ECOSA - Key Persons
Alice joined ECOSA in October 2021 as an Administrative Assistant, prior to which she gained 8 years of administrative experience in the Wealth Management industry. Alice moved into the role of Office Manager in March 2022, helping to manage the day-to-day running of our busy office. Alice loves the variety that her role brings, and is eager to continue learning about the fascinating world of ecology.
Outside of work, Alice enjoys exploring new areas of Hampshire on walks with her husband and dog, and finding new, fun ways to keep active. Currently a portion of her spare time is spent undergoing a Diploma of Higher Education in Counselling which she is finding endlessly valuable to apply in all aspects of life. With any spare time she has remaining, Alice loves to develop her embroidery skills and try her hand at various other creative pursuits.
Alina graduated with a first class honours degree in Biology from the University of Southampton in 2022, specializing in ecology. As part of her dissertation project, she took part in data collection and research of bat species within the tropics.
Alina first joined ECOSA in May 2023 as part of the work placement scheme, and then gained a role as an Assistant Ecologist later in the year.
Outside of work, Alina likes to keep active through running, and she is a keen crocheter.
Job Titles:
- Company Manager
- BCS Agile PM Certified / Company Manager
Anita is responsible for running our busy office, overseeing project management systems, human resources and ECOSA's quality management and health and safety accreditations. She is certified in Agile project management methods and is highly experienced in collaborative working.
She joined ECOSA in 2019 after a 25-year career at IBM where she held UK, European and Global roles involving marketing, data analysis and project management.
Outside of work she is a busy mother of two, and when she does have any spare time, she is an avid runner and knits for the Princess Anne Maternity Hospital premature baby unit in Southampton.
Briza graduated from the Sao Paulo State University in Brazil with a BSc degree in Ecology. As part of this degree she participated in a variety of fieldwork activities involving bats, rodents, birds and marsupials in different types of Brazilian habitats. After completing her degree she spent two years volunteering in a community farm in Dorset, growing organic vegetables, looking after adults with special needs and helping in fundraiser events.
Briza first joined ECOSA in 2022 as a bat surveyor and completed the work placement scheme in 2023. Briza is now part of the team as an Assistant Ecologist and she loves the diversity that her role involves.
Outside work, Briza enjoys yoga, sea swimming and travelling back to Brazil to enjoy the sunny weather next to family and friends.
Hannah graduated with a first class honours degree in Biology from the University of Southampton in 2018. As part of her degree, Hannah took part in field research in the rainforests of Belize and closer to home in the New Forest. After completing a Masters degree in Biodiversity and Conservation Hannah knew she wanted to pursue a career in ecology.
Hannah worked with ECOSA as a bat surveyor before completing the work placement scheme in 2021 and is now part of the team as an Ecologist.
Outside of work Hannah enjoys the outdoors and being active, and has competed in swimming, cycling and lifesaving sport events across the country.
Hugh graduated from Queen's University Belfast with a MSc in Ecological Management and Conservation Biology.
Hugh learnt about countryside management first hand as a volunteer ranger with the South Downs National Park Authority. Since coming to ECOSA in 2015 he has progressed from the work placement scheme up to Principal Ecologist level, and currently manages medium to large-scale projects; closely liaising with clients on mitigation, wildlife licensing and Biodiveristy Net Gain. Hugh holds a Level 1 great crested newt licence and Level 2 bat licence. He also holds a rare reptile licence which permits him to work on schemes where sand lizard and smooth snake are present.
Outside of work, Hugh enjoys reading, exploring the countryside and volunteers with Snakes in the Heather surveying for smooth snakes across the south of England.
James joined the ECOSA team in October 2023 as our GIS Technician having previously worked in similar roles at a road traffic legislation consultancy. In his role with ECOSA, he leads on the mapping involved with our projects and is thoroughly enjoying getting to grips with the software and templates we use for our mapping, including Biodiversity Net Gain Assessments, Ecological Impact Assessments and Preliminary Ecological Appraisals.
He graduated from the University of South Wales in 2020 with a degree in BSc Natural History, and has been keen to break into an ecology-related field to further develop his GIS skills.
Outside of work, James is an avid wildlife photographer and relishes spending time in the outdoors.
Jessica graduated from Durham University in 2021 with a BSc in Geography, and as part of her degree gained widespread experience with field surveys both in the UK and abroad. During this time, she also developed technical expertise in GIS to solve environmental problems.
Before ECOSA, she worked for an environmental consultancy in the water team; here she got involved in various ecological surveys, including assisting with preliminary bat roost assessments and breeding bird surveys. Researching the impacts of water pollution on aquatic habitats further sparked her interest in this field.
Outside of work, she enjoys being active through hiking, cycling and water sports such as paddle boarding. She has always had a passion for art and enjoys being creative through painting and drawing in her spare time.
Joe was welcomed to ECOSA as an Assistant Ecologist in August 2021, before being promoted to an Ecologist in January 2024. Having grown up on a small farm surrounded by nature and wildlife, Joe gained many skills in practical conservation through working with his dad, who is a rural contractor. He learned about ecology through volunteering with local wildlife groups, and ultimately went on to graduate from the Royal Agricultural University in Gloucestershire with a BSc (Hons) in Wildlife and Countryside Management. As part of his degree he gained various NPTC/Lantra certified vocational qualifications and licenses in practical conservation, such as chainsaw operation and tree felling, brushcutter operation, knapsack sprayer operation, drystone walling and ATV operation.
Before joining ECOSA, Joe worked for Atkins in their Bristol office, where he was mainly involved in large-scale infrastructure projects in Gloucestershire and South Wales which required protected species surveys. Joe also worked for The Environmental Dimension Partnership Ltd. (EDP) as a Seasonal Ecologist based out of their Cirencester office; here he got involved in a wide range of protected species surveys, including his first great crested newt survey which sparked a personal passion for them.
Since joining ECOSA, Joe has particularly enjoyed his involvement in dormouse surveys where he's had the opportunity to handle them and learn the proper techniques from a licenced ecologist. He holds a Level 1 great crested newt licence.
Job Titles:
- Biological Sciences
- Equipment and Resource Co - Ordinator
Katie joined the ECOSA team in June 2022 as our Equipment and Resource Coordinator (ERC), helping to schedule our busy diary of ecological surveys and to also ensure our specialist equipment is allocated and maintained correctly.
Katie graduated from the University of Exeter with a BSc in Biological Sciences, with a focus on ecology.
Katie has 25 years of administrative experience working firstly for the Construction Industry Training Board and more recently at the University of Winchester. She is excited to be able put her administrative skills to good use here at ECOSA, as she has always aspired to work within the ecology and conservation sector. She enjoys working with many different people and gains satisfaction from assisting others and achieving a successful outcome for everyone, wherever possible.
Outside of work Katie likes to spend as much time outdoors with her family as possible and keeps active through hiking, cycling and running. Favourite places to holiday are anywhere she can explore nature and has been lucky enough to have been to The Alps, Lake Garda, The Canadian Rockies, Vancouver Island and closer to home The Lake District and Dartmoor are particular favourites.
An animal lover, over the years she has had many pets in her life including a leopard gecko, guinea pigs, gerbils, Roborowski hamsters, tropical fish and her beloved Cocker Spaniel Max.
Laura joined ECOSA in February 2023 as an Administrative Assistant. Previously she has worked in both the music industry and in higher education, and spent nine and half years living in Asia.
New to the role, Laura is keen to learn about the world of ecology and is looking forward to observing various ecological surveys first hand.
She is currently in her second year studying for a BSc in Psychology and is learning to apply this in various aspects of her life. Outside of work Laura enjoys playing tennis for Bassett Tennis Club, walking her springer spaniel Hugo, and travelling to far away destinations. With any spare time remaining, Laura enjoys getting away for the weekend going to visit her three children who are dotted around the country at different universities.
Lucy graduated from the University of Reading with a MSc in Species Identification and Survey Skills, which primarily focused on ecological consultancy. Lucy's background has a particular marine focus, in her early career she worked as a marine mammal researcher in East Africa and New Zealand.
Since joining ECOSA in 2016, Lucy has managed a variety of projects from small-scale homeowner redevelopments to medium-scale residential and commercial developments. She has experience of preparing a wide range of reports including Preliminary Ecological Appraisal Reports (PEARs) and Ecological Impact Assessments (EcIAs) as well as designing and implementing habitat creation, management and monitoring plans. She has applied for successful Natural England EPSM licence applications in respect of bats and has been an alternative named ecologist on a number of licences. Additionally, she has assisted principal ecologists with successful Natural England EPSM licence applications in respect of badger and hazel dormouse.
Lucy has experience in bat caring for grounded and injured individuals and has consequently handled a large number of UK bat species. She also has extensive experience in handling, sexing and aging hazel dormouse, identifying unusual nests and carrying out habitat management through having volunteered with People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) over a number of years. Lucy currently holds Natural England bat (Level 2), great crested newt and hazel dormouse licences (Level 1).
Outside of work, she is a busy mother and an advocate for children with disabilities. In her little free time, she enjoys creating nature inspired macrame pieces, baking and beachcombing.
Megan graduated from Aberystwyth University in 2016 having studied Ecology. As part of her degree she took part in a tropical research project in the Bornean rainforest on behalf of the National Botanic Garden of Wales.
During her dissertation project she harnessed her passion for ornithology which she puts to good use when carrying out bird surveys for ECOSA.
Megan first joined ECOSA in 2018 as a bat surveyor and completed the work placement scheme in 2021. Having gained experience in project management and various protected species surveys (bats, great crested newt, hazel dormouse, badger, otter, water vole and reptiles to name a few!), Megan joins the ECOSA team as an Ecologist. She holds Level 1 Natural England class licences for great crested newt and hazel dormouse.
Outside of work, Megan enjoys playing folk tunes on the violin and exploring in nature.
Melanie joined ECOSA in 2017 as our Finance Assistant. She has been working in accounting for the last 15 years and has detailed knowledge and experience of Management Accounts, Bookkeeping, Payroll and Credit Control. She has also been a member of an accounting firm for the past 12 years. Melanie is now putting her skills to use at ECOSA and is very pleased to be supporting the business as it continues to grow.
Outside work, Melanie likes to explore the countryside and Dorset coastline with her dog, spending lots of time with her family, and also indulges her creative side as a keen designer and creator of clothing accessories.
Olivia graduated with a first-class honours degree in Zoology from Queen Mary University of London in 2015. Conducting fieldwork in the tropical rainforests of Borneo, animal behavioural research in South Africa, and completing her Masters degree in Conservation and Biodiversity at the University of Exeter in 2017, all confirmed to Olivia that she wanted to pursue a career in ecology.
She started her ecological career off working as an Assistant Ranger with Forestry England whilst volunteering with the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, gaining a range of practical conservation skills and a sound understanding of biodiversity management.
Olivia began her time at ECOSA in 2019 on the work placement scheme, before progressing to her current role as an Ecologist. Throughout this time she has gained a broad range of experience in protected species surveys, can produce maps of varying complexity using GIS, and is responsible for managing small to medium scale projects. Olivia holds Level 1 great crested newt and bat licences, and is currently working towards her hazel dormouse licence.
Outside of work, Olivia enjoys baking, pilates and hiking; with her sense of adventure has even had her travel to Africa and successfully summit Mount Kilimanjaro for charity!
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Principal Ecologist
Richard has worked as an ecological consultant since 2010 following an undergraduate degree in Zoology and subsequent MSc in Ecology and Environmental Management, and joined ECOSA in 2013.
He has managed a wide variety of ecological projects from small-scale housing developments for private clients to large multi-use development sites and urban extensions. He has extensive experience in planning, leading, coordinating and undertaking a variety of protected species surveys and has successfully devised mitigation schemes and obtained Natural England mitigation licences in respect of badger, bats and great crested newt.
He also has experience in providing advice on the potential impacts of proposals on designated sites, including Habitat Regulations Assessments (HRA). His varied experience has developed his excellent knowledge of ecological legislation and the planning system in relation to ecology.
He enjoys working on a wide range of species, particularly when developing and implementing mitigation schemes. Richard holds current bat (Level 2) and great crested newt survey licences, and has held mitigation licences in respect of bats and badgers.
Outside of work, Richard enjoys a range of outdoor pursuits including running, exploring the countryside and weekends away camping.
Ryan graduated from the University of Southampton in 2019 with a degree in Environmental Science, having chosen to study a specialised course pathway in biodiversity and conservation.
He took his first steps toward the ecological sector when he began surveying for the Bat Conservation Trust as part of their volunteer scheme, spending most of his evenings searching for bats in the parks and woodland around Hampshire and the New Forest. This fascination with bats led Ryan to join ECOSA in 2022 as a Seasonal Bat Surveyor, returning in 2023 as part of ECOSA's Work Placement scheme. Ryan joined ECOSA permanently at the end of the Work Placement, becoming an Assistant Ecologist.
Outside of work, Ryan enjoys playing the guitar and drums, outdoor walks, and fossil hunting trips to Dorset and Devon
Sarah joined the ECOSA team in 2006. She previously worked as a senior environmental consultant at SLR Consulting in Buckinghamshire, where she has gained a wealth of project management experience in relation to PPC applications and the preparation of Environmental Statements. Sarah is fully adept at successfully providing the agreed project scope in accordance with strict budgets and timescales.
Sarah is very proud of ECOSA's work and the team behind it. She is an advocate of sustainable development, which takes into consideration the need for continued social and economic development whilst carefully balancing the needs of the environment.
Outside of her work, Sarah enjoys travelling in the Far East and Africa as well as closer to home along the Dorset and Cornwall coastlines.
Simon is a Chartered Ecologist with over 14 years of experience as an ecologist, eleven of which have been within ecological consultancy. He came to ECOSA in 2011 after working as an ecologist at Hampshire County Council.
Simon has knowledge of a wide range of taxa and holds protected species licences for bats, dormouse and great crested newt. He is a Registered Consultant under the Bat Mitigation Class Licence (BMCL). Simon is an excellent ornithologist and has been undertaking bird surveys for over 20 years.
Simon has worked on a wide range of projects from small scale housing sites to being the lead ecologist on a 3,500 home urban extension scheme. He has obtained multiple Natural England mitigation licences for bats, dormouse, great crested newt and badger. He has particular experience of technically challenging Natural England licences and has recently obtained bat EPS licences which include rarer species such as Bechstein's bat, Alcathoe bat, barbastelle, Brandt's bat and grey long-eared bat.
Within ECOSA Simon manages a team of ecologists, and is responsible for his teams progression and development. He regularly provides support and guidance to the ecologists in his team.
Outside of work Simon enjoys travelling, bird watching and hiking. He also assists with volunteer ecological surveys for various groups including the British Trust for Ornithology.
Job Titles:
- Managing Principal Ecologist
Simon has an exceptional working knowledge of ecology and development and there can't be many practising ecologists who can draw on such a useful combination of experience. Simon has a lifelong interest in ecology and spent six years assisting his father in the management of his Isle of Wight based construction company before becoming a practising consultant ecologist over fifteen years ago. The latest addition to Simon's collection of qualifications and protected species licences is his accreditation as Registered Consultant status for the Natural England Bat Mitigation Class Licence (BMCL).
Simon is perhaps most proud of the ecological surveys and solutions ECOSA provided to Your Energy when devising the Yelvertoft Wind Farm project. ECOSA carried out three years worth of ecological surveys including bird vantage point and extensive bat surveys in close liaison with Natural England and the client. This work ultimately assisted the development in gaining planning permission.
Outside of work, Simon is a dedicated birdwatcher having travelled widely throughout the world in pursuit of his interests.