Conservation

Claire Boothby joined the Conservation Team at BCT as Head of Conservation Projects in November 2022, sharing the job with Lia Gilmour. Claire currently project manages the BCT deliverables from Species on the Edge (SotE) in Scotland and Natur am Byth in Wales. Claire also works part-time as the BCT representative on the Bats in Churches project team (see entry above).

Lia joined the Conservation Team at BCT as Head of Conservation Projects in November 2022, sharing the job with Claire Boothby. Lia works on development and delivery of key Conservation Projects, such as Gobaith Coetir/Woodland Hope Project in Wales and Species on the Edge (SotE) in Scotland. Lia’s time at BCT is split between the Conservation Team and the Science Team, where she also works part-time as a Research Manager (see entry under Science team).

Bethan Withey joined the team as Natur am Byth! Project Officer (Swansea Bay’s Stars of the Night) in December 2023. Bethan found her love for bats when completing her undergraduate degree in Zoology from the University of Reading which looked at habitat preferences of bats in urban environments; she hasn’t put a bat detector down since!

Bethan has worked in ecological consultancy since 2013, providing crucial advice on considering bats and other protected species during development projects. She has an MSc in Conservation and Biodiversity from the University of Exeter and has also volunteered with various conservation groups in England and Wales. Bethan is Welsh-speaking, having grown up in South Wales and is passionate about getting local communities involved in understanding and appreciating our native wildlife. Bethan is also a strong advocate for awareness around mental health and the importance of nature to our happiness and wellbeing.

Outside of work, Bethan enjoys sea swimming, floristry and surveying for marine mammals and seabirds.

Email Bethan: bwithey@bats.org.uk

Nicky joined BCT in 2023 on this exciting new venture surveying and protecting bats in areas of Celtic Rain Forest in Snowdonia.

Nicky has a First degree in Social Policy gained in Sussex in the 1990s and later returned to study at Trinity College at Masters level in Environmental Education focusing on sustainable Education and Air Pollution. She also attended Plumpton College gaining a Higher Diploma in Land & Countryside Studies. Following this she moved from Sussex to Snowdonia where she worked for many years as a Ranger and Field Tutor for the RSPB. Nicky’s career focused on outdoor learning in various posts for most of the NGOs as well as Education Officer for Wales for the Forestry Commission and Natural England.

Nicky is dedicated to wildlife conservation and developed a personal interest in bats having lived in her first cottage in Wales with an attic roost of over 300 pipistrelles and then became hooked after BCT Ecology & Survey Training and witnessing the Greater and Lesser Horseshoe Bats that roost at Stackpole.

Some twenty years ago Nicky set up and is the founder of Second Nature working to conserve wildlife and to inspire others, especially young people to share her passion and interest.

Nicky has returned to Snowdonia living in a 17^th century longhouse amongst the Gwydyr Forest where she is creating a wildlife and forest garden and lives with her menagerie of animals.

Email Nicky: nfish@bats.org.uk

Elliot joined the BCT team in 2023, based in mid Wales he is working to engage local communities and monitor bat populations in the awe inspiring Welsh Ancient Celtic Rainforest.

Having studied Biochemistry and Microbiology at the University of Sheffield Elliot developed a passion for all things small and wonderful, from fungi and slime moulds to bacteria and amoebas. He followed this degree with a position at the Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures at the University of Sheffield, developing sustainable hydroponic and aquaponic growing mediums inoculated with plant helping microorganisms.

Following his passion for wild places, he travelled to New Zealand and witnessed plenty of conservation in action really seeing its importance in today’s world. Elliot returned to the UK in 2020 with a new respect for the huge diversity of local flora and fauna, including our wonderful bats. Combining this passion with his knowledge of community engagement from his continued role in a food surplus organisation, Elliot wants to ensure that there are as few barriers to wildlife and conservation engagement as possible – everyone should have the chance to experience and steward our natural world. He is at his happiest walking in the Welsh woodlands looking for life in all shapes and forms!

Email Elliot: Ebastos@bats.org.uk

Allyson discovered her joy of bats while completing a summer placement with the Forestry Commission. Her PhD thesis focussed on the landscape ecology of bats and climate, which she put into practice by joining BCT back in 1996 as the team lead in setting up the UK National Bat Monitoring Programme.

Allyson’s passion for large-scale conservation led to a period of international conservation involvement, working for renowned USA based organisations including Bat Conservation International, Lubee Bat Conservancy, and San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research. She has experience researching the ecology of diverse international wildlife and habitats, including flying foxes, California condors, and Hawaiian birds. She has run projects on bats in caves, bat houses, bat diseases, captive care of bats, cross border bat education initiatives, and green energy-wildlife mitigation. She is an active member of the IUCN Bat Specialist Group, and a member of Shropshire Bat Group.

Having worked in hot climates, Allyson is now often cold and is most often spotted wearing lots of warm clothing. Her current interests include interdisciplinary knowledge brokering, and human-wildlife coexistence in the context of the energy transition and preservation of biodiversity.

Email Allyson: awalsh@bats.org.uk

Claudia joined BCT in February 2021. She has been active in the Scottish bat world since 2006 and has further international bat experience, including taking part in volunteer bat survey projects in England, Wales, Germany, New Zealand, Poland, Mexico, Netherlands, and Zambia.

In her role as Scottish Bat Officer Claudia is supporting bat groups in Scotland, providing training for bat surveys skills, as well as enthusing people about bats and engaging people in taking part in bat surveys.

Claudia has many years of experience as an ecologist, mainly working in nature conservation and consultancy. Her expertise lies in mammals, with a particular interest in bats, but her interests also include many other taxa. One of Claudia’s main interests is providing training courses and workshops. Her previous position as the Programme Leader for an ecological survey skills project at the Scottish Wildlife Trust included provision of various training sessions in bat survey skills from beginner to advanced level. She has also run training courses for the Field Studies Council and many bat walks and talks as an active volunteer for various other conservation organisations.

E-mail Claudia: cgebhardt@bats.org.uk

Cathryn joined BCT in January 2023 as a project officer for Species on the Edge. She became interested in bat conservation during the development year of the project, when she helped set up the Skye and Lochalsh Bat Group. Having grown up on the Isle of Skye, she is most at home when exploring the natural environment and has a great love for the local people and wildlife. And, as a crofter, is very keen to help connect the crofting communities with the conservation world. She believes strongly that there is a lot of common ground between the two groups and that working together and learning from each other is the best way to combat biodiversity loss in the Highlands. Through her role, she is excited to be able to combine her passions and connect the people of Skye with their natural heritage.

Email Cathryn: cbaillie@bats.org.uk

Abby joined BCT in February 2021 as the Bat Groups Officer. Her love of bats developed through survey work, always enjoying seeing their activity no matter what time of the night or morning it was. Unlocking their secret sounds with a heterodyne is always a thrill and one she is happy to share with anyone willing to take part. She has also volunteered with injured bat recovery and feels privileged to have been able to help and witness these creatures up close.

She has always been passionate about conservation work and believes everyone can be a part of conservation no matter what their occupation. She uses this enthusiasm to help support bat groups as they are the front-line of bat conservation.

Email Abby: batgroups@bats.org.uk

Naomi joined BCT in 2017. As Training & Conferences Manager, she is responsible for all the in-house and commissioned training as well as overseeing the organisation of various conferences each year. Prior to joining BCT, Naomi worked in education and training for the Wellcome Trust and the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust based at Jersey Zoo. During her 10 years in Jersey, she gave more fruit bat talks than she cares to remember but always managed to mention their smaller local cousins as well. Naomi is also the Education and Engagement Officer for BCT.

Email Naomi: nwebster@bats.org.uk

Hannah has been working with bats since 2013 when she began volunteering in nature reserves and on surveys around London after graduating with a BSc in Biology. Hannah started as one of two Helpline Managers in 2018, but has worked in the Helpline team since 2015 when she started as a Seasonal Helpline Officer. In 2022, Hannah also joined the Science team part time as the Engagement officer for the NightWatch project, where she has been enjoying sharing her love for bats with the public. Hannah has a keen interest in conservation marketing and behavioural science, having just completed an MSc in Science Communication from Imperial College London. Outside of work Hannah enjoys hiking, crafting and attempting to grow veggies in her urban container garden.

Email Hannah: hvanhesteren@bats.org.uk

Becky joined BCT in May 2014 as a Seasonal Helpline officer and later that year moved to a permanent role in the NBMP team as Survey Coordinator. She returned to the Helpline team as a Manager in August 2018.

Becky has a degree in Biology from the University of Southampton and has always been passionate about wildlife conservation. In 2013 she interned at the Botanic Gardens Conservation International, where she took part in completing a Red List of the tree family Betulaceae as part of the Global Trees Campaign.

Becky fell in love with bats whilst carrying out her dissertation on the effects of LED lighting on bat foraging behaviour. She is a member of the London Bat group and enjoys taking part in bat surveys, especially NBMP Hibernation Surveys. Her favourite moment of working with bats was getting to see both greater horseshoe and lesser horseshoe bats while helping out with Hibernation counts in Dorset.

Email Becky: bwilson@bats.org.uk

Tristan studied Film at the University of West London and, before joining BCT as a Seasonal Helpline Officer, had various different jobs in the film industry. Outside of work Tristan is a keen artist, fencer and enjoys walking in search of nature. Tristan has previously taken on the Three Peaks Challenge and has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.

Email Tristan: tevans@bats.org.uk

Jen has worked on the helpline at BCT since 2007, starting as a Seasonal Helpline Officer.

Jen graduated with a degree in Marine Biology from the University of Plymouth in 2005 and carried on at Plymouth to obtain an MSc in Zoo Conservation Biology. She decided on a career in conservation after travelling to Madagascar in her gap year, where she studied for a BTEC in Tropical Habitat Conservation.

Jen works part-time mainly writing Natural England advice letters. Her hobbies aside from bats include her young family, hiking the Cornish coast path, diving and hen keeping.

Email Jen: jpope@bats.org.uk

Charley joined the Bat Conservation Trust as a Seasonal Bat Advisor in May 2021, and has since progressed through their role to become a Senior Bat Advisor and the UK Bat Care Network Co-ordinator. Charley has been a bat carer for 4 years and is currently training to become a Volunteer Bat Roost Visitor with Natural England. Their interest in bats was first triggered by entering an underground cave in Cuba and witnessing thousands of bats roosting on a university field trip. They have a BSc in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Science, and has previously worked as an ecologist for several consultancies.

In their spare time Charley enjoys reading, wildlife-watching and creating artwork.

Email Charley: cbird@bats.org.uk