Chair - Prof. Zoe Davies
Zoe is a Professor of Biodiversity Conservation at the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), University of Kent. Her PhD examined the validity of the metapopulation approach to species recovery. Over the last two decades, Zoe’s research interests have become increasingly diverse, often crossing traditional disciplinary boundaries, but focus on the use of empirical data to address questions of importance to conservation management/policy and human-biodiversity relationships.
She is incredibly proud to be part of DICE and was delighted when it was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2019. Zoe has held a number of roles within the British Ecological Society (BES), sitting on the Policy Committee, Meetings Committee and Council as a trustee. This included a period as Meetings Committee Chair, with responsibility for overseeing all scientific meetings and the special interest groups (SIGs) run by the Society.
In 2021, she received the BES Award for recognition of exceptional service to the Society and ecological community. Zoe currently sits on the Natural England Science Advisory Committee. She is also a Senior Associate Editor for the journal Conservation Letters and is on the Advisory Board for the revolutionary publishing initiative Applied Ecology Resources.
She is passionate about widening participation within STEM subjects and public engagement with research.
Dominic Buscall
Dominic began his career in conservation and land management when he founded the Wild Ken Hill project in 2018. Wild Ken Hill combines rewilding, regenerative farming, and traditional conservation to restore nature, fight climate change, and engage and educate people about the natural world.
Dominic’s background before this career was in management consulting, where he built strategic skills. Dominic is very excited to deploy these skills to help BTO fulfil its new strategy.
Away from work, Dominic loves the outdoors, whether hiking, cycling, swimming or birding.
Iain Coucher
Iain is an experienced Chief Executive who has led a number of large organisations involved in the delivery of public services in technology, infrastructure, transport and defence sectors. He is a life-long birder and is passionate about the environment and sustainability. He owns a small, coastal farm in west Scotland that he manages for the benefit of birds and other wildlife.
He has been a trustee of a global environmental charity, Earthwatch (Europe) for around six years. He is committed to continual learning and, over the last decade has completed Masters degrees in Environmental Decision Making and in Systems Thinking (with a focus on climate change and ocean acidification). He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Cranfield University, in 2019.
Emma Dresser
Emma is an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Manager at Loughborough University where she plays a central role in work to drive forward the university’s activity to identify and dismantle discriminatory practices and to create an inclusive, fair and respectful culture in which all staff and students feel valued, are able to voice differing perspectives and realise their full potential.
She has possessed a strong interest and appreciation for birds and wildlife from a young age and relishes the opportunity to work with BTO to address the barriers to equity and diversity and support their ambitions in creating an inclusive environment. She hopes to bring her professional experience and personal passion to expand access to the work of BTO to broader audiences, thereby providing access to the benefit of engaging with nature to individuals from all backgrounds.
Dr Jamie Dunning
Jamie is an ornithologist spanning academic research and commercial application of bird survey and ringing data. He completed his PhD at Imperial College London on the evolution of social behaviour in birds, using the long-term genetic population of House Sparrows on Lundy Island. Since then, he has worked across diverse interests, from behavioural ecology and visual signal evolution to the spread of zoonotic disease through wild bird communities.
Outside academia, Jamie co-developed recent bird survey guidance for commercial application and sits on the group overseeing their continued development. He runs Skopeo, a spin-out business consulting on technical ornithology, survey design and resourcing. Jamie is also a ringing trainer with a new group in central Bristol, covering Severnside and the important River Severn SPA. Much of his ringing has focused on long-term and single-species studies, and their value to research and conservation.
Jamie is a life-long birder and BTO supporter. He looks forward to bringing his experience bridging academic research and commercial practice to the BTO board, exploring how BTO data and volunteer effort can be applied in both sectors.
Dr Geeta Ludhra
Dr Geeta Ludhra is a Senior Lecturer in Education and Associate Dean for Equity at Brunel University. She has a strong background in school leadership and equity-social justice roles across schools and community projects.
Alongside her academic role, Geeta leads a non-profit, registered social enterprise called Dadima’s CIC, set up to encourage people from Black Asian and Minority Ethnic communities (those groups who are statistically under-represented in UK natural landscapes) to engage in and enjoy the benefits of National Parks, National Landscapes, the Chilterns countryside. She also works with rural museums on community-led initiatives to create events and collections that are more inclusive. Dadima’s CIC is a family-run walking group that has a programme of monthly nature-themed events and promotes intergenerational connections through walking and talking, biodiversity research discussions, sharing heritage stories and celebrating diverse forms of nature knowledge.
Geeta’s interest in grass-roots activist work is inspired by her interest in making a difference through community-led projects that connect people from diverse backgrounds in creative ways. Geeta has a keen interest in mental health and well-being across the generations, and exploring ways in which nature connectedness can support this.
Simon Marquis
Simon’s career was in the advertising, marketing and media sectors. He worked in a number of ad agencies before becoming the editorial director of a number of marketing magazines. He was appointed CEO of one of the UK’s biggest media planning and buying agencies.
He subsequently took on a range of advisory and non-executive roles, including the chairmanship of a PR agency, media research company, media events business and TV post-production company.
He has had an interest in birds since childhood and became a trustee of the RSPB in the 1990s and chaired its Education and Membership committee. He is involved with the Cornwall Birds (CBWPS) and edits its quarterly newsletter.
Stephen Metcalfe
Stephen is the Regional Representative for the Lothians and RO for the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) and Heronries Census. He has been a birdwatcher since childhood, his early interest being boosted by a couple of residential YOC courses. In his late teens/student years he volunteered as an assistant at both Havergate Island and Minsmere reserves.
Although family and work (as a solicitor) responsibilities restricted birding opportunities for many years, since retirement he has taken on 2 Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) squares and a coastal Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) section, before becoming RR in late 2019.
He is also a member of the RSPB and the SOC, attending the Lothian Discussion Group (which plans and carries out many local surveys) of the latter. Apart from birding, he is a keen amateur musician, cyclist and has returned to university, currently working towards a (part time) Master’s degree in philosophy at the University of Edinburgh.
Jane Miller - Treasurer
Jane is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and has worked in the Telecoms, Retail Banking and Insurance industries in both the UK, the US and New Zealand. She has experience in line finance, programme management, transformation, regulatory change and business optimisation.
Jane lives on the Suffolk coast and has a strong interest in waders and coastal birds. She is keen to bring her business experience to help BTO achieve its strategic aims.
Dr Rachel Thomas
Rachel is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Adult Psychotherapist by background with more than 30 years of clinical and management experience. She has worked in many and varied senior leadership roles within the healthcare sector since the early 1990s, both in the NHS and for NGOs. She has been a Director of Services, a Company Director and a CEO.
Most recently, Rachel founded and is Director of her own company, undertaking complex mental health assessments for the UK Tribunals Service. Her background in social science has led to her involvement in both small and large-scale research projects, including a doctoral dissertation using qualitative methodology and as the Research Clinician for a reputable NHS Randomised Control Trial.
Rachel has been a nature lover, particularly in relation to birds, and a keen conservationist from a young age and has undertaken both practical and public-facing conservation work as a volunteer over many years for organisations such as the RSPB, TCV and WWT. She has a close connection with Norfolk and is a frequent visitor with a particular interest in wading and coastal birds.
Emma Thornton
Emma is a Biology graduate from the University of Oxford. She is passionate about protecting the environment and strives to use and develop her skills to work towards forward-thinking solutions. During her master’s, she researched Manx Shearwaters, spending a summer doing fieldwork on Skomer Island. The project’s outcomes focused on flight heights in relation to collision risk with Offshore Wind Farms. She hopes to continue her career in the environmental sector post-university.
Back in her gap year she became involved with BTO as a novice birder and has since got involved with BTO surveys and has been part of BTO’s Youth Advisory Panel since its formation at the start of 2020. Emma is passionate about creating opportunities for young people to connect with nature and science, particularly around improving mental health. As well as her work with BTO Youth she was inspired to set up and lead her own new society at university – Oxford Ornithological Student Society.
Emma is enjoying bringing a young person’s perspective to the Board for the first time. With both her science and engagement background, she is focused on maximising BTO’s impact both for birds and for people.
Stephen Willis
Stephen is currently a Professor of Ecology and Conservation, Director of Research, and Deputy Head of Department at Durham University. He has had a lifelong interest in birds and the study of birds, which resulted in his academic career in ecology, as well as spending much of his spare time over many years watching and surveying birds, for fun and as a citizen and professional scientist.
Stephen has been involved with BTO in various ways over the years, including survey volunteering, learning to ring, and participating in research collaborations.
Stephen has experience as a trustee for Discover Brightwater, which is Heritage Lottery-funded and focused on improving the biodiversity and environment throughout a northern river catchment. Stephen brings expertise and a commitment to working to remove barriers to equality, diversity, and inclusivity.
Joel Ziff
Joel is a Partner at Clifford Chance, the international law firm, specialising in Mergers and Acquisitions.
He is responsible for Clifford Chance's pro bono relationship with the RSPB. Before joining Clifford Chance, Joel worked as a manager in the NHS. He has been a keen birder for more than 50 years.