Dr Jenny MacPherson – Science and Research Programme Manager

Jenny is a zoologist with a background in research on a range of mammal species, including pine marten, dormice, red squirrel, water vole and mink. She gained an MSc in conservation at University College London and then went on to a PhD at Royal Holloway. She joined the Trust in 2011 as project officer on the Mammals in a Sustainable Environment (MISE) project, working with volunteers and local communities on surveys and conservation of a range of mammal species in west Wales. In 2014, Jenny became the Trust’s Pine Marten Project Manager, managing the Pine Marten Recovery Project for England and Wales and the reinforcement of pine martens in Wales. She subsequently became Science and Research Programme Manager in 2018. Office: Maesllyn, Ceredigion.

Daniel Hargreaves – Bat Programme Manager

Daniel joined the Trust in June 2022 as Bat Programme Manager. He rescued his first bat when he was seven years old and has been fascinated by bats ever since. Daniel has been involved with numerous global bat conservation projects, working with a wide range of species and helping to develop conservation initiatives in many countries, including Costa Rica, Thailand and Zambia. He was awarded the Pete Guest Award in 2012 for inspiring others and making an outstanding practical contribution to bat conservation. Daniel has also worked with many bat groups in the UK and developed the National Nathusius Pipistrelle Project to understand the migratory behaviour of this fascinating species. Office: Burtle, Somerset.

Lizzie Croose – Senior Carnivore Conservation Officer

Lizzie joined the Trust in 2008 after gaining a degree in Environmental Management and Sustainability, and subsequently completed an MSc in Biodiversity, Wildlife and Ecosystem Health at the University of Edinburgh. In 2017, she took a sabbatical and worked in the US on the Michigan Predator-Prey Project: a predator-prey dynamics study. Lizzie’s role involves research and conservation efforts on the Trust’s mustelid species programmes, as well as organising the European Mustelid Colloquium. Lizzie is also the social media coordinator for the Martes Working Group and a member of the IUCN Small Carnivore Specialist Group. Office: Ledbury.

Dr Stephanie Johnstone – Project Manager for Martens on the Move

Stephanie joined VWT as Project Manager for the development phase of the Martens on the Move project in May 2022. She has a background in conservation biology and endangered species management and over twenty years’ experience of working with landowners and volunteers to achieve landscape-scale conservation outcomes. Stephanie is from Australia where she undertook her undergraduate degree and PhD at the Australian School of Environmental Studies, Griffith University. Her PhD on the spotted-tailed quoll, a marsupial carnivore, was based in the Gondwana Rainforest World Heritage and the Darling Downs areas of the east coast and involved collaborations with Queensland and New South Wales Parks Services. Stephanie moved to Scotland from Australia in 2007 and has spent five years working as an ecological consultant and almost ten years working on red squirrel conservation, most recently with the Scottish Wildlife Trust on their Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project. Stephanie Is Chair of the Dumfries and Galloway Pine Marten Group and is interested in all things carnivore and landscape scale species recovery. Office: Dalbeattie, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.

Dr Patrick Wright – Senior Science and Research Officer

Patrick joined the Trust in 2020 as Senior Science and Research Officer. His PhD, which he completed at the University of Exeter in January 2018, was funded by Vincent Wildlife Trust and focused on the conservation of Bechstein’s bats in Britain. By using a combination of landscape and molecular approaches, he assessed the genetic diversity and structure of the British population of Bechstein’s bats, and developed a molecular assay to estimate the age of individual bats. Since the end of his PhD, he has worked at the University of Sussex on a range of projects, such as developing monitoring techniques for woodland bats and identifying hedgehog roadkill hotspots. Office: Ledbury.

Marina Bollo Palacios – Bat Conservation Officer

Marina joined the Trust in 2018 as Bat Conservation Officer. She is a biologist with a background in conservation research, mainly related to birds. She has been involved in conservation projects within various taxa in Britain, Portugal, Peru and Spain. She gained an MSc in Biodiversity and Conservation Biology in 2014. She joined Vincent Wildlife Trust after working as a research assistant for the University of Sevilla, Spain, where she studied breeding success, migration and malaria prevalence in barn swallows. Office: Ledbury.

Tom Kitching – Bat Conservation Officer

Tom joined the Trust in 2018 as Bat Conservation Officer. Having previously worked with a variety of terrestrial mammals, Tom first started working with bats during his time at the University of Leeds. Here he attained a first-class MRes degree, which involved a research project modelling the distributions of Mexican bats in the Baja California peninsula. Since then, he has worked as a bat researcher in Africa and led bat survey expeditions in eastern Europe. Tom also has a strong background in working with volunteers at various international wildlife NGOs. Office: Ledbury.

Dr Kate McAney – Head of Conservation Development, Ireland

Kate covers a wide range of duties, from engaging with statutory and other bodies, managing bat reserves, fundraising, producing educational material and conducting practical research. With more than 25 years’ experience working in Ireland in the conservation and research of Irish mammals, she is also an experienced educator and adept at public engagement and partnership building. She has recognised the importance of managing conflict to reduce the impact on all parties (including wildlife), and this experience has helped her bring conservation projects to successful outcomes. Office: Headford, County Galway.

Ruth Hanniffy – Species Conservation Officer, Ireland

Ruth studied Zoology at the National University of Ireland Galway, undertaking a dietary analysis of the lesser horseshoe bats at Dromore Stables in County Clare. She then completed a Masters in Wildlife Management and Conservation at the University of Reading, carrying out analysis of the density and habitat preference of small mammals on Paxton Pits Nature Reserve in Cambridgeshire. Following this, she joined the Environment Agency for eight years as a Biodiversity Officer working on river enhancement and restoration on the River Thames and its Tributaries. Upon returning to Ireland, Ruth worked with Inland Fisheries Ireland as a fisheries assistant carrying out National Water Framework Directive fish surveys of lakes and rivers throughout Ireland. Ruth is a wildlife, landscape and conservation photographer. Office: National University of Ireland, Galway.