Beatrix Oliver GREAT Project Manager Expand Bea is delighted to have joined the team as project manager for the new Gloucestershire Regenerative Environment and Agriculture Transition (GREAT) project. Bea spent the past three years working at DEFRA, where she worked in Farming and ELM teams on social research, innovative evidence dissemination, and Tests and Trials. During that time, she also did an MSc in Food Policy, looking into which policy approaches could champion more types of value in farming, such as by using True Cost Accounting. Bea is delighted to be working in the charity sector, really getting stuff done. She loves leisurely cycling, low-tech camping, and walking, though she spends more time these days with her young daughter at the allotment.
Edward Bonn GREAT Project Manager / Farm Environment Adviser Expand Edward joined FWAG SW in April 2022 and will be managing the GREAT Project as maternity cover, as well as farm advisory provision. He previously ran the Cotswolds National Landscape’s rural skills programme, offering a range of conservation-focussed and traditional land management courses, along with coppicing rotations and charcoal burning in various woodlands. He has an MSc in Countryside Management from Scotland’s Rural College and a real passion for engaging people with the wider countryside.
Georgina Pickworth Assistant Farm Environment Adviser Expand Georgina joined FWAG Southwest in June 2023. She has a BSc in Animal Behaviour and Welfare, and a keen interest in food systems. Before joining FWAG SW, Georgina worked on a number of projects across different organisations, building her understanding of how different aspects of the food system interact in the UK. More recently, she has focussed on the grain system, volunteering with the South West Grain Network since 2020, and working with Edinburgh University to understand the issues facing the grain system in Scotland. At FWAG SW, Georgina assists the Gloucestershire team, supporting with Countryside Stewardship applications, mapping, and project work. In her spare time, she likes to swim at Clevedon Marine Lake, and attempt to control her allotment.
Hannaya Watts Assistant Farm Environment Adviser Expand Hannaya joined FWAG SW in July 2023 and works in Countryside stewardship applications, mapping, soil sampling and general support for Gloucestershire advisers. She studied in Norwich, for her undergraduate degree in Ecology and Conservation and has recently finished her MSc in Sustainable Agriculture & Food Security at the Royal Agricultural University. She enjoyed several volunteer roles including monitoring barn owls with the Essex wildlife trust, working on a traditional beef farm, as well as more educational settings including Jimmy’s farm.
James Lunt Assistant Farm Environment Adviser Expand James joined the FWAG SW Gloucestershire team in September 2023, helping with mapping and general support for Gloucestershire advisers, and looks forward to learning more about the agri-environmental policy landscape and how best to help farmers transition to new ways of farming. He joins FWAG straight from his Undergraduate degree in Environmental Biology at the University of Nottingham, where he underwent a hedgerow management plan for the University farm as part of his dissertation. Alongside this, he has worked as an Ecologist throughout his degree, as well as having a lifelong appreciation of farming, with a particular love of native breed cattle and sheep, having worked on friends’ farms and owned his own flock of store lambs in the past. He loves getting involved in various aspects of the countryside, looking to take up hedge laying while working for FWAG, and is also a keen gardener, and reader, especially of anything involving history and geography.
Jenny Phelps Senior Farm Environment Adviser & Glos Team Leader Expand Jenny has over 30 years’ experience giving on farm advice, the last 10 years of which has been with Gloucestershire FWAG. Jenny leads on many projects including the Upper Thames Catchment Based Approach and Payments for Ecosystem Services Defra pilots. All her projects use the integrated Local Delivery methodology, which aims to value and incorporate the knowledge and needs of land owners, authorities and the local communities.
Jenny Salter Sustainable Food Places Co - Ordinator Expand Jenny started working at FWAG in September 2022 as Sustainable Food Places Coordinator. This involves working with the Gloucestershire Food and Farming Partnership, Sustainable Food Places, and other key stakeholders across the county who have an interest in Sustainable Food and Farming. Jenny’s background is in Geography and Environmental Science, which she taught for many years before studying for a MSc in Sustainable Development in Practice at UWE in Bristol. She is really excited to be working directly with people who are passionate about transforming food and farming, when not at work or studying, she can most often be found in the garden or down the allotment.
Joanne Leigh Senior Farm Environment Adviser Expand Joanne has been working with FWAG SouthWest since 2012 and provides land management advice for farmers looking to join environmental stewardship, create and improve wildlife habitats, improve water quality and implement Natural Flood Management. Joanne has been involved in and co-ordinates several projects to improve water quality including the WILD project; organising the agenda for the FWAG volunteers working on the tributaries leading into the Cotswolds Water Park; facilitating the Yellow Fish projects for the River Ray and currently the Coln in Andoversford; working with the Fresh Water Watch group helping local farmers and local communities to monitor water quality. Joanne also facilitates the Carrant Catchment Area Restoration Project near Tewkesbury, helping to improve water quality by implementing Natural Flood Management and link habitat on a landscape scale.
Maisie Jepson Farm Environment Adviser Expand Maisie joined FWAG SouthWest in October 2020. She is from a tenanted, mixed farm in Worcestershire and has a degree in Conservation Biology. She has also completed an MSc in Denmark, in Agri-Environmental Management. She has previously worked for ADAS as an Agricultural Consultant, doing nutrient management planning, soil sampling, carbon foot-printing, as well as helping the policy and economics team. She has also worked for the CLA as a Rural Adviser, and now sits on their committee in Gloucestershire.
Nicky Jameson Senior Farm Environment Adviser Expand Nicky (Nicola) joined FWAG in August 2023. Prior to that, Nicky spent 23 years working for Natural England and its predecessors. 19 years was spent in Gloucestershire working with landowners on agri-environment schemes such as Higher Level Stewardship and CS Higher Tier, including protected sites and commons and gaining experienced local knowledge of the County. For four years Nicky worked in Catchment Sensitive Farming in the Avon Warwickshire Catchment, part of the Severn River Basin, advising on water quality, soil health, farm infrastructure, wider land management and accessing funding to implement a wide range of on-farm measures.
Robert Moore Assistant Farm Environment Adviser Expand Robert joined FWAG SW in April 2022 and works on Countryside stewardship applications, mapping, soil sampling and general support for Gloucestershire advisers. With a BAgrSc in Agri-Environmental Sciences from University College Dublin, he developed an interest in agriculture from living in the countryside in Ireland and helping on friends and neighbouring farms growing up. Robert has experience working on organic and conventional farms in Ireland and UK covering a range of enterprises. During university he had a 3-month work placement on an organic estate in Wiltshire where he further developed an interest in Agri-ecological and sustainable farming practices.
Sarah Wells Senior Farm Environment Adviser Expand Sarah offers on farm advice on a range of topics including Countryside Stewardship schemes, environmental land management such as habitat creation, nutrient management planning (including NVZ regulations), resource protection and soils advice. For the past two years Sarah has also been involved in drawing up environmental plans for farms in order to satisfy environmental obligations set by retailers. She is experienced in a number of survey techniques and in producing digitised maps through the use of GIS software. Sarah coordinates a number of projects including the facilitation of Payments for Ecosystem services projects throughout the Upper Thames catchment, which focusses on responsible pesticide use and minimising the risk of pesticides reaching surface waters; and the Rest Assured project which aims to help farmers struggling with the complexities of regulation, and to help farms to access funding to support the farm business.