Meet the people
that make it happen

Richard is a conservationist and biodiversity scientist and is passionate about wildlife and the importance of nature in people’s lives and in society. He believes that the large-scale restoration of beavers in Britain represents a generational opportunity to breathe life back into our rivers and wetlands, helping landscapes become more resilient to a rapidly changing climate. Based in Bath, Richard has seen firsthand the return of beavers to the River Avon and what this has meant to local communities. His role at the Beaver Trust is to ensure we deliver on our mission and that our financial support achieves maximum possible impact. He works closely with Trustees and staff to set the Trust’s strategic direction and supports colleagues to ensure they have what they need in their work to restore beavers across Britain. Before joining Beaver Trust, Richard was Managing Director of the sustainability consultancy Nature Positive and previously Director of Science and Training at Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.

Roisin is a highly experienced field biologist and recognised beaver reintroduction specialist. She has authored over 25 peer-reviewed publications focusing mainly on beaver reintroduction, wildlife health screening, captive care and welfare. Roisin is also the lead author on the Eurasian beaver management handbook and completing her second book on beaver ecology, conservation and management. Roisin is highly experienced in animal trapping and handling, biological sample collection, remote monitoring techniques, field sign identification, data processing and translocation. Roisin advises various conservation projects across Britain, including conflict resolution, mitigation techniques and training. In 2020, she was recognised for her exceptional contributions and won the Conservation Scientist Award at the Nature of Scotland Awards.

Helen manages our internal operations and finances, and supports our governance with the management team and trustees. Helen is a financial and projects manager, interested in charity and community organisation governance. She grew up in Switzerland and Kenya, developing a love for wild places and travel. Having recovered from the culture shock of England, Helen has helped a range of clients including Taunton Women’s Aid and a renewable energy company. She is a trustee of Wiveliscombe Community Swimming Pool Club.

Rob helps coordinate our Restoration projects. An experienced field biologist, he has worked with large carnivores in Norway and, more recently, beaver-related projects for over 10 years. His University of Southampton PhD investigated the interactions of beaver habitat modification on brown trout populations in Scotland. Rob is experienced in animal trapping and handling, survey techniques, data collection and analysis, electrofishing, PIT tag telemetry and GIS. He has also authored and co-authored peer-reviewed publications.

Brought up on her family‘s mixed working farm, Sheelagh developed passion and experience in animal welfare and conservation, before spending 7.5 years specialising in wildlife rehabilitation. Sheelagh has worked with most British mammal species including: beavers, otters, badgers, pine marten and red squirrels. She’s experienced in animal handling and trapping. Sheelagh’s expertise and experience in the field is respected throughout the UK and internationally. Her skillset is often sought in an advisory role for animal welfare and husbandry.

Elliot manages our communications and education, engaging the public and key stakeholders on our work to restore rivers and help people to live alongside beavers again. Elliot was previously a Trustee of Scottish Wild Beaver Group before joining BT and is currently a Trustee of SCOTLAND: The Big Picture.

Jolene is Beaver Trust’s Senior Fundraising Officer. She creates partnerships with trusts, foundations and businesses, coordinates our match giving campaigns, and engages with our supporters, making sure they are thanked and kept up-to-date with the impact of their generosity. Jolene plays a central role in growing the charity’s income to support the return of beavers across Britain. She is an experienced fundraiser; before joining Beaver Trust in 2022, she had worked for UK-based health and social welfare charities for ten years.

Alana works her way through a number of crucial tasks for the administration and management of a busy and growing Restoration Team. Two of her favourite task are managing the array of training courses Beaver Trust provides and developing exciting volunteer roles and placements for all. She is also passionate about making conservation and biological recording accessible to all.

Emily helps reach new audiences and share the story of beavers reestablishing in Britain. Passionate about sharing wildlife and conservation stories, she believes that connecting people to nature is critical to it being given the chance to bounce back and to halt and reverse biodiversity declines.

Beth joins us as our new Administration Support Officer. With experience from other wildlife charities, she brings valuable skills to help us support our mission. Beth is passionate about nature restoration and actively participates in community conservation efforts in Somerset. Additionally, she manages a local nature network and organises community events in her village.

Jess is responsible for leading and coordinating Beaver Trust’s work to influence decision makers across Britain, in order to ensure that government policies and strategies in Scotland, England and Wales facilitate the restoration and normalisation of beavers and wetlands. Prior to working at Beaver Trust, Jess spent over ten years working in policy at the RSPB where she worked on a variety of policy areas, giving her a holistic view of what is needed to tackle the nature & climate emergency for wildlife, climate, and for people.

Ben is our Senior Field Officer based in the Southeast of England. Previously working for the Environment Agency as one of their Beaver Technical Specialists, Ben has nearly ten years of experience working with and alongside the wild beaver population in Kent. Ben is also undertaking a part-time PhD which is looking to investigate how beavers are utilising intensively managed lowland wetland areas, some of the effects beavers may be having in existing wetland habitats, such as reed beds, and what small-scale green bank protection mitigation methods can be implemented to allow human-beaver coexistence.

Oscar delivers and develops Beaver Trust’s national education programme, creating curriculum-linked materials and coordinating with partner schools and organisations across the UK. With a background in primary education as a teacher and school leader, he brings extensive experience in environmental and science learning. Oscar is particularly focused on inclusivity in education, ensuring all learners can engage through sensory and experiential approaches. Based in Somerset, he is also a passionate wildlife photographer, often found exploring and photographing wetland habitats.

Sophie is the education officer for the North of England and Scotland, developing and delivering our schools program and community outreach initiatives. With a background in marine and freshwater biology, she has built a career in science communication and conservation education. Her work has spanned a diverse range of education projects, from European lobster conservation to hydrogen-fuelled LEGO vehicles, engaging young people across Scotland. Sophie is passionate about fostering a connection with nature and empowering young people to recognise the vital role they play in addressing the climate crisis.

Galatea is excited to be spreading the word about beavers and the life they bring to the British landscape. She has a degree in animal behaviour, and a background championing youth environmental projects, including a voluntary position on Heal Rewilding’s youth panel. She believes in the power of stories to create change, bring hope, and inspire action, and regularly intertwines them with her work in the conservation sector. When she’s not communicating the joy of beavers, you can find her producing the Generation Nature Podcast.

Cristín Lambert is a Field officer based in Scotland, part of the restoration team, involved in all aspects of trapping, translocation, animal handling and transportation. She engages with a wide range of stakeholders and helps reduce human-beaver conflicts by installing and maintaining mitigation measures. Cristín is an ecologist with 12 years of experience either working with or studying wildlife, primarily in Scotland. Experienced in animal handling, survey techniques, data collection & analysis, she is passionate about animal behaviour, nature restoration and encouraging human-wildlife coexistence.

Previously, George has worked in south-west England for eNGO’s on landscape-scale nature restoration projects for multiple years before joining Beaver Trust. During this time, he managed two beaver enclosures undertaking trapping, handling and engagement activities as well as delivering UK-first river restoration projects, applying low-tech beaver-influenced techniques to renaturalise river catchments and terrestrial habitats alike. Additionally, he has undertaken stakeholder engagement and ecological surveying for Landscape Recovery Schemes paired with aiding in the writing of wild release applications for one of England's first official wild releases.