Ecology, biodiversity net gain, and open space consultancy for local authorities and developers across the UK.

Our team

The Full Ethos Team

We understand that your project will have particular needs to you or the organisation you work for. This may relate to particular planning, contractual or commercial requirements. Our aim is to engage with you early on in projects to establish your needs, set out a realistic timetable, and seek solutions to deliver your project on time.

Ecology that works on the ground

Always someone to talk to

Reducing risk in the planning process

Free quotes and transparent pricing

Balancing ecology with project delivery

Direct access to experienced ecologists

Real-world land management expertise

Supporting sustainable communities

Trusted by Local Planning Authorities

Pragmatic solutions, proportional advice

Helping avoid planning delays

Surveys to BNG units - all in one place

Meet the team

photo of Steph Green

Steph Green

Head of Ecology
BSc (Hons), MA, MCIEEM
Photo of Sarah Forsyth

Sarah Forsyth

Principal Ecologist
BSc (Hons), MSc, ACIEEM
Photo of Martin Smith

Martin Smith

Head of Biodiversity Net Gain and Green Infrastructure
BSc (Hons), ACIEEM
Photo of Jim Phillips

Jim Phillips

Managing Director
BSc (Hons), MA, MCIEEM
Photo of Kane Burchill

Kane Burchill

Principal Ecologist
ACIEEM
Photo of Kate Spencer

Kate Spencer

Principal Environmental Consultant
BSc (Hons), MCIEEM
Photo of Katie M

Katie Munday

Senior Ecologist
MSc, BSc (Hons) MCIEEM

Ellie Shearn

Senior Ecologist
BSc (Hons) MCIEEM

Martha Tingey

Senior Ecologist
BSc (Hons), QCIEEM

Rachel Turcan

Consultant Ecologist
BSc (Hons), MSc, QCIEEM

Sam Forrest

Consultant Ecologist
BSc (Hons), MSc, QCIEEM

Louise Payton

Consultant Ecologist
MSc, BSc (Hons)

Oliver Sowler

Assistant Ecologist
BSc (Hons)

Amelia Ball

Assistant Ecologist
BSc (Hons), QCIEEM

Fred Beresford

Assistant Ecologist
BEng

Kayleigh Buller

Assistant Ecologist

Jordan Wood

Assistant Ecologist
BSc (Hons)

Jaimie Balmer

Assistant Ecologist
BSc (Hons), MConBio

Emily Preston

Principal Environmental Consultant
BA (Hons), ACIEEM

Ben Smurthwaite

Senior Biodiversity Net Gain Consultant
MSc, BSc (Hons)

Josie Lawrence

Biodiversity Net Gain Consultant
BSc (Hons)

Stefan Bigsby

Assistant Biodiversity Net Gain Consultant
MSc, BSc (Hons)

Martha Pickard Strange

Assistant Environmental Consultant
BSc (Hons)

Rachel Fayers

Business Development Manager & Principal Ecologist
BSc (Hons), ACIEEM

George Clutterbuck

Principal Environmental Consultant
AMIEnvSc

Rachel Beaven

Senior Environmental Consultant
MSc (Hons), BSc (Hons)

Anna Harrison

Environmental Consultant
BSc (Hons)

Kate Vine

Finance Assistant

Mandy Beresford

Administration Assistant

We provide clear advice on survey requirements, seasonal windows, and how to align ecological input with your project timeline. 

All surveys are carried out in accordance with relevant legislation, including the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017, and CIEEM best practice.

Receive a detailed breakdown
for your project

We provide tailored solutions to help you deliver high-quality, sustainable green spaces. Contact us today to discuss your needs. Whether you require:
Biodiversity net gain
Policy advice
Full strategy
Ecological assessments.

01225 444114

info@ethosep.co.uk 

Steph Green

Head of Ecology
BSc (Hons), MA, MCIEEM
photo of Steph Green

Steph joined Ethos in 2018 and now oversees the ecology team. As Head of Ecology, she is responsible for managing high profile and complex projects with a focus on client management, consultation and ensuring project delivery on time and budget. In addition, Steph oversees the ecology team’s operational planning, team performance and professional development. With several years of experience in ecological consultancy and fieldwork, Steph previously worked for a large multi-disciplinary consultancy before joining Ethos.
Steph is a licensed great crested newt and hazel dormouse surveyor and a Full member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM). She volunteers in North Somerset and Bristol for the National Dormouse Monitoring Programme as well as by undertaking dormouse surveys for her local nature reserves.

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Sarah Forsyth

Principal Ecologist
BSc (Hons), MSc, ACIEEM
Photo of Sarah Forsyth

Sarah has been with Ethos since 2018, contributing to a diverse portfolio of development projects. As an experienced project manager, she collaborates closely with clients, design teams, and consultees, to provide clear, effective ecological advice that supports client objectives and delivers meaningful biodiversity gains. Her role spans all stages of development, from scoping and field surveys through to planning assessments and mitigation design.
Sarah previously worked as a Natural Environment Officer for a local council, advising on biodiversity and legislative compliance. Her early career in environmental planning across the railway sector and engineering consultancies has established a strong foundation in ecological impact assessment.
Sarah undertakes a wide range of habitat and protected species surveys, with bats as the primary focus of her fieldwork skills. She is a qualified tree climber and holds a Natural England Class 2 bat licence. Sarah is an active member of her local bat group and regularly participates in surveys. Sarah is also a licenced Great Crested Newt surveyor.

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Martin Smith

Head of Biodiversity Net Gain and Green Infrastructure
BSc (Hons), ACIEEM
Photo of Martin Smith

Martin is Head of Biodiversity and Green Infrastructure at Ethos Environmental Planning, where he leads the company’s Biodiversity and Green Infrastructure team. Martin began his career as an ecological consultant in 2017 and now specialises in delivering strategic Biodiversity Net Gain solutions, habitat bank design, and landscape-scale habitat restoration. He advises landowners, developers, and local authorities on the full BNG process, from baseline surveys through to habitat bank delivery and biodiversity unit sales. Martin combines strong technical ecological expertise with practical land management experience, ensuring biodiversity enhancements are policy-compliant, deliverable, and designed for long-term ecological success.

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Jim Phillips

Managing Director
BSc (Hons), MA, MCIEEM
Photo of Jim Phillips

Jim is the founder and Managing Director of Ethos (established in 2014). With over 30+ years of experience in ecology, green infrastructure, and parks management, Jim’s career spans roles as an environmental consultant and work within local authorities. His academic and practical expertise in environmental and business management has driven Ethos to become one of the UK’s leading environmental consultancies.

Jim’s understanding of clients’ commercial needs ensures effective project delivery, a key factor maintaining Ethos’s growth and dedication to client retention and satisfcation. He has served as an expert witness for local authorities and developers and holds a level 2 accreditation on Natural England’s Bat Earned Recognition scheme, reflecting his commitment to his work.

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Kane Burchill

Principal Ecologist
ACIEEM
Photo of Kane Burchill

Kane has been with Ethos since 2014, starting as an apprentice environmental planner and assisting with various ecology projects. Over the past decade, he has advanced to Principal Ecologist, gaining skills in protected species surveys, biodiversity net gain, report writing, and GIS mapping. Kane holds an NVQ Level 2 Certificate and Diploma in work-based environmental conservation and is an Associate member of CIEEM. He has protected species licenses for bats, great crested newts, and dormice, and is involved in monitoring projects in North Somerset and Wiltshire.

As a Principal Ecologist at Ethos, Kane conducts comprehensive habitat assessments and has extensive on-site experience as an Ecological Clerk of Works. He supervises site activities, ensuring compliance with environmental regulations and promoting biodiversity conservation. His expertise and dedication have been crucial to the successful completion of numerous projects.

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Kate Spencer

Principal Environmental Consultant
BSc (Hons), MCIEEM
Photo of Kate Spencer

Kate has been an Environmental Consultant at Ethos since 2015, specializing in open space and green infrastructure (GI) assessments and strategies. With experience managing over dozens of projects, she is a certified Building with Nature Assessor and a Full member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM). Her expertise includes delivering multifunctional green infrastructure solutions that meet various planning policy requirements, such as flood mitigation and biodiversity enhancement.

Kate’s background in parks management includes overseeing Green Flag Award sites, nature reserves, and a SSSI/SAC. She previously managed volunteer groups and provided ecological advice in a local authority role. She holds a BSc Hons in Biological Sciences from the University of Plymouth and has experience surveying protected species and botanical identification with Somerset Environmental Records Centre (SERC).

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Katie Munday

Senior Ecologist
MSc, BSc (Hons) MCIEEM
Photo of Katie M

Katie joined Ethos in January 2022 during a student placement for her Master’s in Environmental Consultancy. She has progressed within Ethos and now leads a range of surveys and holds protected species licences for bats and hazel dormice. She is certified to undertake River Condition Assessments and enjoys opportunities to utilise her background in Earth Sciences, but her main focus is on undertaking ecological assessments and producing associated reports. With extensive customer service experience, Katie excels in managing projects and client relations, aiming to enhance conservation outcomes through strong working relationships.

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Ellie Shearn

Senior Ecologist
BSc (Hons) MCIEEM

Ellie joined Ethos in early 2021 having graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Science from the University of Plymouth. Ellie’s focus is on undertaking a wide range of protected species surveys, GIS mapping and producing a range of ecological reports.
Ellie manages the bat call data analysis for Ethos, designing and implementing up to date analysis techniques for detailed results to maximise benefits for bats throughout developments.
During her time at Ethos, Ellie has worked as an ecological clerk of works for a range of projects involving birds, badgers, dormice and reptiles. Ellie is a Full member of CIEEM, holds a CSCS card and holds protected species licences for bats, hazel dormice and great crested newts.
Ellie has a high standard of work and likes to complete projects from initial site visits to discharging any ecological conditions associated with a planning condition and ecological clerk of works whilst ensuring the best outcome can be achieved for the client and for biodiversity.

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Martha Tingey

Senior Ecologist
BSc (Hons), QCIEEM

Martha joined Ethos in 2026 but has worked in ecological consultancy since 2020. Having previously worked at Aspect Ecology, SWT Ecology Services and Acer Ecology.
From her previous roles Martha has project managed a range of projects. This has included projects such as, multi-phased developments, ecological walkover, preliminary ecological appraisal, reserved matters, habitat banking, management plans and peat surveys. She liaised with each client to understand their requirements and organised the surveys and production of reports within the set timescale. Also, providing input at the early stage of projects to improve design plans for biodiversity.

In a previous role, she assisted a local planning authority and SWT Ecology Planning Advice Service (EPAS) to provide ecological planning responses to planning application, which has allowed her to gain a greater understanding of the planning system.

Martha’s main interests include invertebrates, fungi, water voles and badgers and she holds a Level 1 Great Crested Newt Class Licence.

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Rachel Turcan

Consultant Ecologist
BSc (Hons), MSc, QCIEEM

Rachel joined Ethos Environmental Planning in 2026, bringing experience from a large multidisciplinary consultancy where she began her ecological career. She has worked in the wildlife sector since graduating from the University of Bristol in 2020 with an MSc degree in Global Wildlife Health and Conservation. Her experience includes volunteering with the Bat Conservation Trust and at WWT Slimbridge, as well as supporting the Animal and Plant Health Agency on a long-term badger vaccination project.

Rachel undertakes and leads a wide range of protected species surveys, contributes to technical reporting, and supports project management across a variety of ecological projects. She has a particular interest in ornithology and is currently working towards a Class Licence (CL29) for barn owl survey and monitoring.

Rachel holds a current CSCS card and an Outdoor First Aid qualification, and is a Qualifying Member of CIEEM, working towards Associate membership.

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Sam Forrest

Consultant Ecologist
BSc (Hons), MSc, QCIEEM

Sam joined Ethos in 2026 as an ecologist and has been working in the ecology sector since 2023. He holds a Master’s degree in Global Ecology and Conservation and a bachelor’s in environmental geography, both from Cardiff University.
As an Ecologist as Ethos, Sam conducts comprehensive habitat assessment surveys, assists with a wide range of European protected species surveys and works onsite as an Ecological Clerk of Works.
With a keen interest in biodiversity net gain and ornithology, Sam is constantly working to further widen his skill set and ability to deliver comprehensive and informed ecological solutions.

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Louise Payton

Consultant Ecologist
MSc, BSc (Hons)

Louise is an Ecologist who joined Ethos in 2026, with recent experience in UKHab surveys, Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) assessments, and protected species work. She holds an MSc in Wildlife Conservation and has over 15 years’ experience working on ecology in agricultural land use systems, focusing on policy, strategy, and environmental outcomes.

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Oliver Sowler

Assistant Ecologist
BSc (Hons)

Oliver joined Ethos in spring, 2024, assisting with protected species surveys while undertaking training with Ecology Training UK. Since then, he has been taken on fulltime and now contributes to report writing, biodiversity net gain calculations, and QGIS mapping.

Oliver graduated from the university of St. Andrews in 2022, receiving an honour’s degree in Evolutionary Biology with an emphasis on Ecology. He then spent 2023 tutoring biology, chemistry, maths, and physics at a Secondary School in Tottenham. Oliver has broad interests in the natural world, including conducting regular moth surveys, scuba diving, and studying to become a licenced ecologist.

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Amelia Ball

Assistant Ecologist
BSc (Hons), QCIEEM

“Amelia has been with the team since spring 2025 as an assistant ecologist. She leads and assists with a range of protected species surveys and habitat surveys and has experience in report writing, BNG calculations and habitat mapping.

Amelia graduated from Plymouth university in 2023 with a BSc (Hons) in Conservation Biology. She has volunteered with charities to support habitat creation and management, and has been involved in local wildlife groups for dormice and great crested newt.”

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Fred Beresford

Assistant Ecologist
BEng

Fred began working at Ethos in 2024 as a Seasonal Assistant Ecologist and then joined again for the 2025 survey season after earning a BEng in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of the West of England. Fred conducts protected species surveys, UK habitat classification surveys, data analysis and writes ecological reports. He is currently working towards becoming a qualifying member of CIEEM and taking courses to increase and broaden his knowledge and skills.

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Kayleigh Buller

Assistant Ecologist

Kayleigh joined Ethos in 2026 as an Assistant Ecologist, contributing to a range of protected species surveys, habitat assessments, data analysis and report writing.

Kayleigh brings eighteen years’ publishing experience, most notably with National Geographic Learning, specialising in commissioning and project managing large-scale, complex projects. She holds an honours degree in Journalism and is currently working towards her Certificate in Conservation Management.

Kayleigh enjoys contributing to community and research projects, including supporting her local mammal group on dormouse surveys and the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust with bird surveys and a research project focussing specifically on lapwings.

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Jordan Wood

Assistant Ecologist
BSc (Hons)

Jordan joined Ethos in February 2026 as an Assistant Ecologist and contributes to a wide range of ecological projects. Her work includes protected species surveys for dormice, bats, great crested newts and reptiles, UKHab habitat surveys, GIS analysis, biodiversity net gain calculations and supporting ecological assessments and reporting.

Jordan holds a BSc (Hons) in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Science, reflecting her strong interest in ecology and biodiversity. During her studies, she gained experience working on a variety of field research projects, including tracking lemurs through the forests of Madagascar, conducting small mammal surveys in Snowdonia, and undertaking coastal ecology surveys in Cornwall. These opportunities have provided her with a broad range of practical field skills across diverse habitats and species.

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Jaimie Balmer

Assistant Ecologist
BSc (Hons), MConBio

Jaimie joined the team in March 2026, bringing a practical mix of field experience and data analysis skills. After completing a Master of Conservation Biology at Victoria University of Wellington, she developed a diverse ecological toolkit working in both the public and private sectors, including roles with the Department of Conservation (DOC) and in habitat restoration in New Zealand. This background includes hands-on monitoring projects for short-tailed bats, kiwi, and reptiles, alongside leading remote field teams, vegetation monitoring, and pest control operations.
Since starting at Ethos, she has jumped straight into a wide range of surveys, including Great Crested Newt, bat, dormouse, reptile, and UKHab assessments. She also supports the office team’s technical output, utilizing her background in data tools and statistical analysis to provide report writing, data processing, and manual bat call identification. Her previous experience as a university statistics tutor and biodiversity ranger makes her proficient at turning field data into clear, reliable outputs for ecological reports.

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Emily Preston

Principal Environmental Consultant
BA (Hons), ACIEEM

Emily is a Principal Environmental Consultant at Ethos, where she has been since 2018. She leads consultation and engagement across the company while managing strategies, assessments, and frameworks within our Biodiversity and Green Infrastructure Team. She specialises in environmental strategies for local authorities, including open space assessments, green infrastructure, play strategies, rights of way surveys, and biodiversity strategies. An experienced project manager, Emily also supports business development, contributing to the growth and delivery across Ethos. Prior to joining Ethos, Emily was a Sites Manager at Ecotricity, managing landowner relations for renewable energy sites, leading project negotiations, and conducting feasibility assessments. She holds a BA (Hons) in Geography from the University of Portsmouth (2013) and is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management.

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Ben Smurthwaite

Senior Biodiversity Net Gain Consultant
MSc, BSc (Hons)

“Ben joined Ethos as an Ecologist in 2022, building on his experience with BNG, specialising and joining the newly formed Biodiversity and Green Infrastructure team at the end of 2024, as a Senior BNG Consultant.

Ben has a large range of experience carrying out habitat and protected species surveys, report writing, project management, and BNG assessments and HMMPs, and h9old level 1 Class Licences for bats and great crested newts, as well as being an accredited River Condition Assessment (RCA) surveyor.

Ben’s role currently predominantly revolves around working with a range of clients, including landowners, local authorities, conservation charities, and developers, to set up habitat banks working through initial site feasibility analysis to habitat surveys and producing HMMP, working with clients and stakeholders to achieve site objectives.

Ben also continues to support the ecology team with habitat and protected species surveys, BNG assessment for development and is also responsible for managing and advising projects requiring river conditions assessments. “

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Josie Lawrence

Biodiversity Net Gain Consultant
BSc (Hons)

Josie joined Ethos in 2023 after graduating from Surrey University in 2022. She began her career as an assistant ecologist, completing a range of protected species surveys, UKHab assessments, and extensive bat call analysis. Her expertise and enthusiasm led to her promotion as a Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Consultant. In her current role, Josie produces habitat management plans, BNG metrics and reports, and contributes to the reserved matters sections of planning applications. She specialises in creating plans that complement nature conservation with public access. Josie is an effective communicator, collaborating closely with clients and landowners to deliver successful outcomes. Josie has a comprehensive understanding of the BNG marketplace and excels at meeting the requirements of BNG for planning applications. Her skills and expertise ensure balanced, innovative solutions for biodiversity and development needs.

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Stefan Bigsby

Assistant Biodiversity Net Gain Consultant
MSc, BSc (Hons)

Stefan joined Ethos in summer 2025 after completing his Masters from The University of Bristol in Environmental Policy and Management. He has undertaken various ecological surveys since 2022 for various organisations before joining Ethos as an Assistant Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Consultant. Stefan now contributes to report writing – focusing mainly on BNG reports and Habitat Management and Monitoring Plans – assisting in field surveys for both habitats and protected species, as well as various mapping tasks to complete BNG metrics and calculations.

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Martha Pickard Strange

Assistant Environmental Consultant
BSc (Hons)

Martha has an honours degree from the University of Nottingham where she studied Geography. Following university, she worked for the NHS and joined Ethos in 2026. Martha works as an Assistant Environmental Consultant, focussing on the delivery of biodiversity habitat banks, biodiversity net gain planning applications, and environmental strategies.

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Rachel Fayers

Business Development Manager & Principal Ecologist
BSc (Hons), ACIEEM

Rachel is a seasoned ecologist and conservationist with over 15 years of experience across terrestrial ecology, marine conservation, and environmental education. She holds an honours degree in Zoology from Newcastle University and has worked on a wide range of projects, from conservation funding and education programmes to wildlife guiding in the UK and overseas.
Rachel joined Ethos shortly after its inception in 2014 and was instrumental in developing the business in its early years. She previously led the ecology department as Principal Ecologist, overseeing technical quality, survey delivery, and reporting, before taking maternity leave. On her return, she moved into the role of Business Development Manager, where she now works primarily to support strategic growth, client relationships, and high-quality project delivery.
Alongside this, Rachel continues to support Ethos at a Principal Ecologist level, providing technical input, report review, mentoring, and specialist advice. She brings particular expertise in ornithology and reporting, and holds a Level 2 Bat and Level 1 Great Crested Newt licence.
In her spare time, Rachel runs her conservation project ‘A Patch Wilder’, trialling habitat creation and management approaches and feeding this practical, real-world experience directly into consultancy advice and staff training at Ethos.

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George Clutterbuck

Principal Environmental Consultant
AMIEnvSc

George Clutterbuck is a Principal GIS Consultant and GIS and Technical Lead at Ethos Environmental Planning. He joined Ethos in 2015 as an apprentice and now leads the development of geospatial and technical workflows as part of the company’s core support services.

He specialises in GIS, survey design, data management, and automation, leveraging Python, AI tools, and API integrations to streamline ecological data capture, processing, and reporting. George supports the Ecology and the Biodiversity Net Gain and Green Infrastructure team with scalable technical solutions, focusing on technical innovation, data integrity, and decision-support systems across the business.

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Rachel Beaven

Senior Environmental Consultant
MSc (Hons), BSc (Hons)

Rachel is a Senior Environmental Consultant who joined the Ethos team in 2024 with five years of experience in geospatial technologies across the Telecoms and Water industries. Her academic credentials include a BSc (Hons) in Physical Geography and Geology and an MSc in Water and Environmental Management.
At Ethos, she focuses on Biodiversity Net Gain assessments, Habitat Evaluation Procedures, habitat mapping, ecological/environmental data analysis and delivering clear reports with impactful maps. Rachel also works on the development of smart tools to automate company workflows and enhance efficiency.

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Anna Harrison

Environmental Consultant
BSc (Hons)

Anna joined the GIS team at Ethos in 2024. In her role as an Environmental Consultant, she supports the company’s GIS requirements across Ecology, Biodiversity, and Green Infrastructure. This includes mapping for projects, spatial analysis, and the presentation of data for reports. She provides GIS input from project inception through to final reporting.
Anna completed her degree in Geography (BSc Hons) at Durham University in 2023. Following her studies, she spent four months working as a GIS Intern with the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation in Greece, where she supported projects focused on the conservation of the Aegean Sea. She was involved in producing high-quality maps to support conservation initiatives and to inform national and EU authorities on the results of research findings.
Anna enjoys making sense of complex geospatial information and creating clear, informative outputs that support effective decision-making.

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Kate Vine

Finance Assistant

Kate has a long-standing career at Ethos, she is an experienced administrator and finance assistant. Her expertise lies in streamlining administrative processes and managing financial tasks effectively. She takes pride in her attention to detail and commitment to supporting the team, ensuring smooth operations and a collaborative work environment.

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Mandy Beresford

Administration Assistant

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