Adam Lockyear Farm Conservation Adviser Expand Adam has been a farm conservation adviser for 8 years. He has worked on many stewardship agreements and climate change issues. Adam works on the Value of Working Wetlands Project covering the Somerset Levels and Moors working with farmers managing wet grassland habitats. He also runs a dairy goat farm for a cheese maker in Somerset.
Ali Morgan Senior Resource Protection Adviser Expand Ali Joined FWAG SW in September 2020 and works mainly in the Somerset Frome catchment, offering business critical advice to farmers and landowners on resource protection, Natural Flood Management, river restoration and land management to reduce pollution risks and enhance environmental benefits. Ali graduated from Reading University with a degree in Agriculture and has worked with farmers and land-managers in advisory and project management roles across the UK and overseas.
Angelique McBride Resource Protection Adviser Expand Angelique joined FWAG SW in 2017 and mainly works on the Hills to Levels project in Somerset, managing the Hills to Levels Multi-Benefit Project. She offers advice to farmers and landowners on natural flood management and river restoration, including the design and implementation, to reduce localised flooding issues and to also provide other multiple environmental benefits.
Ann Langdon Senior Resource Protection and Farm Conservation Adviser Expand Ann has worked for FWAG for the last 14 years. Her experience ranges from advising on and preparing agri-environment schemes to providing more specialist soil, water and grassland management advice. Recent work includes working on reducing flooding and diffuse pollution in Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire as well as managing projects like the EU funded Triple C project and the Stour Headwater Multi-benefit project
Anne May Assistant Farm Conservation Adviser Expand Anne has been working for FWAG since early 2018, mainly working across Exmoor. Initially she worked on the Exmoor Coastal Streams Facilitation Fund organising events for farmers, on the Headwaters of the Exe Project and on Countryside Stewardship applications. Currently she is working on the Headwaters of the Exe project, delivering advice to farmers on water quality improvements, soil health, grazing management, parasite control, farm infrastructure, and habitats and wildlife. Before joining the FWAG team Anne graduated from Harper Adams University having studied Countryside Management BSc Hons. She then worked for the Exmoor National Park Authority mapping moorland vegetation change from aerial photography. Anne farms alongside her husband on an Exmoor beef and sheep farm.
Antony 'Aj' Bellamy Somerset Coastal Levels Project Officer Expand Aj graduated from Plymouth University in 1996 and has worked mostly in Devon in the conservation land management and ecology sector; briefly for Devon Wildlife Trust, then RSPB for 15years based at the Exe Estuary Reserves. Within his role at FWAG SW, Aj is working with landowners within the somerset coastal levels to restore and recreate farm ponds and assisting in larger-scale wetland creation works within the Pawlett hams.
Ben Thorne Senior Farm Conservation Adviser Expand Ben has over 25 years’ experience working with farmers in Somerset and has recently led on the delivery of the land management workstream of the Somerset 20 Year Flood Action Plan – including heading up the Hills to Levels program. Ben specialises in agri-environment schemes, making the environment relevant for every farmer and Natural Flood Management. Ben also acts as Team Leader in Somerset.
James Maben Somerset Catchment Partnership Coordinator Expand James co-ordinates the Somerset Catchment Partnership which works collaboratively to drive forward improvements to the catchments of the Rivers Parrett, Tone, Axe and Brue, and the West Somerset Streams under the Catchment Based Approach (CaBA). James has a broad background from working on a range of recreation, wildlife, nature conservation and natural heritage projects including river habitat and water quality improvement projects.
Jo Oborn Farm Conservation Adviser and region wide Resource Protection Specialist Expand Jo has worked with farmers in the Somerset area, and beyond in Devon and Dorset, for more than 25 years. She is a qualified crop agronomist and specialises in practical advice on soils, nutrients, manures and sustainable crop rotations.
Joanna Uglow Farm Environment Adviser Expand Joanna works with farmers, foresters and game shoot managers to develop integrated land management on Exmoor. The Headwaters of the Exe project aims to improve water quality and enhance Natural Capital. Topics include soil health, grazing and sward management, parasite control, farm infrastructure and natural flood management. Having joined FWAG SW in 2015, Joanna has worked on the Hills to Levels project designing and implementing Natural Flood Management schemes across Somerset. She worked with farmers, councils and project partners to help reduce the impacts of flooding while providing multiple environmental benefits. Hills to Levels won the UK Rivers Prize in 2018.
John Rowlands Water Management Adviser Expand John Rowlands is a Water Management Advisor on the Adapting The Levels project, working with farmers to increase their business resilience in the face of climate unpredictability. A recent addition to FWAG, he has over 40 years’ experience in the Water Industry starting with water companies, National Rivers Authority and Environment Agency including 20 years specialising in water management on the Somerset Levels and Moors.
Lauren Clarke Senior Farm Conservation Adviser Expand Lauren joined FWAG SW in 2012. Lauren’s role includes advising farmers and landowners on Mid Tier and Hedgerow and Boundary Grants under the Countryside Stewardship Scheme and completing relevant applications. On top of this Lauren organises the annual Farm Plastic Recycling Scheme, which enables farmers to recycle their plastic at 15 sites across Devon, Dorset and Somerset.
Merle Brown Assistant Resource Protection Adviser Expand Merle joined the FWAG team in 2020 and provides GIS mapping and other support to the FWAG SW Hills to Levels Project team in Somerset as an Assistant Resource Protection Adviser. Prior to FWAG SouthWest Merle spent six years employed as a Consultant Ecologist working with developers to provide ecological advise and support during planning applications. She holds a class licence to survey and handle great crested newts and has experience surveying and designing mitigation for this species along with bats, dormice, water voles and reptiles.
Milly Bowden Resource Protection Adviser Expand Milly joined FWAG in summer 2020 and works on the 2 Valleys and the Hills to Levels projects in Somerset as a Resource Protection Adviser. Milly graduated from the University of Exeter with a degree in Physical Geography and began her career managing agricultural field trials in East Anglia. She is a qualified adviser on soils, water and nutrients as well as experience in conservation farming practices and Countryside Stewardship.
Oliver Edmonds Assistant Farm Conservation Adviser Expand Olly has recently joined FWAG SW as an assistant farm conservation adviser (maternity cover) . Olly principally works across Exmoor helping to deliver the Headwaters of the Exe project and the organisation of the Exmoor Coastal Streams Facilitation Fund group. Other work includes supporting senior advisers in delivering Countryside Stewardship and farm benchmarking workshops. Before joining FWAG SW, Olly worked as an ecologist undertaking habitat and species surveys across the south of England and Wales. He has worked in local and central government on agri-environment schemes in both delivery and policy roles.
Rachel Leonard Farm Liaison Officer Expand Rachel is a Farm Liaison Officer on the Adapting The Levels project, working with farmers to increase their business resilience in the face of climate unpredictability. She has previous experience in the delivery of agri-environment schemes and farms 200 beef cattle in North Devon.
Rebecca Mills Senior Farm Conservation Adviser Expand Rebecca is an experienced adviser and has been delivering environmental advice to farmers with FWAG SW for over 15 years. She has a sound working knowledge of agri-environment schemes and the environmental aspects of Cross Compliance. Rebecca has been involved in various projects based around species and habitat conservation and protected landscapes as well as working with farmer producer groups to help them meet their environmental obligations. She benefits from a strong farming background, farming beef cattle and sheep with her husband in the Brendon Hills.
Roy Hayes Senior Resource Protection Adviser Expand Roy works on the Hills to Levels project advising farmers and landowners on water management and water quality including design and location of Natural Flood Management (NFM) schemes to reduce localised flooding. Roy can also give advice about farm infrastructure and land management changes.
Thomas Mansfield Farm Conservation Adviser Expand Tom joined FWAG South West at the start of 2016 as an Assistant Farm Conservation Adviser. He has been working on a wide range of projects, surveys and mapping tasks over the last few years with an emphasis on woodland creation, management and wildlife surveys. Tom is an enthusiastic naturalist and can often be found undertaking breeding bird, small mammal or botanical surveys throughout Somerset, holding both a hazel dormouse and great crested newt handling licence. Tom has a particular interest in woodland management and landscape scale conservation projects, incorporating these interests into his work.
Victoria Munday Resource Protection Adviser Expand Vicky joined FWAG SW in 2017 and delivers natural flood management (NFM), soil husbandry and land management advice to farmers across Somerset, particularly in the east of the county. She currently manages the Somerset Frome Multi-Benefits project, working with farmers in the headwater catchments of the Frome to improve water quality. She also manages the NFM auction which takes place annually, helping to deliver funding for land management and capital works on farms to help slow the flow and reduce flooding.
Will Barnard Farm Liaison Officer Expand Will has been closely involved with the grass-fed movement for more than five years and was an early director of the Pasture Fed Lovestock Association, overseeing development of their groundbreaking animal traceability software. To spread the word about the benefits of grass-fed foods he set up the company GrassRoots Food in association with Graham Harvey, and published the book The Carbon Fields. Having transitioned the family farm into a hub for a novel, collaborative land management system on a SSSI near the the mouth of the river Parrett, he is now working to facilitate others who are interested in the opportunities afforded by similar ideas, across the Somerset Levels and Moors within the Co-Adapt project.