows. She studied Conservation Biology and Ecology with Study Abroad at the University of Exeter and previously helped to manage 34 acres of Culm grassland and ancient woodland in North Devon for a number of years.

Sarah has an MSc in Applied Ecology and Conservation with experience in wildlife surveying, protected species recovery and nature-friendly farming for the RSPB, Natural England and ecology companies. Her background in community engagement, citizen science and volunteering as well as organisational development and partnership cooperation stem from 25 years working in Africa, Asia and the UK, working for a range of government, donor and NGO organisations. Sarah will be supporting the Wensum Catchment Partnership and delivery of river restoration projects on the Wensum and Yare catchments.