Senior Management Team
Kathy Wormald, Chief Executive Officer
Kathy joined Froglife in 2007, after nearly 20 years in the NGO sector. She has a background in accountancy and management and her broad range of experience includes poverty relief, human rights, environment and conservation; Kathy has been a trustee for the Pesticides Action Network Europe, the Women’s Environment Network and the Bhopal Medical Appeal.
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Jenny Tse-Leon, Head of Conservation & Impact
Jenny joined Froglife in 2014 and works as the Head of Conservation & Impact. She is responsible for our reserves, citizen science projects (such as Toads on Roads and Garden Wildlife Health), the work we do to evaluate the impact of our projects and representing Froglife on policy matters at a Westminster level. She also leads Froglife’s Communications. Her expertise is in engaging people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, with nature conservation.
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She feels that engaging people from all walks of life, especially those that wouldn’t normally take part, is critical for conservation in the long-term.
Sheila Gundry, Head of Operations
Sheila joined Froglife in September 2017 as Development Manager for Education, Learning and Communications and in 2021 took over as Head of Operations. Reporting to the CEO she oversees Froglife’s projects and manages the majority of the staff across the organisation. Sheila is a specialist in environmental education – she loves finding creative ways of teaching and learning about the environment. She has extensive experience of managing major projects and developing new ones. She is a qualified secondary school teacher and is particularly interested in active, hands on learning techniques. Outside work she is often to be found exploring wild places and having adventures in the natural world.
Andrew Smart, Head of Science & Research
Andrew joined us in May 2023 after 25 years of working in Higher Education, teaching zoology and conservation. He worked on the conservation of loggerhead and green turtles in the Mediterranean in the 1980s and great crested newts and common toads on the Avon levels in the ‘90s.
Over the last 10 years, he’s also been working with the University of Cardiff and Cornwall College Newquay on the Kinabatangan River and has carried out survey work on frogs and toads in the Borneo rainforest.
Moving to Cornwall has limited his work on great crested newts, but Andrew has carried on working on palmate newts and freshwater invasive species and has been involved in lizard surveys on the Cornwall Coast Path.
Peterborough Team
Clare Middleton, Reserve Warden & Trainer
Clare joined Froglife in 2022 as the Learning Officer for the Green Pathways Project and was successful in getting the Reserve Warden and Transforming Lives Trainer role from July 2023.
Clare has turned her hand to many things with a range of experience from different sectors both in work and volunteering. Most relevant to her current roles being a Community Garden Manager and volunteering with conservation groups locally coppicing and managing habitat. Also managing and training teams within the DWP.
The best places to find Clare in her spare time are out and about nature spotting, in her garden growing veg or on the riverbank fishing.
Paul Arestides, Trainee
Paul joined Froglife in April 2024 as a Trainee Reserve Warden in Peterborough as part of the Transforming Lives project.
As a child Paul was always enjoying wildlife with his brother, building wildlife ponds, excited at the prospect of attracting frogs, toads and newts. Paul rediscovered his passion for conservation when he started volunteer work in 2012 taking part in different surveys and actively engaging in nature reserve work.
Paul is excited to be working with Froglife and spending time on the nature reserves learning about reptiles and amphibians.
Emma Byrne, Trainee
Emma joined Froglife in 2024 as a Trainee Reserve Warden, as part of the Transforming Lives Project.
After graduating Emma worked in the events industry, coordinating social and corporate events. After a family bereavement she found comfort in nature, and soon developed a passion for wildlife and wild habitats.
Emma has previously volunteered for the Wildlife Trust and for a forest school based in Northamptonshire. She is thrilled to be accepted onto the Transforming Lives Project and hopes the experience will provide the necessary skills and knowledge to begin a career within conservation.
Outside of work Emma enjoys playing music, birdwatching and wild swimming with her golden retriever.
Charles Bonnett, Trainee
Charles joined Froglife in April 2024 as part of the Transforming Lives Project, through which he became a Trainee Reserve Warden.
While volunteering with the Woodland Trust and RSPB, he rediscovered his adoration for nature and wildlife from his childhood. After spending his academic and professional life in a digital environment, he is eager to be closer to nature and pursue his passion for the natural world with Froglife.
Charles is excited to enhance his conservational knowledge through reptile and amphibian surveying and habitat management.
Eve Goddard, Trainee
Eve joined Froglife in 2024 as trainee reserve warden in Peterborough within the Transforming Lives Project.
She is creative and completed a degree in Graphic Design where the natural world influenced her work.
Eve has a passion for wildlife conservation and she enjoys encouraging others to engage with the environment. She has volunteered with Forestry England, Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital and Insecta Collective and is involved in community gardening in her local area.
Outside of work Eve enjoys the reading, running and any opportunity to visit the coast!
Rachel Coyle, Project Officer (MATERNITY LEAVE)
Rachel joined Froglife in 2023 as the Peterborough Neighbourhood Wildlife Corridors Project Officer.
She graduated with a BSc in Anthropology from the University of Kent, where she further developed her interest in conservation and the natural world.
Rachel has a background in education and is a qualified Primary teacher with a passion for teaching others about wildlife and wild habitats and encouraging others to engage in the outdoor environment.
Rachel has been actively involved in forest school activities and has also volunteered with Kent Wildlife Trust and Essex Wildlife Trust. Outside of work Rachel will be found enjoying the natural surroundings, walking and camping.
London Team
Harry Forshaw, Project Manager
Harry joined Froglife in February 2024 to project manage delivery of the London Blue Chain. His previous experience sits within community engagement and youth work, volunteer management, and project management. Most recently, Harry worked for an East London youth service called Spotlight, as their Empowerment Lead, where his role helped to create opportunities for young people and older community members across Tower Hamlets.
Harry holds a life-long interest in nature and wildlife of all varieties, and he spends as much time as possible immersed in the natural world – both in urban and wilder spaces.
Outside of work, Harry enjoys running, cycling, birdwatching, collecting records and DJing.
Isabella Bromfield, Trainee
Isabella joined Froglife in June 2024 as a London Blue Chain Project Trainee.
She has BA in Geography from the University of Manchester, and a diverse professional background in administration, environmental consultancy, decolonising geography, diversity and inclusion and childcare. Isabella is looking forward to applying this variety of practical and academic knowledge to her role.
Isabella is keen to develop her expertise in reptile and amphibian habitats and conservation practices, as well as contributing to making a lasting impact on biodiversity conservation through educating local communities.
In her free time, Isabella loves long nature walks, campaigning for environmental stewardship, attending music events and playing netball.
Rose Williams, Trainee
Rose is a Brixton-based nature lover who’s thrilled to be starting with Froglife as a trainee on the London Blue Chain project. As a regular user of The London Green Chain (a network of footpaths linking green spaces in south east London), creating a wildlife corridor for reptiles and amphibians along the route is a dream come true!
Rose wants to strengthen the connection to nature in local communities by providing better access, better information, and more support. In her experience, people want to know more about the wildlife in their area, but can feel disconnected from the natural world in a dense urban environment.
Rose is really looking forward to putting little pockets of nature on people’s doorsteps for them to care for and take pride in, and receive the benefits from.
In her free time Rose can be found either in her garden growing veg, watching cricket, or out photographing birds in London.
Mariam Turay, Trainee
Mariam joined the London Blue Chain team in June 2024 but has previously studied photography and worked within public engagement for arts organisations.
She founded ‘Wild Greenery’ in 2021, a creative project collaborating with sound and design artists specialising in carnivorous plants, where she has done work on Utricularia gibba, Drosera graomogolensis, Cephalotus follicularis and more.
Wanting to transition from arts to ecology, Mariam trained in practical wildlife conservation in 2022 at the London Wildlife Trust where she worked on wetlands.
She furthered her training with a forest school qualification and a practical horticulture qualification at Walworth Gardens. On a monthly basis, she leads a BeePoC group focusing on holistic and ethical practices in beekeeping at Hackney City Farm and volunteers in river conservation with Stonebridge Lock Coalition focusing on freshwater invertebrates.
Dylan Jackson-French, Project Manager
Dylan joined Froglife in February 2024 as Project Manager for the London Leaping Forward For Dementia Project.
He has a BSc in Zoology from Bangor University and experience with community engagement, volunteer coordination and urban greenspace conservation. Most recently he was employed at the Streatham Common Cooperative, where he worked with volunteers on many projects in Streatham and the Lambeth area to improve biodiversity and local greenspaces.
Having previously volunteered on this project, Dylan is excited to continue to explore how the wonders of nature and conservation can be accessible to anyone and everyone.
Dylan has a passion for all things amphibian, and is always looking for an excuse to get his waders on!
Midlands Team
Christina Nijjar, Project Manager
Christina joined Froglife in September 2022 as the Coalface to Wildspace Project Manager. She is excited to be working on a new and innovative project in the Midlands- an area not previously worked in for Froglife!
Christina has previously worked for the Wildlife Trust, Groundwork WM and the RSPB and has a background in environmental education. She has a passion for engaging people about the hidden worlds we coexist with and spends most of her free time outdoors exploring.
Her favourite reptile is the beautiful slow worm
Elsbeth Leighton, Project Assistant
Elsbeth joined Froglife in November 2022 as the Coalface to Wildspace Project Assistant. She has a degree in Zoology and a Master of Research degree focused on conservation and ecology.
Previously she has worked for a grassroot conservation NGO to support community-led conservation projects in Madagascar, worked one season as a seasonal ecologist, and enjoyed getting her hands dirty whilst volunteering with the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. Now she is excited to be working with local communities in the midlands to foster a greater love for amphibians and improve their habitat locally.
Elsbeth loves all amphibians and reptiles, but she is especially fond of the charming common frog.
Scotland Team
Louise Smith, Development Officer
Louise joined the Froglife team in January 2017 and manages the Green Pathways project and the Green Pathways for Life Project both based in Glasgow.
After graduating in 2015 with an MSc in Applied Marine and Fisheries Ecology she had been volunteering with several different conservation charities near Glasgow to increase her land-based conservation experience.
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Jessica Lockhart, Learning Officer
Jessica joined Froglife in 2023 as a Learning Officer on our Green Pathways Project in Glasgow.
She is an outdoor educator and forest school practitioner with five years’ experience working in a local afterschool.
Jessica has a passion for accessible, holistic care and learning and loves to see children and young people with additional support needs thrive.
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More recently, Jessica has grown her knowledge of circular economies and small-scale organic farming working as an Organic market gardener in Glasgow. Her current dream is to create two ponds on the farms she works on!
When not working you’ll find Jessica hill walking with her dog Missy, wild swimming or sewing clothes and dancing! Preferably at a ceilidh or festival!
Jessica loves all amphibians and reptiles but has a nostalgic soft spot for slow worms.
Somerset Team
Zak Mather-Gratton, Project Officer
Zak joined Froglife in January 2020 as Project Officer on the Somerset Green Pathways for Life project. He has a BSc in Ecological Science from Edinburgh University, and an MSc in Sustainable Forest and Nature Management from Copenhagen University.
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Yorkshire Team
Darren Starkey, Operations Manager
Darren joined Froglife in February 2021 to manage the Yorkshire Tails Of Amphibian Discovery Project. In 2022 he took on the role of Operations Manager for Froglife’s smaller projects.
Darren previously worked for the RSPB managing two large nature reserves in Yorkshire and before that, he worked for the Environment Agency in several conservation and project management roles. Darren is a graduate of York St John’s University where he gained a BSc Honours in Environmental Science.
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Finance and Office Team
Marie Homewood, Finance Manager
Marie started her working career in the pub trade until she had her children and decided to hang up the party shoes. Not knowing what she really wanted to do she went into the travel industry where she worked within Finance Departments and Aviation Admin. On being made redundant Marie started to study towards her AAT qualification completing Level 3, which lead to getting a role for 4 years in a Data & electrical company where she put into practice her studies and gained great experience. Marie then joined Froglife in October 2014 due to previous employer relocation and the chance to expand her accounting knowledge.
Ashlea Mawby, Communications Officer & Toads on Roads Coordinator
Ash was first involved with Froglife back in 2011 as a participant in the ‘Wildlife Ambassadors’ project and had been an enthusiastic volunteer thereafter, being awarded various accolades for her commitment. She joined the Froglife staff team in June 2016 as the Conservation Youth Worker Trainee for the Green Pathways project in Peterborough.
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Froglife Ecological Services
Kathy Wormald, Director
Further details in Senior Management Team section above.
James McAdie, Head of Operations
James joined Froglife in 2010 to take over the FACT project (formerly Peterborough Environment Enrichment Project) and since moved on to become the River Nene Dragon Finder Project Manager (until the projects’ end in May 2019) and Head of Projects. He now serves as the Froglife Ecological Services’ (FES) Head of Operations.
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Researchers
John Howieson, PhD Student
John is a PhD student at the University of the West of Scotland, who has partially been funded by Froglife since 2020. John’s project seeks to identify the evolutionary and ecological mechanisms behind salt resilience in UK Amphibian species and to better understand the impacts of salt pollution and sea level rise on amphibians. John has previously worked in conservation at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, and is particularly interested in evolution and using genetic data to understand species ecology.
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