SWT Trustees

Chair - Roger Owen

Roger has worked with both the agricultural and environmental sectors. Starting work with ADAS in Shropshire, he then undertook various posts in Buckinghamshire, Jersey and Lincolnshire before returning to the West Midlands some 20 years ago as Area Manager for the Rural Development Service and subsequently Natural England in the West Midlands. He has a good knowledge of agri-environmental schemes, protected sites, National Nature Reserves, water catchment and rural economy issues. He has always had an interest in wider natural history.

Honorary Secretary - Alex Grant

In his professional life, Alex enjoyed two careers, as a mining and tunnelling engineer and then as an environmental consultant.  He moved to Shropshire in 2002, at which point he became increasingly involved with the Trust's activities, principally as an Ambassador, Chair of the Ellesmere Branch, looking after Birch Road Pond and as a working member of the Love Your Rivers Group.  Alex was elected as a Trustee in 2018 and has been Honorary Secretary for the past four years.  During this time, he has been involved in updating the Articles of Association and Governance Manual.  He currently sits on various SWT committees including Finance, Personnel and Climate / Biodiversity.  Externally, he attends the TWT Community of Practice on Governance and Shrewsbury Town Council's Climate and Nature Recovery Committee.

Honorary Treasurer - Stephen Marsh

Steve was brought up on a mixed farm in Shropshire. He studied agriculture at university and initially worked for ADAS, advising farmers. He later qualified as a Chartered Accountant with a large accountancy practice. He has continued to use his accounting skills while working in a variety of roles since then.

Steve has a smallholding and enjoys the outdoors. Since December 2019 he has been a regular volunteer on Pontesbury Hill with the SWT. 

Trustee - Amanda Craig

Amanda has a lifelong interest in natural history having the privilege of being encouraged to explore the outdoors and be curious about nature throughout her childhood. Born and brought up in Kent, she has lived in Shrewsbury for almost 20 years. She loves watching wildlife and travelling to visit different places, and has a particular passion for butterflies. Her career has spanned a variety of roles in the natural environment, ranging from habitat and site management through to policy development for Government. She has worked for Natural England over the past 20 years, including as Area Manager for West Midlands, Operations Director; and presently as Director for People & Nature, working on access to the outdoors, health and the environment, social inclusion and connecting people with nature.

Trustee - Mandie Haywood

Mandie has worked as a teacher in Shropshire for over 32 years, 27 of those as a Headteacher. Since 2004 she has lead Old Park Primary School and Nursery in Malinslee, Telford. She believes that outdoor learning can enhance all areas of the curriculum and engage children of any background. 

In 2020, Old Park was the first school in the country to sign up for the Nature Friendly Schools programme and the school has worked closely with Shropshire Wildlife Trust ever since.

Mandie has recently retired from teaching and is looking forward to getting involved in a range of projects with SWT now she has some spare time.

Trustee - Andrew Hearle

Andrew has worked mostly in Shropshire since joining the Field Studies Council in 1980 based at Preston Montford Field Centre as tutor in ecology and geography and then for 28 years in various conservation and environmental roles with the Nature Conservancy Council, English Nature and Natural England. Since leaving Natural England in 2014 he has led two landscape-scale nature conservation restoration projects, firstly with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, as manager of the Central Rivers project, and most recently with the National Trust as manager of the Stepping Stones project in south Shropshire.

Trustee - Iain Diack

Iain is an ecologist who grew up in the Peak District, lived and worked in the south east for 15 years, and moved to Shropshire over 20 years ago. He has worked for Natural England and predecessor bodies since 1991 in a variety of roles including environmental monitoring specialist, grassland researcher, national biodiversity lead. Since 2008 he has been Natural England’s national wetland specialist. He has an interest in plants, peatlands and restoration of freshwater habitats through the re-establishment of natural hydrological processes.

Trustee - James Drever

James led the IT and Digital teams at the Field Studies Council for fifteen years and ran his own small digital business for six years. He now works at the Botanical Society of the British Isles. He is interested in how technology can help increase our connection with and understanding of the natural world. He loves exploring natural environments and is always looking to learn more about them. 

Trustee - Lara Richardson

Having worked at the BBC and in other corporate environments; agency-side and in-house at a global animal welfare NGO and a marine conservation NGO, Lara is now the Associate Director of Marketing and Communications UK & EMEA at GlobalGiving and a Trustee at the Sumatran Orangutan Society. Lara works with organisations that aim to change hearts and minds, leading to shifts in behaviour, and policy reform. She specialises in understanding different audience needs and then devising and implementing awareness-raising campaigns to spark action and create change.  Passionate about social justice, animal welfare, and protecting the planet, Lara lives by the words of Robert Swan: “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.”

Trustee - Laurence Kinnersley

Laurence graduated from Bristol University with a degree in Biology and Geology in 2019 and is currently completing an MSc in Museum Studies with Leicester University. He regularly volunteers with Shropshire Wildlife Trust and Shrewsbury Town Council as well as attending natural history courses with the Field Studies Council (FSC). He is a youth representative for the Our Bright Future Steering Group, which comes together to discuss conservation, environmental and youth voice issues and how to resolve them. In 2021-22 Laurence was part of the FSC first Youth Council in which he helped to steer engagement and content.

Trustee - Malcolm Monie

Malcolm's career included many years as Head of Science and Biology at The Maelor School near Wrexham.  He has been Chair of Whitchurch Branch since its formation in 1986 for all but 18 months and coordinator of the Whitchurch Water Vole Project. He is also involved as a work party volunteer. which have enabled him to contribute to discussions from the branch perspective during his previous spell as a Trustee. Malcolm is a founder member and Treasurer of Shropshire Mammal Group, also Chair on two occasions.  Other activities include Whitchurch Walkers and the St Alkmund’s Church Bell Ringers.

Trustee - Rob Paul

Rob is a land agent specialising in estate management, diversification and renewable energy schemes. He graduated from Reading University in 1994 and then joined Strutt and Parker in Cheshire, moving to Shropshire in 2008. From 2020-22 he was Estates Director for  Bradford Estates, a major landowner in Shropshire and Staffordshire, before joining the Telford office of Savills, to help develop their Estate Management team. He has extensive experience of managing property portfolios for major institutional landowners as well as an array of private, corporate and charitable clients.  In early 2024, Rob created his own consultancy practice, now principally advising landowners and farmers in relation to renewable energy schemes and providing strategic estate management advice. Rob enjoys country pursuits and is a keen ‘birder’.

Trustee - Quentin Shaw 

After working abroad as an expedition doctor and rural medical officer, Quentin spent 27 years working as a GP in Telford, where he was involved in projects promoting the health benefits of time spent in nature. He is keen to encourage a more diverse population to enjoy the countryside and  is a Friend of Telford Town Park and Pontesford Hill Nature Reserve.