Meet the people
that make it happen

Based in Northumberland and a regular visitor to the beaver site in Wallington, Sandra is deeply connected to both our mission and the local environment. She plays a pivotal role in supporting our team to deliver on our mission and strategic goals, ensuring a healthy balance of collaboration and challenge between staff and trustees. Sandra is an experienced charity leader, innovative thinker, and skilled convener. Sandra brings extensive experience in governance to her role. Sandra is a dedicated environmentalist, driven to take urgent action on the twin climate and ecological crises. Before joining Beaver Trust, she served as Chair of Northumberland Wildlife Trust and as Chief Philanthropy Officer and Deputy CEO at the largest Community Foundation in Europe, where she successfully brought philanthropists and grassroots charities together to achieve positive change.

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.

Eva leads our communications programme helping engage and inform the public and communities about river restoration and co-existing with beavers. Eva is a passionate environmentalist dedicated to climate action, conservation and wildlife resilience. She has worked on large scale renewable energy programmes for the UK, involving environmental impact assessments and community engagement, run carbon offset schemes abroad and founded a major wetland conservation and catchment restoration initiative. Most recently she has developed a climate action app and materials for schools eco initiatives.

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 on 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. He is currently at the write up stage of his PhD through the University of Southampton where he is investigating 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 new Fundraising Coordinator. This is the first time Beaver Trust has had a dedicated fundraiser and she will play a central role in growing the charity’s income to support vital restoration projects. Jolene is an experienced fundraiser, working in the charity sector for ten years across Salisbury, London and now Bedford.

Alana is Beaver Trust’s new Restoration Project Officer. Alana is an experienced project administrator who helps to deliver all aspects of Beaver Trust’s restoration work. In her role she is currently developing efficient processes for project delivery, reporting and data handling across the restoration team’s work. Alana has previously worked for RSPB, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and most recently at Kent Wildlife Trust managing the Volunteer Programme. Alana has worked on a range of evidence led projects including the State of Nature in Kent 2021 report. She is passionate about making conservation and biological recording accessible to all.

Emily is our newest member of the Communications team, helping to reach new audiences and share our message. Eternally curious about the natural world and 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. Emily joins us from Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, where she worked on a range of projects from website development and social media to producing a book of nature reserves cared for by the Trust.

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.

Holly is responsible for Beaver Trust's Education work, leading a programme to engage young people, community groups and the public to engage with beaver ecology, conservation and nature connection. Holly connects schools and beaver sites across Britain to provide exciting educational experiences and develops educational materials to support Beaver Trust's aims. She is passionate about helping young people to experience and connect with the wild spaces in the UK and teaching the positive impacts of beaver reintroduction on biodiversity and habitats. Holly has over 15 years experience working in education with a focus on Science and Forest Schools and has led environmental education projects alongside Essex Wildlife Trust and the RSPB.

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.