The role of the Valuing Nature Programme Coordination Team is to help develop a genuinely inter-disciplinary research community capable of working across the natural, biological and social sciences, and the arts and humanities, focussed around the Valuing Nature Programme. The team will work with projects funded under the Valuing Nature Programme and will organise events to develop the Valuing Nature Network of researchers and end-users.
The Team combines specialist expertise with interdisciplinary experience. It includes senior researchers with a strong record of publications, presentations and representation on strategic level committees, communication professionals, policy and business champions with experience of cross sector engagement; and a professional programme management team.
Contact the Programme Coordination Team at [email protected]
Programme Coordination Team Members
Head of Programme Coordination Team: Professor Rosie Hails (National Trust)
Rosie is currently Director of Nature & Science at the National Trust and formerly CEH Science Director for Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services. In collaboration with the Society of Biology (SB) and the British Ecological Society (BES), she founded the Natural Capital Initiative, a partnership between CEH, the Society of Biology, the British Ecological Society and the James Hutton Institute which brings together scientists, policy-makers, business, industry and others to show what the concept of natural capital means in practice. She is Chair of the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) and a member of the Natural Environment Research Council Science Board as well as Council member of the RSPB and also SIRN (Sustainable Intensification Research Network).
Arts & Humanities / Social Science Lead: Dr Rob Fish (University of Kent)
Rob is a social scientist with research interests in the social and cultural dimensions of natural resource management. Much of his work is centered on rural and agricultural landscapes and is distinguished by its interdisciplinary, participatory and problem-centered focus, as well as by direct intervention in the policy process. Rob co-wrote the cultural ecosystem services chapters for the UK NEA and its follow-on, and was a member of the NEA follow-on’s Arts and Humanities working group on ecosystem services. Rob is currently reader in Human Ecology at the University of Kent.
Social Science / Arts & Humanities Lead: Professor Michael Winter
(University of Exeter)
Michael is Professor of Land Economy & Society, Centre for Rural Policy Research (University of Exeter). He is a rural policy specialist and a rural social scientist with particular interests in applying inter-disciplinary approaches to policy-relevant research and in direct engagement in the policy process. Michael leads a project for Defra’s Sustainable Intensification Research Platform and is Director of the Food Security & Land Research Alliance.
Business Champion: Guy Duke (Independent consultant)
Guy leads on Business Interest activities for the Team.
Guy’s recent work linking research with business in the natural capital arena includes project lead roles for Defra/VNN funded research for the UK Ecosystem Markets Task Force, research for Defra on business benefits of offsetting, and the innovation workstream for the EU Business @ Biodiversity Platform. Guy is also Director Europe & Research for The Environment Bank Ltd (a company at the forefront of emerging ecosystems markets) and a Steering Committee member of the FP7 project OpenNESS (which focuses on making the concepts of natural capital and ecosystem services more operational). Guy holds a public appointment as Deputy Chair, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, advising Government on nature conservation. Previously he led on biodiversity and ecosystem services policy at the EC including the launch of The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB).
Economics Lead: Ece Ozdemiroglu
(Economics of the Environment Consultancy (eftec))
Ece is founder and Managing Director of eftec (Economics of the Environment Consultancy) which specialises in interpreting economic value evidence for policy and decision making and evaluation. eftec has run since 1992 and is the UK’s leading consultancy in environmental economics, with several hundred projects in economic valuation, appraisal, working with natural capital, policy design and training for public, private and NGO sector clients in the UK and the rest of the world. Ece is a steering group member for NCI, and was an expert panel member for UK NEA Follow On and a contributor of TEEB. Ece is also an Associate Editor of the Journal for Environmental Economics and Policy and a member of the Committee on Climate Change – Adaptation Sub Committee.
Policy Champion: Prof Charles Godfray (University of Oxford)
Charles has published widely in fundamental and applied areas of ecology, evolution and epidemiology. One of his current focuses is on the concept of sustainable intensification, and the relationship between food production, ecosystem services and biodiversity. He chaired the Lead Expert Group of the UK Government’s Foresight Project on the Future of Food and Farming and is a member of the Strategy Advisory Board of the UK Global Food Security Programme. He has been a member of the Steering Group of the UK Government Green Food Project and the UN’s Committee on World Food Security report on Climate Change and Food Security. Charles is Director of the Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food and co-leads the Oxford Martin Restatement Project.
Communications: Jonathan Porter (Countryscape)
Jonathan is a founding director of Countryscape, a company which combines the creative skills of a communications agency with the scientific knowledge of an environmental consultancy. Countryscape provide expertise in design and communication, events and consultation, mapping, landscape and place-making to clients including EU bodies, national agencies, local authorities, NGOs and businesses. Jonathan is President of the UK Region of the International Association for Landscape Ecology and a member of the committee of the European Asssociation for Landscape Ecology. He is a trustee of the Ecosystems Knowledge Network.
Programme Manager: Dr Bill Bealey (UKCEH)
Bill Bealey has worked at the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (Edinburgh) for over 15 years. Bill works closely with UK stakeholders particularly the pollution regulation and nature conservation agencies. He provides advice on the impacts of nitrogen and acidification on ecosystems from industrial emissions, with an emphasis on intensive agricultural practices. His work focuses on key aspects of EU nature protection policy including the Habitats Directive and the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) Directive. He provides application tools and screening models for assessing impacts on Natura 2000 sites and other protected habitats from these agricultural sources. He is also interested in biomonitoring techniques and their application in pollution control. Bill, therefore works at the interface between research science and society
Programme Manager: Dr Sunita Sarkar (UKCEH)
Sunita brings a wetland and conservation ecology background, and experience working on freshwater conservation programmes with diverse stakeholders and implementing partners, as well as donors and contractors. As a Science Project Manager for the Water Resources Science Area, at the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Wallingford, she currently manages a diverse portfolio of research, ranging from drought to managing a platform for the promotion of Indo-UK water science.
Assistant Science Programme Manager: Heather Trevis (UKCEH)
Heather's background is in the arts and, as part of the Valuing Nature Secretariat since 2019, she assists with the delivery and planning of Valuing Nature events and activities and looks after its communications.
Project Coordinator: Val Woods
Val has a background as an Environmental Scientific Officer, and in running a programme office using formal (PRINCE2) project management. She brings experience of event management and of coordinating reporting across a portfolio of research projects. Val is a qualified project coordinator specialising in Secretariat management, preparation of communications and organisation of events to promote stakeholder engagement as part of the delivery of complex interdisciplinary research programmes.
Programme Manager: Dr Anita Weatherby
Anita brings an ecological research background, with experience of working for an NGO at the research/policy interface. Her role as CEH Science Coordinator involves programme management (Practitioner qualified in OGC Managing Successful Programmes), overseeing a portfolio of research projects and coordinating their reporting. The role also involves development of strategic plans; delivery of communication activities and events; reporting on impact; providing secretariat to board level meetings; frequent work with NERC Swindon Office; representation of the CEH hosted Environmental Information Data Centre (e.g. with BESS and IPI to develop the programme Data Management Plans); and delivery of facilitated workshops (trained in stakeholder facilitation, delivered over 20 workshops).