Board of Trustees

Kate Jones
Chair

Kate is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London. She is interested in the conservation, evolution and ecology of bats and particularly how to improve the communication of science into conservation policy.

Kate is running numerous bat research projects around the world, and in the UK she was involved with the London Bat Group for many years.

Nick Tomlinson
Vice Chair

Nick has always had a strong interest in the natural world, but his interest in bats was awoken when his wife suggested they should start training as volunteer bat wardens, nearly a decade ago. Nick went along to the 'taster' session and was hooked, gaining his first EPS licence in 2001. 

Since getting started, Nick has been heavily involved with the Dorset Bat Group (including being chair for three years) and with BCT, in a voluntary capacity, carrying out four NBMP surveys, becoming chair of the Bat Group Forum in 2005 and, later, becoming a trustee in 2007. Nick also worked for BCT as Bat Group Officer for twelve months before realising the opportunity of a lifetime, to take over management of 450 acres of RSPB wetland nature reserve less than two miles from his front door. His other interests include moths, botany, birding (of course) and bird ringing, having qualified in the latter some four years ago.

Michael Ford
Secretary

Michael is a barrister in private practice, a part-time Employment Tribunal chairman and a Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics.

Michael often assists BCT on legal issues, including in relation to environmental law. Michael's bat interest is of uncertain origin!
He is a member of the Avon Bat Group and of various other wildlife organisations.

Tom Andrews
Treasurer

Tom has worked for a wide variety of wildlife conservation organisations including WWF, IUCN and the Wildlife Trusts and is currently Programmes Director for the Soil Association. He says bats really came to his attention when managing an eco-tourism project in Uganda where, every night, hundreds of thousands of bats would explode into the dusk from a large escarpment cave, desperate to evade the circling bat hawks. “Since then, bats have seemed to enter my life more and more, from assisting with bat walks in Northumberland to wondering how many are in the walls and roof of our cottage.” Tom hopes to use his fundraising, communications and project management experience to help BCT's work.

Steve Parker
Trustee

Steve is a qualified Mortgage Adviser, and has a particular interest in the role of voluntary bat workers and bat groups and was nominated for election to the board by the Bat Groups.

Steve became interested in bats through South Lancashire Bat Group in 1999 and became hooked after meeting a number of bats in care. He soon realised that bat conservation had rekindled a passion for wildlife. He is now a Roost Visitor and trainer, and treasurer of the local group, and has helped re-structure the group, which recently became a charity. He is also involved in bat walks and talks, country events and helps his wife care for a number of grounded and injured bats each year. He has also run a number of projects for the group.

Steve is passionate about bat work on a local level and believes that bat groups are a great way of delivering bat conservation, talking directly to people and changing attitudes in their activities.

Annmarie Hanlon
Trustee

Annmarie first became involved with bats when she discovered a grounded brown long-eared bat on her doorstep in Staffordshire and an interest developed which resulted in her enrolling onto a local course for bat volunteers. She later attended two BCT courses and for the last 3 years has participated in the National Bat Monitoring Programme.

Annmarie is helping BCT with online and offline marketing. For the last 20 years she has been running a marketing company that has conducted market research, developed strategies and created practical action plans for companies in the UK and overseas. Annmarie is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, author of Quick Win Marketing and Quick Win Digital Marketing. Her other interests include foil fencing and vegetable gardening.

Sarah Escott
Trustee

Sarah works for Natural England and leads on their integrated environmental monitoring programme. This involves bringing together all of monitoring delivery from across Natural England’s key work areas and working in partnership with other conservation organisations like JNCC, EA, wildlife trusts etc. Her interest in bat conservation was sparked during her time as manager of NE bat advice service (until July 2009). By volunteering as a trustee she hopes that her expertise in delivering environmental initiatives and experience of designing and procuring externally delivered projects can help BCT develop its future delivery priorities.

David Gibbons
Trustee

David's first introduction to bats was as an enthusiastic teenager during field visits with his local natural history society. Despite this promising early start, David's career took a different path and he ended up as an ornithologist. Following a Natural Sciences degree, and a doctorate specialising in behavioural ecology, he studied birds and damselflies in the Camargue for 2 years before working for the British Trust for Ornithology. For the last dozen years he's worked for the RSPB where he oversees their scientific programme. David is a former Chair of the European Birds Census Council, and hopes that his knowledge of research, monitoring and conservation, both in the UK and internationally, will be of value to BCT. He is also very keen to learn more about bats.

Steve Markham
Trustee

Throughout his career Steve has been an Environmental Scientist; working for engineering companies developing mathematical models to help clean up the rivers and estuaries of UK, Portugal, India and China. More recently he has been designing rainwater harvest & irrigation systems, e.g. a new public park in Jersey, and undertaking the management and investigation of building water systems.Since volunteering for BTCV at university he has always had an interest in conservation, and for the last 18 years has lived in a batty household.  He has been a member of his local bat groups (Devon, Buckinghamshire, Worcestershire and now Devon again), attending bat conferences, undertaking NBMP surveys and roost visits. He has held a Natural England roost visitor Licence for the past 16 years.For the last 10 years as a Director of Marquis and Lord Ltd a company of consulting scientists he continues to do business in the water environment. He has branched into professional bat work as well as giving time to bats pro bono; he is a member of the Editorial board for the BCT Bat Survey Guidelines. By volunteering as a trustee he hopes to bring his professional experience of consultancy to help assist BCT with its future objectives.