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Tom Tew is the founding Director, co-owner and CEO of NatureSpace. Tom trained as an ecologist, with a DPhil from, and post-doc research career at, Oxford University. Tom spent half a lifetime working for Natural England and its predecessors, with his last statutory role on Natural England’s Executive Board as their Chief Scientist. Tom was CEO and co-owner of Environment Bank for 5 years before setting up NatureSpace in 2017. He coined the phrase ‘better, bigger, more & joined’ when on John Lawton’s Making Space for Nature panel, and was named on the 2023 ENDS ‘Environmental Power list 100’.
Tom has always volunteered freely for nature and has held non-Executive roles as Chair of the Vincent Wildlife Trust for a decade, Board member of the National Lottery Heritage Fund and, currently, on the Board of the National Trust. Any remaining spare time is exhausted by being taken for walks by his spaniel.
With a law degree and postgraduate studies in ecology and environmental management, Sarah has specialised in protected species, licensing and planning for over twenty years. Previously a senior specialist in Natural England’s licensing team, and with experience in local government and the private sector, Sarah was instrumental in setting up the NatureSpace scheme, from inception in 2017 to the present day.
Sarah is the Chief Operating Officer for NatureSpace and oversees the running of NatureSpace’s strategic licensing schemes, expansion, monitoring and evaluation. Sarah is keen to help restore nature by ensuring economic growth is sustainable, using tech-enabled solutions, effective partnerships and the latest available evidence to deliver impactful conservation action.
As the Manager of the Technical Team, Mike oversees the delivery of casework assessments, client liaison and key company projects for both process improvement and expansion into new areas. Having joined NatureSpace when the first licence was obtained in 2018, Mike has been involved in scheme design and improvement, key projects including database development and Organisational Licence set up, and the effective scale-up of the team and organisation.
With degrees in Zoology and Biodiversity Conservation, Mike has specialised in Herpetology and spent time in research, consultancy and fieldwork before joining NatureSpace. Mike is now focused on effective people management and project delivery to empower the Technical Team to facilitate exceptional conservation outcomes through the scheme.
Ali is responsible for information technology initiatives and strategy across the company. She manages a team with diverse responsibilities, focused on optimising operations, fostering efficiency and driving growth through effective data management, information accessibility, cost effectivity and cross company risk management. She initially trained as a scientist, gaining a MSci from the University of Southampton and spending several years in conservation research before transitioning into a specialised career in data management and technology. She joined NatureSpace in 2021.
Andrew has held several roles across the partnership dating back to the initial concept phase. Andrew is currently manager of the Science Team and takes the role of ecological lead for the scheme. He is responsible for the statistical modelling on which the scheme is based, and the application and renewal of scheme level licences, as well as the outcome evaluation of District Licensing Schemes, both ecologically and from a planning perspective. Andrew also oversees our Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) workstream, is responsible for the development of new work programs, and how District Licensing interacts with wider nature markets.
Andrew’s past roles within the partnership have been wide ranging and has included the delivery of habitat creation, development and delivery of the scheme monitoring programme, communication of the scheme to the scientific community and statistical modelling on which the scheme is based. Andrew has a PhD and Postdoc in great crested newt ecology, survey, and monitoring from the University of Kent, with a considerable number of peer reviewed publications on the subject. Outside of the scheme Andrew has held roles in Nature Conservation NGOs, been an ecological consultant, University Researcher and University Lecturer.
Paul has a BSc in Environmental Biology and an MSc in Biodiversity and Conservation. He has extensive experience in the ecological sector, having worked in both ecological consultancy and for the RSPB, where he specialised in urban biodiversity and working with developers to deliver more wildlife-rich spaces. He co-authored the NHBC’s Biodiversity in new housing developments guidance book. He joined NatureSpace as a District Licensing Officer in October 2022 and has since progressed to Senior DLO and now Operations Manager.
Emma is an experienced Town Planner with an environmental management background, who has worked in both the public and the private sectors. After completing her degree in Environmental Studies and Geography she went on to gain a Postgraduate degree in Urban and Regional Planning, working for several local planning authorities before jointly running a private planning consultancy for over 10 years.
She joined NatureSpace in May 2021, initially as a District Licencing Officer for Staffordshire, progressing to Senior Planning Specialist to provide planning advice, support and training for all the NatureSpace District Licencing Scheme areas, as well as feeding into national, regional and local strategies.
Utilising her skills and experience to date, Emma now manages the Business Support Team which is dedicated to enabling the company to efficiently achieve its aims and objectives. Her team covers a wide remit of roles including planning and communications, providing essential support across all teams, and ensuring a high level of service for the company as a whole.
Caroline has a degree in Geography which included a six month period working with Lancashire Wildlife Trust surveying ponds for the presence of newts. She brings 25 years of business experience, including 10 years working for a global logistics company on contracts including Esso, Shell and Scottish Courage. Most recently, she has spent four years working in the motor trade. Caroline joined NatureSpace in January 2024 as Business Support Officer.
Claire has a degree in Geography and joined the NatureSpace team in August 2024 as a Trainee Planning Specialist. She has most recently worked within the Planning Support Team for a Local Authority, assisting across many aspects of the planning process. She has a keen interest in nature and conservation.
With a background in both communications and ecology, Lex is passionate about promoting NatureSpace Partnership’s mission. Lex’s experience in marketing informs her thoughtful, pragmatic approach to developing effective communication strategies.
Lex also has hands-on experience in surveying protected species, including great crested newts, sand lizards and bats, and she currently volunteers coordinating local wildlife conservation efforts for common toads. Lex joined the team in November 2024.
Maria studied Marine Biology to Masters level at university, then worked in multiple South Atlantic Overseas Territories. Here she carried out the assessment of Key Biodiversity Areas across four of the territories and was part of multiple cetacean population assessment projects. More recently she has completed a Masters in Geographic Information Systems. She joined the NatureSpace technical team in April 2022.
Amy has a degree in Geography and joined the team as Business Support Officer in April 2022 to support all areas of the growing business. Amy brings a wealth of knowledge in database management, office management, websites, finance, communications, research and international event organisation. From November 2023 Amy was promoted to Data Manager and is responsible for the data management within NatureSpace, ensuring high-quality data is maintained throughout the organisation.
Scott joined NatureSpace as the West Oxfordshire and Cotswold District Council’s District Licencing Officer in January 2021, before joining the core NSP team as a Data Officer in November 2021. He has a background in Environmental Science and Wildlife Conservation, having studied both subjects at university as an undergraduate and a mature student. Prior to returning to full-time education, Scott worked for a FTSE 100 Wealth Management company as a Funds Analyst. He now incorporates this knowledge and experience into his role as a Data Officer for NatureSpace.
Caitlin has a background in Marine Biology, with a masters in Ecosystem Management and a focus on statistical analysis. She is a keen scuba diver and has undertaken field surveys of coral reefs in Honduras during her postgraduate degree. Caitlin has worked as a data analyst in the pharmaceutical industry building her data management skills before deciding to return to conservation and joining NatureSpace in January 2023.
Katherine has a MSc. in Computer Science and gained extensive experience in CRM systems, data management and business analysis while working in the IT industry. She is applying these skills to the maintenance of data quality standards and integration across NatureSpace.
Indea joined NatureSpace in 2018, following a change of career from a trained science teacher. She worked as the District Licencing Officer for Central Bedfordshire and Bedford Borough Councils, supporting the scheme across the Bedfordshire region. In 2019, Indea moved to work for NatureSpace and helped to manage and support the expansion of the licence across the South Midlands area. After returning from work from Maternity leave in 2021, Indea works alongside the Operations Manager as the Senior Operations Officer, helping support the operations team and the District Licensing Officer with their day-to-day activities.
Connie Graduated from the University of Chester, where she studied Conservation Biology. Conne has gained experience working on conservation efforts in both Grenada and Spain before going on to work as a field surveyor for an Ecology consultancy, collecting data on a range of protected British Species. Connie joined the NatureSpace team in September 2021 and has since been promoted to Senior District Licensing Officer for the south, supporting delivery of the scheme in Oxfordshire, as well as East and West Sussex, Hampshire and Isle of White.
Katie has over 7 years’ experience in the environmental sector, including as an ecological consultant, specialising in great crested newts and botany. She is a member of CIEEM, holds a level 2 GCN licence and has a level 3 FISC certificate.
Katie Joined NatureSpace in September 2021 as the Gloucestershire District Licencing Officer. Now as a senior District Licencing Officer, Katie oversees the delivery of the District Licence Scheme in Staffordshire, Berkshire and Surrey.
Rosanna has over 12 years’ experience working in the environmental sector, including local authority, private and charitable organisations. Throughout her studies in Zoology, she spent over a year living and researching in the Borneo rainforest focusing on the impacts of palm oil plantations on local wildlife conservation. Since then, she has followed a career in environmental education and community engagement, where she has designed and led award-winning courses to professionals, students, and members of the community.
Rosanna started her journey with NatureSpace in October 2022 and has since gained her great crested newt licence and CIEEM membership. As a senior within the company, Rosanna manages and oversees the delivery of the District Licence Scheme in Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, and maintains close relationships with the Local planning authorities within these regions.
Chloe studied Zoology with Psychology at University going on to work in science communication. She then went on to carry out a Masters in Taxonomy, Biodiversity and Evolution focusing on utilising data to create prediction models to tackle conservation issues. Chloe has since worked within ecological consultancy, ultimately focusing on Great Crested Newt mitigation projects. Chloe joined the NatureSpace Team in November 2021.
Tara recently graduated from university having studied Marine Biology, specialising in Elasmobranch populations across the Indian Ocean Territory. Promoting sustainability and conservation has always been of great importance to her. She joined NatureSpace in September 2022 as the first County District Licencing Officer for Surrey. She is embedded into Surrey Wildlife trusts team of ecologists giving detailed guidance on the District Licence Scheme and great crested newts.
Georgina studied Zoology with Conservation at university and went on to work as an ecological consultant, with a focus on great crested newts and reptile mitigation projects. Georgina joined NatureSpace in October 2022 as the East Sussex District Licencing Officer.
Madeleine completed her MSC in Applied Ecology and then went on to work as a Field Ecologist. During Madeleine’s first season as a field ecologist, she obtained her Class 1 GCN surveying license and gained a multitude of experience with protected species surveying and as an Ecological Clerks of Works. Madeleine also has experience in habitat management and conservation including pond restoration through her many volunteering role and her extended level 3 diploma. Madeleine joined NatureSpace to kickstart her career development in October 2022 as an Assistant District Licencing Officer.
Jennie has a BSc in Animal Behaviour and an MSc in Zoo Conservation Biology. During her time as a postgraduate, she undertook field surveys of frogs in Ecuador and collected environmental data to better inform habitat conservation. She went on to lecture in further and higher education, with a subject specialism of ecology and conservation. She is a council member of the British Herpetological Society and volunteers with national herpetological research projects. She joined NatureSpace in January 2023.
Katherine studied Zoology at the University of Exeter where her keen interest in promoting conservation really took off. Since completing her degree, Katherine has worked as an Assistant Ecologist where she completed numerous ecological surveys of different species from water voles to great crested newts. Katherine has also volunteered as a part of the RSPB education and event teams where she helped engage members of the public with the nature on their doorstep. She joined NatureSpace in January 2023 as Assistant County District Licencing Officer for Hampshire.
Jonathan has always had a passion for wildlife and studied his BSc in Zoology at Bangor followed by MSc in Conservation Biology at Manchester Metropolitan. During this time, he travelled to Kenya to study and experience the incredible wildlife of Africa. This stimulated a desire for travel, and he has been lucky enough to visit many countries and continents including New Zealand, the Middle East, more of Africa and working for a year on a conservation project in Costa Rica. Following this he has developed a career in conservation working for the RSPB, local government and Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, mainly focused on his specialism in ornithology but covering a variety of subjects such as habitats, botany, planning ecology and GIS. Jonathan is also actively involved as a volunteer in local projects and has been a Regional Organiser for the BTO for 7 years. Jonathan spent 2022 working with Newt Conservation Partnership delivering new pond creation in Staffordshire, and in June 2023 joined NatureSpace as District Licencing Officer for Staffordshire.
Sam studied at Bangor University graduating with a BSc in Zoology with Conservation. During his time at university, he carried out fieldwork in the Western Ghats in India which is a well-known biodiversity hotspot and perfectly complemented his interest in herpetology. He then progressed to lecture in further education at a wildlife hospital, dealing hands on with a range of different British wildlife from Newts to Badgers. Sam joined Milton Keynes City Council as a Countryside Officer specialising in District Licensing in September 2022 and works within the NatureSpace Operations Team.
Alexandra graduated from the University of Sussex with a degree in Zoology. Driven by her passion for wildlife and conservation, she has actively volunteered with various organisations. This included serving as a committee member for the Kent Reptile and Amphibian Group on a four-year term and assisting with the Great Crested Newt Monitoring project. Her professional journey included recently working as an assistant ecologist for an ecological consultancy company with specific focus on preliminary ecological appraisals, species surveys and assessments. Alexandra joined NatureSpace in June 2024 as the Assistant Operations Officer working alongside the Operations Manager and Senior Operations Officer to provide day-to-day support to the wider operations team and District Licensing Officers.
Laura has a BSc in Applied Zoology and an MSc in Entomology. She has previously worked with the Field Studies Council as a placement student assisting with environmental education, and also volunteers with the Wildlife Trust (BBOWT). She joined NatureSpace in June 2024 as an Assistant District Licensing Officer.
Alex has a BSc in Environmental Biology and an MRes in Ecology, as well as a personal licence to survey for great crested newts. He previously worked as an ecological consultant for over five years, during which time he gained experience working as an Accredited Agent under multiple great crested newt European Protected Species mitigation licences, for a range of projects including residential, highways, rail, and other large infrastructure. Alex joined NatureSpace in August 2024.
Matt has a BSc in Biological Sciences and an MSc in Species Identification and Survey Skills. He has worked as a wildlife surveyor, and aquarist and an ecological consultant, and joined NatureSpace in 2021 as the Berkshire District Licencing Officer. In his current role as Senior Licensing Officer he manages the licence application and renewal process, and works on updating and expanding the licensing scheme.
Lara has a Zoology with Conservation Degree and has previously worked in both practical conservation with active nature reserve management and in ecological consultancy. Lara joined NatureSpace in April 2022, originally carrying out technical impact assessments and is now leading the delivery of integrated Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG).
Aidan is an experienced ecologist with an in-depth knowledge of spatial ecology. Within NatureSpace Aidan’s role is to model the distribution of great crested newts and create impact risk zones (IRZs) which assess habitat suitability for great crested newts. Aidan developed his interest in modelling during his PhD research which used species distribution modelling to investigate the relationship between native amphibian species and a non-native frog. Prior to joining NatureSpace Aidan worked as an environmental consultant for 14 years and gained expertise in a range of ecological survey planning and techniques.
Jen has extensive research experience in ecology and conservation, having gained her PhD from Imperial College London and undertaken postdoctoral research at ZSL and the Natural History Museum. Her research has been wide ranging, from macroecological analysis of species distributions and extinction, to assessing the outcomes of species recovery programmes and informing species reintroductions. Jen originally joined NatureSpace as Technical Officer in September 2022, assessing the impacts of development proposals on great crested newts. She now leads NatureSpace’s evaluation work, assessing the ecological and operational outcomes of the great crested newt licensing schemes.
Karolina graduated from Warsaw University of Life Sciences with an MSc degree in functioning and protection of the natural environment and has developed a passion for amphibian conservation, identification, and surveying techniques through undertaking research and commercial development surveys. She proceeded to work on several EU-funded species conservation projects as Finance Officer in the NGO sector. Prior to joining the NatureSpace team in July 2023, Karolina gained experience in GIS, working with ornithological radar systems and spatial distribution of protected species.
Graduating with a BA (Hons) in Environmental Policy and an MSc in Historic Conservation, Abigail is an experienced town planner having worked as a development management officer for several local authorities and as a private planning consultant. She has also worked as a planning advisor in the conservation and environmental sectors, advising on both policy and development issues. Abigail joined the NatureSpace Science Team in September 2024 as a Section 41 Project Officer.
Piera graduated from the University of the West of England with a BSc in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Science. Throughout her degree and in her subsequent work as a field surveyor, Piera has gained survey experience for a range of British species but has a particular passion for birds. She joined the NatureSpace team in October 2024 as a Section 41 Project Officer.
Rowan joined NatureSpace in 2019, and operates as a specialist in Organisational Licensing for infrastructure and large-scale District Licence projects. After taking a leading role in the successful rollout of NatureSpace’s newt scheme for Network Rail, Rowan’s current focus is on expansion of strategic licensing for great crested newts across the infrastructure sector. Large infrastructure organisations can obtain their own Organisational Licence, to cover all their works in a quick, simple fashion without the need for newt surveys. Drawing on experience gained with Network Rail’s pioneering scheme, Rowan is focused on design and rollout of similar schemes across the sector.
Rowan’s background is in planning and environmental management, having graduated with an MSc from the University of Manchester. Prior to joining NatureSpace, Rowan spent time as a trainee at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.
Marcus has a background in Geography and joined NatureSpace as a Technical Officer in September 2020 after completing a Masters in GIS in the Netherlands. As NatureSpace expands, his primary role is leading on all technical aspects of the District Licence, supporting the technical team on a wide range of development projects and liaising with clients as they navigate the District Licensing Scheme.
Sarah has a background in Zoology with a masters in Biodiversity and Conservation. Sarah joined NatureSpace as a technical officer in 2021 and now leads on delivering Network Rail’s Organisational Licence. Following the national expansion of the scheme, Sarah supports the team in ensuring projects are covered under the Licence swiftly and smoothly.
Emily’s background is in Conservation Biology, with experience in data analysis, prediction modelling and field research. Emily joined NatureSpace in April 2022 as a Technical Officer, and has since been promoted to Senior Technical Officer, managing district licence enquiries and projects.
Frances is an environmental scientist with a masters degree in Freshwater and Marine Ecology. Before joining NatureSpace as Technical Officer in September 2022, she worked as an ecologist in environmental consultancy and as a research scientist, where she worked to develop novel DNA-based solutions to issues associated with traditional biomonitoring approaches.
Tom has a degree in Ecology and Conservation and has over 5 years experience in ecological consultancy, surveying for protected species and European protected species license contracting works. Tom completed his MA in Wildlife Documentary Production in 2018 and has since gone on to join the teams of several large scale factual wildlife entertainment programmes. He joined the NatureSpace technical team in June 2021, handling district license queries and carrying out technical impact assessments for proposed developments.
Ed studied an Environmental Hazards Bachelors degree before completing a Masters in Biodiversity Conservation. His postgraduate course was focussed on protected species surveying, and for his research project he assessed the survey protocol of a nation-wide hedgehog survey scheme. After this he worked with an ecological consultancy, predominantly on a large amphibian and reptile translocation project, before working for a major UK conservation charity coordinating a national public engagement scheme. Ed joined the technical team in September 2022.
Robbie has a BSc in Biology and an MSc in Environmental Science, with a focus on geospatial analysis and research. Robbie has volunteered for conservation projects abroad in Costa Rica and the Seychelles and most recently worked as a real estate sustainability consultant. He joined the NatureSpace technical team in October 2022.
Maya has an extensive background in reptile and amphibian conservation following 10 years of scientific study and research station management across the globe. After her MSc, Maya assisted in a sand lizard reintroduction program and continues to contribute to key UK sand lizard and adder research. Following two years of doctoral research in herpetology through COVID, Maya worked for a popular streaming service to produce natural history television before joining NatureSpace’s Technical Team in January 2024.
Maria has a BSc in Zoology, and completed an MSc by Research which focused on the effects of microplastics and climate change on the sensory ecology of aquatic species. During her studies she pursued research expeditions to Peru in order to compare herptile survey methodologies. Before joining the NatureSpace technical team in January 2024, Maria worked in admissions and partnership management for higher education institutions.
Matthew has a BSc in Natural History and an MSc in Wildlife Conservation from the University of South Wales. He has volunteered for conservation projects in Costa Rica and Botswana, and as a research assistant in South Africa and Madagascar. He worked in ecological consultancy for one year, which mainly involved surveying for protected species, including great crested newts. Matthew now focusing on his passion for GIS as a Technical Officer for NatureSpace.
Ina studied her masters in Global Ecology and Wildlife Conservation. She focused her Masters project on freshwater pollution and investigated the spatial variation of microplastics found within freshwater invertebrates. She then went on to work at an ecological records centre, and her main responsibilities were re-formatting large species datasets and collating and managing habitat data.
Phillipa just recently finished a Master of Research in Endangered Species Recovery and Conservation at Nottingham Trent University. In the past, she has worked as an ecological consultant and a macroinvertebrate research assistant. She has also completed various forms of protected species monitoring across the UK, Norway, Cyprus, and Costa Rica and is enthusiastic about conserving wildlife. She joined NatureSpace as part of the technical team in September 2024.
Evie has a BSc in Animal Biology and MSc in Conservation and Biodiversity. Evie’s postgraduate thesis compared traits of native and non-native terrestrial vertebrates in the UK Overseas Territories. Before this, Evie volunteered in Borneo and Kenya and researched rhino behaviour in South Africa. Evie joined NatureSpace in September 2024 as a Trainee Technical Officer.
Yazmin completed an MSci in Conservation Biology and Ecology with the University of Exeter in 2018. She then went on to work in the teaching laboratory at the same university, assisting with teaching on a variety of bioscience and geography undergraduate and master’s level lab and field sessions. She joined the technical team at the NatureSpace Partnership as a Trainee Technical Officer in August 2024.
Becca has a BSc in Physical Geography and an MSc(Res) in Polar and Alpine Change. Her research focused on the impacts of climate change on the Greenland Ice Sheet, including its hydrology, sediment dynamics, and delta systems. Throughout her studies, she applied geospatial analysis and statistical methods to explore changes in these areas and gained field experience in Greenland. After completing her postgraduate degree, Becca worked as a research assistant in hydrology, studying runoff and erosion dynamics. Becca joined the NatureSpace Technical Team in September 2024.
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