Meet the Team

As the Habitat Regulations Delivery Manager, my team and I work hard to deliver effective, specialised and lasting projects to protect the internationally important East Devon Pebblebed Heaths, Exe Estuary and Dawlish Warren.

My career in conservation began in 2005 as a volunteer with the Scottish Wildlife Trust. Soon after I was fortunate to become a residential volunteer with the National Trust on Exmoor.

I then went on to a Trainee Countryside Ranger position at Dawlish Warren and began to learn really valuable lessons about people and wildlife.

After that I spent some time as an Assistant Warden for the National Trust in the South Hams, working on the beautiful stretch of coastline towards Wembury.

Eventually, I took on the role of a Countryside Ranger for Teignbridge District Council, managing 26 sites, including 40 hectares of SSSI lowland heath. My love for heathland (and the species who call it home) started there.

I am honoured to have a place on the Pebblebed Heaths NNR advisory board and to work alongside such qualified and experienced members. With some significant projects in the pipeline, my role is to update and involve the board where appropriate and work to ensure the heaths are fit for wildlife and people now and for the future.

Hello, my name is Imo and I’m delighted to be part of the team.

I grew up in the Sussex countryside by the sea and have moved to the south west. I have always found nature really fascinating and I feel most at home when I’m near the water. You can see this in my job roles over recent years, being a watersports instructor, teaching windsurfing, sailing and paddleboarding and also a seaweed harvester for two years.

After completing my studies in Environmental Science at the University of Exeter, I began my career in conservation with North Devon Biosphere as a Community Engagement Ranger. During this time, I discovered my greatest aspiration is to encourage harmony between people and nature.

I feel privileged to be in my role as Wildlife Warden because it combines my passions and creates connections with the local community, partners and visitors alike.  I have been lucky enough to catch several glimpses of the ospreys in passage and meet resident kingfishers and Dartford warblers. I am particularly excited to witness the incredible autumn migration as thousands of birds arrive to overwinter at the internationally recognised Exe estuary.

My passion for wildlife started at an early age, spending hours watching woodlice and ants going about their daily lives, much to the bewilderment of my younger sister who just wanted us to go out on our bikes! I didn’t know what I wanted to do as a job, just something to do with animals and considered entomologist, zoologist, vet, zookeeper, dog groomer and wildlife camera person; I also did a lot of volunteering to try and decide!

This included surveying butterflies for the National Trust, undertaking practical conservation tasks for Wild East Devon and acting as an expert ecologist on The Design Review Panel.

I studied Rural Environmental Studies at university and went almost directly into working at an ecological consultancy, first in the Midlands and then in Devon.  I feel incredibly lucky to have had some amazing wildlife experiences such as seeing over 100 greater horseshoe bats emerge from a barn, watching otters rolling about in a river and listening to natterjack toads croaking away in a pond.

I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into the role as wildlife warden, getting to know the three reserves and all the wildlife they support, as well as meeting and chatting to the local community.

Outside of work, I enjoy exploring the beautiful countryside, walking, swimming in the sea and singing in a local community choir.

Hi! My name is Sama and I’m a Wildlife Warden. It’s my job to ensure we all get the very best from our nature reserves – I give advice on how to share space with wildlife, so you can have the best experience without accidentally causing disturbance or damaging habitat.

Prior to this role: I volunteered on many of the nature reserves we now care for! I completed a practical traineeship with Devon Wildlife Trust and spent a year doing environmental education with the National Trust too.

I’ve been involved in conservation projects all over the world, from oceanographic research in Scotland to coral reef ecology in the Philippines.

While I love to travel, I also love this place we call home - I’m originally from Devon and grew up overlooking the Exe. I know that my passion for nature stems, at least in part, from a childhood spent on the water and exploring this beautiful region.

It’s great to be part of a project that ensures that my children will be able to experience as wild a childhood as I did here.