Who we are

The Ecology Consultancy teams work from our head office in London and regional offices in Norwich and Lewes.

The Ecology Consultancy opened an office in Edinburgh in March. Until this office is fully functioning, please call 01312 258610 or email edinburgh@ecologyconsultancy.co.uk

  • London
  • Norwich
  • Lewes
Who we are

  • John Newton

    BSc MSc CEnv MIEEM, The Ecology Consultancy Managing Director. He has over 35 years experience of working on ecological issues including as an in-house environmental manager for a property development company and with construction contractors. He also has extensive experience of both the public and voluntary conservation sectors and was previously Deputy Director (Conservation) of London Wildlife Trust.

    John oversees all the work at The Ecology Consultancy and has particular input into our major projects. As well as being the face of The Ecology Consultancy he is not afraid to get his hands dirty and he is regularly out participating in bat surveys and other ecology work.

  • Jon Riley

    BSc MSc MIEEM, Principal Ecologist. He has worked both for conservation NGOs and in the commercial sector for over 15 years. He has project managed strategic habitat surveys across several London boroughs and a number of protected species surveys. A qualified botanist, he has conducted vegetation research on chalk grassland and is involved in botanical conservation, recording and training in London and the southeast.

  • Julie Powell

    BSc, Senior Ecologist. Julie is currently studying for an MSc in Biodiversity Conservation at Imperial College. She is a protected species specialist with experience in biodiversity and has worked in the ecology sector for over 10 years in a conservation and commercial capacity. She holds dormouse and great crested newt licences and is in training for her bat licence. She is an experienced project manager and has coordinated and written numerous technical reports for Planning and Ecological Impact Assessments, as well as Habitats Regulations Assessments. She is regularly involved in Masterplan and project design teams.

    Julie manages much of our protected species survey and mitigation projects with major contractors including our work on the M25 widening scheme and Olympics venues.

  • Dr Sarah Yarwood-Lovett

    BSc, PhD, CEnv, MIEEM, Senior Ecologist. Sarah has worked in the field of ecology since 2000 and in the ecology consultancy sector since 2005. She has a range of experience in ecology in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats, undertaking habitat and protected species surveys, carrying out assessments, providing advice, designing and implementing mitigation strategies and managing projects. She has experience in road and rail infrastructure schemes, development projects, flood alleviation schemes and restoration projects.

    She is a licensed bat worker, holds a Natural England survey licence for great crested newts and is currently working towards her dormouse licence. She is involved in various voluntary survey groups and, as an active member of the Sussex Bat Group, co-ordinates the National Bat Monitoring Project locally.

  • Jane Kendall

    BA, Certificate in Ecology & Conservation, Office Manager. Having worked at London Wildlife Trust and Common Ground, Jane's interest and passion in ecology, married with her great organisational skills makes her an ideal Office Manager with extensive knowledge of The Ecology Consultancy's day-to-day work.

  • Corrado Cacciarru

    GIS Analyst. He has over 15 years experience working on environmental issues implementing Geographic Information Systems and thematic cartography for Environmental Impact Assessments and for surveys. He has used this expertise in his work with the energy industry, local and regional government and on mining and geology projects. He has also worked extensively both in the private and public sector, providing IT consultancy, training and Quality Management Systems solutions.

  • Yvonne O'Keeffe

    BA, MAAT, Finance Manager. Yvonne is an accounts professional with wide experience of management and financial accounting functions in SMEs. In the past she reported to major financial institutions - the US NASDAQ and the UK FTSE - and she is currently studying for ACCA exams.

  • Sasha Dodsworth

    BSc, MSc, MIEEM, Ecologist. She specialises in the survey and mitigation works regarding protected species, mainly with great crested newts. Sasha holds a Personal Track Safety certificate and a CSCS card.

  • Toni Harrington

    BSc, MSc, MIEEM, Ecologist specialising in protected species surveys and mitigation works for reptiles, great crested newts, badgers, dormice, bats and riparian mammals. Toni holds Natural England survey licences for great crested newts and dormice. Her experience includes undertaking and writing scoping, Phase 1 habitat reports, as well as Natural England development licenses and ecological management plans required for planning. She has managed large scale mitigation projects such as the M25 road widening scheme between Junctions 27 and 30.

  • Wendy McFarlane

    MSc, MA, MIEEM, Ecologist. She has trained in botanical surveys including habitat mapping for the Countryside Survey 2007. Her main work includes BREEAM assessments, Phase 1 and protected species surveys. She has worked on the high profile GM Field-scale Trials for Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and for three years on a five year study comparing biodiversity of Scottish non-scheme farms against those in rural stewardship and organic aid schemes.

  • Caroline Nash

    BSc, AIEEM, Ecologist. Caroline holds a Natural England bat survey licence and is experienced in carrying out all aspects of bat survey work. She is also responsible for preparing and implementing European Protected Species Mitigation licence applications for bats. Caroline is an enthusiastic birder, with experience in carrying out breeding and winter bird surveys. She recently completed an internship with the RSPB studying the decline in house sparrows in London. Caroline has been involved in a range of protected species survey work and conducted Phase 1 habitat surveys.

  • Sabrina Bremner

    BSc, Grad.IEEM, Ecologist. Sabrina has extensive survey and protected species mitigation experience throughout Sussex and Hampshire. She conducts Phase 1 surveys, BREEAM and Code for Sustainable Homes assessments for the Ecology Consultancy as well as botanical and protected species surveys, and has a Natural England great crested newt license.

  • Daniel Simmons

    BSc (Hons) Biodiversity Conservation and Management, Assistant Ecologist. Daniel has spent several years working with conservation NGOs internationally, from the Amazon basin to the Mediterranean archipelago. He comes from the eminent bat research team at the Institute of Zoology in London and has built an extensive repertoire of protected species survey and mitigation. At the Ecology Consultancy he assists in running bat related projects and can provide visual tree and aerial roost inspections from a rope and harness.

  • George Siskos

    BSc Environmental Protection, Assistant Ecologist and GIS support. George is experienced in mapping software and assists in the analysis of field survey data and creation of thematic maps for habitat plans, protected species surveys and BREEAM assessments.

  • Melanie Oxley

    BSc Environmental Science, Communications Officer. Melanie has long experience of public relations in the sector, having worked with the London Wildlife Trust, Plantlife, WWF and other environmental groups. Melanie’s interest in wildlife and habitat issues, coupled with her easy ability to convey our story, makes her the ideal addition to our marketing team.

  • Liz Gatenby

    BSc, Affiliate IEEM, RHS Cert Hort, Admin Officer. After many years in training design Liz decided to pursue her interest in horticulture, and landscape and habitat management. Liz has recently completed a BSc Landscape Management degree and is now using her skills to support our ecologists and assist in the day-to-day tasks in our London office.

  • Alex Woodcraft

    BA, Marketing Officer. Alex has over 15 years experience in sales and marketing working for Xerox, Book Data and CIRIA. He has worked in the construction industry for the last ten years and has a broad knowledge of this sector. Alex is a qualified CEEQUAL assessor and has passed The Green Register sustainable construction course. He brings his sales and marketing skills to The Ecology Consultancy.

Who we are

  • Barry Nicholson

    Very sadly our friend, Ecology Consultancy Co-Director, and top ecologist, Barry Nicholson died on Sunday 12 September 2010. Tragically he fell ill with lymphoma a couple of years ago shortly after the death of his beloved wife, Liz. He will be greatly missed.

  • Dr Rachel Saunders

    BSc, PhD, MIEEM, Principal Ecologist. She has worked in various fields of ecology and conservation since 1996, specialising mainly in mammal ecology and protected species issues. She has extensive experience in mammal identification and survey techniques and has been running national workshops for The Mammal Society since 1998. Formerly working for English Nature (now Natural England), she has experience in the management of designated sites as well as development control issues relating to protected species and habitats. She has also undertaken research into various aspects of urban ecology, including the spatial ecology of urban foxes and the value of gardens for wildlife. Her portfolio includes ecological impact assessments for wind farm developments, rail and road infrastructure and major housing projects. She is a licensed bat worker and holder of Natural England survey licences for dormice and great crested newts.

  • Dr Graham Hopkins

    BSc, PGCE, PhD, MIEEM, FRES, Senior Ecologist. He has a particular interest in insect ecology and has worked with commercial partners and NGOs for over ten years. He has extensive experience of site survey and assessment for invertebrate interests, with major projects including proposed road schemes, brownfield developments and flood defence works. His survey skills include terrestrial and freshwater habitats and his identification expertise includes the flies, bees and wasps, and the bugs (including aphids). His academic work included extensive post-doctoral fieldwork in the UK and Costa Rica and he has published several important desk-based studies.

  • Sam Phillips

    HND, BSc, MIEEM, Senior Ecologist. He has worked for several universities on large-scale ecological experiments from the Arctic Tundra to the Tropics. He has worked with the Central Science Laboratories in the UK on the monitoring of badger populations and the behavioural ecology of UK bats. Currently he is also a part-time lecturer at Easton College and runs an Environmental Awareness course for the Environment Agency in East Anglia. He is a committee member of the Norwich Bat Group and training towards a bat licence.

  • Alex Prendergast

    BSc (Hons) MSc, Ecologist. Alex trained in Botany at The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and has written theses on urban plant communities and diatom speciation. His specialisms include the British flora, lower plants and ethnobotany. He has previously held positions in the fields of horticulture, plant science and natural history. He has worked as a botanist on a number of scientific expeditions to South-East Asia, Africa and Central America, and for voluntary conservation and research projects in the UK. As a botanist for The Ecology Consultancy he has undertaken a three-year review of 500+ Local Wildlife Sites in Lincolnshire and regularly conducts a range of other botany surveys; these can include arable weed surveys, non-native plant surveys and monitoring surveys as well as habitat surveys to Phase 1 and NVC level. He also advises on habitat restoration, development impacts on botanic gardens and hay toxicity as part of investigations into the poisoning of horses, as well as CfSH and BREEAM assessments. Current research interests include habitat restoration for the large copper butterfly, the biodiversity of churchyards and orchards, crayfish in East Anglia, and a monograph on the genus Rumex. He holds a Natural England survey license for white-clawed crayfish and a level 5 field identification skills certificate. Alex is also a PADI qualified diver and is able to complete underwater surveys for crayfish and aquatic plants.

  • Tracy Simpson

    BSc, MSc, AIEEM, Ecologist. She is trained in the identification and ecology of a wide range of taxonomic groups and has a particular interest in mammals. Her main experience has been in carrying out bat and great crested newt surveys and assessments. She is also an experienced botanist and has carried out numerous Phase 1 habitat and NVC surveys. She has project managed several large-scale surveys for great crested newts and a review of over 350 Local Wildlife Sites in Lincolnshire. She has training in use of GIS software (MapInfo), and is currently the membership secretary of the Norwich bat group.

  • Michelle Fielden

    BSc (Hons) Ecology, HNC Countryside Management, Assistant Ecologist. Michelle has worked in the environmental sector for several years on a wide variety of practical and ecological projects both in a voluntary and professional capacity. Michelle is also the co-founder of the Norwich Bat Group and currently plays an active role as a committee member. Her areas of expertise are Extended Phase 1 Habitat Surveys, NVC Surveys and protected species surveys, particularly bat surveys.

Who we are

  • Giles Coe

    BSc, MIEEM, Senior Ecologist. Giles organises and manages contracts from the Sussex office in addition to advising on all protected species issues. He has worked as lead ecologist on large scale developments in the south-east as well as rail and road infrastructure works and is currently advising on ecology issues affecting school and college redevelopments. Giles holds Natural England survey licences for great crested newts and bats and is responsible for devising and implementing European Protected Species Mitigation licence applications for a range of species. His work with badgers includes surveys of urban and rural setts, licence applications and sett closure. Giles trained in GIS software at college and has been using both ArcView and MapInfo in a range of commercial applications.

  • Ben Kimpton

    Diploma (Hort), BA(Env), MSc, MIEEM, Senior Ecologist. He specialises in botany and has over ten years experience of working with UK plants and habitats. Ben undertakes and manages a wide range of surveys including Building Environmental Assessment Tools such as BREEAM, CfSH and NEAT, Farm Environment Plans, River Corridor Surveys and NVC of woodland, grassland and wasteland habitats. He liaises closely with project design teams to deliver practical and innovative ecological solutions, using experience gained from working in botanical gardens (including the Eden Project) and countryside management, particularly in the design of long-term management plans. He is currently developing The Ecology Consultancy's work on living roofs in partnership with the Green Roof Consultancy.

  • Naomi Forbes

    BSc, MIEEM Ecologist. Naomi has excellent botanical identification skills (FISC Level 4). Her surveys predominantly employ Phase1 Habitat methodology but also include woodland, hedgerow, River Corridor Survey (RCS) and National Vegetation Classification (NVC). Previous employment includes work for non-statutory organisations (Sussex Wildlife Trust and National Trust). She is also experienced in carrying out protected species surveys in particular for bats, reptiles and badger. She has a keen interest in invertebrates – specialising in butterflies, moths and dragonflies and has been a volunteer recorder for Butterfly Conservation for the past eight years.

  • Carly Jefferies

    BSc, MSc, MIEEM, Ecologist. Carly has carried out a range of protected species surveys and specialises in survey and mitigation for reptiles and amphibians. Mitigation work has included daily checks of pit fall traps and overseeing the final destructive searches for several large scale projects. She has assisted on evening surveys and building inspections for bats and has experience in ecological scoping assessments for road schemes. Carly holds a Natural England survey license for great crested newts and is currently working towards her dormouse license. Responsibilities in the office include the production of digital plans for Phase 1 habitat surveys and protected species work and she has training in standard desktop graphics packages as well as GIS software MapInfo and ArcView.