BARN OWL TRUST - Key Persons
Aiden joined the nestbox team in July 2022 having moved from Essex to Devon in 2013. During lockdown they decided to retrain in a new area, and are currently completing Furniture Making at college. Aiden is keen to get stuck in with woodwork projects, and is enjoying learning the nestbox building process and getting to know the crew (and owls) at the Trust. In their free time, they love strolling the Devon lanes, seeing the seasons changing, and exploring the moors in their campervan with their wife Billie, and naughty pooch Arla.
Alan started working with the Trust in October 2001. He is a self-employed computer consultant specialising in website and database design. Alan works closely with our staff and Trustees providing computer and website support. He is also responsible for the design, development and maintenance of our amazing database, which holds many thousands of Barn Owl records as well as all our contacts and communication history.
Alan spent 17 years as a Buddhist monk in England, Switzerland, Thailand and Sri Lanka. He developed his core computer skills in monasteries that began using computers in the late ‘80's to assist their administration. He has a very people-friendly approach to IT and enjoys offering computer support to a wide range of interesting organisations and people in Devon. His websites include Calm IT, Zen Moments, and the Barn Owl Trust website which he built and manages along with his wife, Vanessa and the BOT staff team.
Job Titles:
- Reception / Administrator
Anne-Marie began working with the Trust in August 2021 as an Administrative Assistant; her main duties include dealing with enquiries, working on the Friends and Adoption schemes, helping with accounts and a vast variety of other admin tasks.
After graduating from University of Plymouth in 2012 with a First-Class honours in Animal Behaviour and Welfare, she decided to move to Malawi where she initially joined LSPCA (a rescue shelter and veterinary clinic) heading up reception, administration as well as managing the rescue shelter. In 2017, Anne-Marie decided to partner with a local vet (Care Vet Clinic) and run a dog training and behaviourist department, which lead to a boarding facility being constructed in 2021.
In 2020, Anne-Marie made the decision to move back to the UK, but due to COVID-19, wasn't able to physically move back until June 2021. She is enjoying the luxuries that the UK has to offer including Netflix, Spin classes and exploring Dartmoor with her dog, Bentley.
Job Titles:
- Enviroscope Consulting Ltd.
David has been employed by the Trust since 1990. He is responsible for managing the Trust's conservation, educational and research work and overseeing the projects undertaken by our Conservation Team. Staff training and public speaking are also part of his role. David is a BTO ringer, having fitted rings to over a thousand wild Barn Owls, and was principal author of the Barn Owl Conservation Handbook.
Barn Owl conservation is a way of life for David; he's been fascinated by flight since childhood. When not working, he's involved in environmental campaigning, DIY, aeromodelling, and song-writing. He also has his own website.
David was awarded an MBE for "Services to wildlife" in the Queens Birthday Honours List in June 2007 which he accepted on behalf of the Trust.
Job Titles:
- Senior Conservation and Science Officer
Mateo started working at the Barn Owl Trust in January 2018 as P.A. to Head of Conservation/Conservation Assistant. In April 2019 he changed his role and his current post includes a much wider range of activities, including erecting nest boxes, carrying out other practical fieldwork, providing advice on habitat management, population monitoring, educational visits to schools, supporting the Conservation Team with scientific advice, and participating in BOT research projects.
Back in 1987 a teenage Mateo and his family participated in a breeding and release scheme with the Trust, helping to reintroduce a pair of Barn Owls in the Teign Valley. Analysing Barn Owl pellets for his Environmental Studies GCSE project was the start of an ongoing interest in wildlife biology. For his degree he studied the Common Dormouse population on Woodbury Common in Devon and later he spent seven years doing post-graduate research on tropical bird communities in coastal wetlands of Mexico.
Mateo has worked with Friends of the Earth in England and with community-driven conservation projects in Mexico. His interests in the natural world include birds, mammals, reptiles, wild flowers and trees. Mateo lives with his family and enjoys rock climbing and playing the saxophone.
Pip started working for the Barn Owl Trust in February 2022 . She carries out a number of duties within the conservation team including responding to conservation enquiries, assisting with fieldwork and helping with outreach activities.
Inspired by a love of nature, Pip has spent time researching a range of animals from Bumblebees and Guppies to Dwarf Mongooses and Pheasants. She has a PhD (in animal behaviour) from the University of Exeter and an MSci in Biology from the University of Bristol. With an ever-growing concern over the climate and ecological crisis we are facing, Pip is incredibly excited to devote her time to protecting the beautiful Barn Owl and its habitat.
In her spare time Pip enjoys walking her rescued ex-racing greyhound around the Devon countryside and beaches, gardening and spending time with friends and family!
Job Titles:
- Siren Conservation Education
Ed is a Geordie who lived and worked in Australia and London for some years before coming to live in Devon in 1973. He has worked in a variety of areas, mainly in the public sector, ranging from buying electronics for the Phantom fighter/bomber, to finishing as a manager in the Devon Fire and Rescue Service. Ed's involvement in the voluntary sector has included serving as a magistrate throughout the 1990's and working as a volunteer in the FORCE cancer support centre in Exeter for five years. He became interested in the natural world at about the age of 12, with a particular interest in birdwatching, which has continued to the present day. A long-time keen gardener, he and his wife Kim now devote their efforts to making their garden as wildlife friendly as possible. Ed and Kim became supporters of the Trust in 2003 and since then have become regular visitors, attending many events and helping with BOT tasks including packing newsletters.
Ed has been a Trustee since November 2020.
Frances runs her own business providing financial assistance, PR, photography and training for charities and not-for-profit companies. Until 2003 she was responsible for the day-to-day workings of the office, staff and volunteers as Managing Trustee. Now semi-retired from this role, Frances line-manages the Office Manager and is joint editor of Feedback (the Trust's bi-annual magazine). She is a BTO ringer and helps with the Trust's annual monitoring of Barn Owl sites. In her professional capacity Frances is responsible for paying all the bills and producing the annual and management accounts for the Trust. In her spare time she has a garden, makes baskets, takes photographs and keeps quite a few animals.
Frances has been a Trustee since 1987.
Gill started working with the Trust at the end of November 2018 and joined the team who look after the charity's administration. She became Office Manager in July 2021. She lives on the outskirts of Ashburton, deep in the countryside.
Gill has retired from the NHS after a varied 20 year career as a podiatrist, a manager and latterly, a director in Clinical Commissioning. Having left the NHS, Gill trained to be an independent civil celebrant, gaining a diploma in funeral celebrancy. She has been spending her time post-NHS enjoying the opportunities that retirement brings - including learning the art of cloth weaving, tapestry weaving and spinning. All things sheep-y, in fact. She enjoys most things to do with wool and is an avid sock knitter. She also carves in stone and wood, and paints in watercolour and grows vegetables.
Gill hadn't had much to do with owls until she came to the Trust although she always felt truly privileged when spotting one in the countryside. She has really enjoyed being part of the team and is very pleased to have been given the opportunity to become Office Manager.
Job Titles:
- GSL Consultant Ecologists
Job Titles:
- Reserve and Volunteer Coordinator
Harry began work at the Barn Owl Trust in July 2022 as our first ever intern. In October 2023 having completed his internship he became our Reserve and Volunteer Coordinator. His job is to look after our nature reserve (the LLP) and recruit volunteers to help. Back in 2016 when he was just 14, Harry did a week's work experience here and has been a volunteer ever since helping out with tasks including Bracken control, aviary cleaning, pond clearing, and Dormouse surveys.
He went on to study at Bangor University for a degree in Conservation with Forestry. As an intern, he's being given the training and opportunities to broaden his knowledge and learn new skills such as chainsaw and brush-cutter operation, hedge laying, wildlife identification, first aid and much more. He also coordinates our volunteers and leading them in conservation and land management tasks. In his spare time, Harry enjoys wild camping and hiking around Snowdonia National Park and Dartmoor National Park along with walking his border collie Maud.
Job Titles:
- Maintenance and Production Manager
Jasmin started working for the Trust in October 2008 on a short-term contract to build our new Owl Hospital and aviaries. Having completed this project she began work in March 2009 on the construction of our new Mobile Release Aviaries. In July she moved on to a more permanent role - providing Practical Support 2 days a week and building nestboxes. She now manages our nestbox team and tackles a wide range of other practical tasks here at the Trust.
Having previously worked as a chef, Jasmin decided on a career change to make use of her extensive DIY skills. In her free time she writes and plays music and in 2010 she recorded her first CD. She likes to be outside in the natural world and has two dogs, Poppy and Biscuit.
Job Titles:
- Administrator / Education Work
Jess joined the Barn Owl Trust team in October 2021 as an administration assistant and deals with enquiries, the Friends and Adoption schemes, and a vast variety of other admin tasks. She is also involved with our education work.
Jess has always had a keen interest in wildlife and the outdoors, studying Zoology at the University of Reading and spending a brief period volunteering with the Barn Owl Trust back in 2000. Since then, she spent over 15 years working within the field of Outdoor Education in Oxfordshire and Hertfordshire, before moving back to Devon in 2018.
Job Titles:
- JP Environmental Solutions
Job Titles:
- Assistant Conservation Officer
Josh started working for the Barn Owl Trust in September 2023. He carries out a number of tasks including handling email and telephone enquiries, helping with fieldwork as well as engagement with members of the public and landowners.
After gaining a degree in Zoology at the University of Sheffield, Josh has pursued a career in conservation working with the RSPB in the New Forest, assisting with a Little Tern colony in North Wales, before spending time working on the Dorset heaths with the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust.
Josh is very concerned about the state of nature decline we are observing in the UK and wants to use his passion to promote conservation particularly across our farmed environments. Being able to protect the Barn Owl and its environment, and supporting the multitude of other species and ecosystem services this brings, is a very exciting prospect.
In his spare time Josh is excited to walk the heights of Dartmoor (after growing up in very flat Norfolk), wild swim in the beautiful rivers and get lost exploring the temperate rainforests.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Conservation Officer
Kate started working with the Barn Owl Trust in November 2023 and is part of the Conservation Team carrying out a wide variety of tasks including enquiries and helping with fieldwork.
Kate lives in a ‘tiny home' on an organic farm that produces vegetables for Riverford. She spent the years before the Barn Owl Trust working on the farm - planting, hand weeding and harvesting the veggies, and continues to help out in her spare time. She has had a varied career so far and tried out lots of industries, from radio production to cafe management, before landing a job guiding people on glaciers in rural Iceland. It was an amazing experience but seeing the obvious effects of climate change first hand made it clear that she wanted to direct her life towards making more of a difference.
Since Iceland, Kate has spent time volunteering for local conservation projects, such as at the Devon Wildlife Trust and Wild Devon, before finding her dream conservation job at the Barn Owl Trust. Kate believes in the importance of conservation work, especially protecting habitats and species in decline as a result of human activity. She hadn't actually seen a Barn Owl properly before moving onto the farm where she is now lucky enough to be able to watch one forage regularly from her kitchen window!
Kate thinks Devon is the best county and loves being out on Dartmoor or the coast path, walking and swimming, or staying in the van outside a cosy pub.
Job Titles:
- Administrator and Digital Media Officer
Kaye began employment with the Trust in May 2019 as the Conservation Team Admin Assistant. Her role now includes developing and maintaining the online training courses, assisting with bookkeeping and supporting the Conservation and the Management Team with general administration tasks.
Kaye grew up in the countryside of Dorset and developed a keen interest in nature from a young age, which resulted in her moving to Plymouth to complete a degree in Wildlife Conservation. After graduating, she has volunteered and worked in a variety of roles for conservation organisations across the UK and abroad. In her spare time, Kaye enjoys walking with her partner and their two rescue dogs, travelling in her camper van, climbing, mountain biking, kayaking and yoga.
Job Titles:
- Senior Tour Guide With a Specialist
Senior tour guide with a specialist bird-watching holiday company. Keith is the current chair; he is a British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) ringer and trained the other BTO ringers at the Trust. He is responsible for overseeing all our bird ringing, involved in the recruitment of new conservation staff and was instrumental in the development of the Trust's Health & Safety Policy and Forward Plan. He also line-manages our Head of Conservation. Keith has been interested in birds since he was a child and also knows a huge amount about butterflies and plants.
Keith has been a Trustee since 1992.
Job Titles:
- Company Director of Wildlife Watching Supplies
Company director of Wildlife Watching Supplies and wildlife photographer. Kevin has been a Friend and supporter of the Trust since 1993 when he began taking photographs for us. Born and brought up in Sussex he moved to Devon in 1989. He has been a commercial diver, went to agricultural college, worked on a farm and started a rope business. Through his varied careers Kevin always had a camera with him and has always been passionate about wildlife and wildlife photography. In 1992 he set up Wildlife Watching Supplies to provide better equipment for wildlife photographers. Kevin is married with 2 daughters.
Kevin has been a Trustee since November 2010.
Job Titles:
- Reception / Administrator
Lucy joined the admin team for two days a week in April 2023. She helps out with the phones and email enquiries, works on the Friends and Adoption schemes and is involved in a vast variety of other admin tasks.
A lifelong lover of nature and the countryside Lucy lives ‘out in the sticks' not far from the Trust, with her husband and various dogs and horses. Since her horse was retired Lucy has a newfound hobby of agility with her lurcher Rew and spends sunny days in the greenhouse or losing the battle with her fast-growing garden. She has recently started bird watching with a friend and the BTO.
Job Titles:
- Administration / Reception
Marianne (or Maz for short) started volunteering at the Trust for a few hours a week in October 2009 to clean aviaries. Having spotted her potential, she was recruited as a Receptionist and Admin Assistant in November. Maz answers the telephone, email and postal queries and now manages our Friends and Adoption schemes. She also helps out with all our other "admin processes" and occasionally gets out to feed our resident birds.
Mark is a District Councillor and a retired Senior Business Bank Manager and has worked closely with small businesses. He oversees and advises on all financial matters for the Trust. He was born in Gloucester where he grew up with several Dalmatian dogs but now lives in Devon. A keen bird watcher, he also loves sports and spends quite a bit of his free time working with people with mental health problems via Rethink.
Mark has been Honorary Treasurer since 2001.
Job Titles:
- South Gloucestershire Hawk & Owl Trust
Job Titles:
- Legacy Officer / Fundraiser
Sam started working at the Trust in February 2022 as a Volunteer helping in the office and cleaning out the aviaries. She now works part time as our Legacy Officer, Fundraising Administrator and Admin Assistant.
Sam started her career in the RAF as an Air Traffic Controller and on leaving the Forces, she became an Exhibition and Conference Manager all around the UK. After moving to Devon in the late 90's she enrolled on a new career as a Veterinary Nurse spending time in Africa working with Bush Vets and then working in Devon for over 15 years as well as raising her family.
Being a country girl, Sam has always had a passion for animals and nature and can often be found roaming the moors on long walks and finding new places to explore in the West Country as well as travelling as much as she can with her family. She lives in a house that she and her family built and she enjoys hiking, reading, travelling, baking and spending time in her very under-utilised garden.
A solicitor and a Partner in Wollen Michelmore Solicitors, Simon became the Trust's Honorary Solicitor in 1999 after moving to Devon from the southeast of England where he practiced law for over twenty years. He advises the Trust on legal matters. Simon has a keen interest in the environment and has been a member of Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace for many years. He was also involved in the creation of GASP!, a local environmental pressure group in Greenwich. As a result Simon took an MA in Environmental Law and is an active member of the United Kingdom Environmental Law Association (UKELA). Simon is active in the local community and is a Non Executive Director of Torbay Development Agency Ltd. In his spare time Simon plays bass guitar in a band even though he is old enough to know better.
Simon has been a Trustee since 2000.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Conservation Officer
Tim started working two days a week at the Trust in February 2023. He has a varied role within the conservation team including nestbox erection, camera installation, habitat advice and conservation enquiries.
He also currently works part time as a Consultant Conservation Officer with South Devon Nature Trust and is South Devon & Dartmoor Volunteer Reserves Warden with Devon Wildlife Trust.
Tim is also a tree surgeon, timber building specialist, musician, birder, bee keeper and owner of 2 hairy hounds.
Vanessa started working part-time at the Trust in 2009. She looks after our social media and children's webpages. Vanessa also has a key role in the maintenance and development of our website, providing Content Management System training for colleagues and editing content.
Vanessa describes herself as an ‘escaped teacher' having moved to Devon from the West Midlands where she taught Art in comprehensive schools and to teenagers excluded from school. Vanessa has two grown sons. Alongside working for the Barn Owl Trust, she is also self-employed and works with her husband, Alan, building and managing websites, including the Barn Owl Trust website. She loves wildlife gardening, drawing and walking on Dartmoor.