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, Conservation, Evaluation & Research Manager
Jenny joined Froglife in 2014 and worked as our Head of Learning and Communications until taking up her new role as Conservation, Evaluation and Research Manager in April 2021. She is now responsible for our reserves, citizen science projects (such as Discovering Reptiles, Toads on Roads, Garden Wildlife Health and our Dragon Finder App), the work we do to evaluate the impact of our projects and our research. Her expertise is in engaging people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, with nature conservation and she holds an honorary lectureship at The University of Brighton.
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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, Operations Manager
Sheila joined Froglife in September 2017 as Development Manager for Education, Learning and Communications and in 2021 took over as Operations Manager. 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.
Peterborough Team
Chantel Carr, Reserve Warden & Trainer
Chantel joined Froglife in 2020 working on our Green Pathways project in Peterborough and our Nature and Nourishment Project. In 2022 she became our Reserve Warden & Trainer, taking on the ‘Transforming Lives’ project.
Chantel has a PDip in Ecology and Conservation and has previously worked for the RSPB. She is very keen to help inspire the younger generation to get outdoors and enjoy nature!
Vaughan Foulkes-Arnold, Transforming Lives Trainee
Vaughan joined Froglife in 2018 as a volunteer on the Hampton reserve and is now a Trainee Reserve Warden on the site, as well as Eye Green and Boardwalks in Peterborough as part of the Transforming Lives Project. He has previously worked on the Green Pathways project and still volunteers in his spare time, as he is passionate about inspiring the next generation of conservationists. Vaughan is a keen birdwatcher and has made a career change from the legal sector, whereby he worked as a Conveyancer.
Elizabeth Disdel, Transforming Lives Trainee
Elizabeth joined Froglife in 2022 as a Trainee Reserve Warden in Peterborough as part of the Transforming Lives project.
After studying Global Sustainable Development at university, she knew she would like to pursue a career that involves working with people and the outdoors. She has previously worked with Shropshire Wildlife Trust and Hengistbury Head nature reserve. Working in conservation is important to her because she is interested in trying to understand how to change the current system that sees humans as transcendent from the natural world, when we are instead a very wonderful part of it.
Patricia-Marie Freshwater, Transforming Lives Trainee
Patricia joined Froglife in June 2022 as a trainee reserve warden as part of the transforming lives team. Patricia worked in hospitality for four years before starting with Froglife and in college she studied animal care and volunteered for an animal rescue charity where she was responsible for the rescue, rehabilitation and release of wild animals.
Patricia hopes that in the future she can work within the conservation sector and help inspire other people to get more involved with nature, wildlife and conservation.
Clare Middleton, Learning Officer
Clare joined Froglife in May 2022 to work on the Green Pathways Project in Peterborough and our Nature and Nourishment project in Fenland.
After 16 years working for the DWP, Clare was ready for a change and wanted to engage her passion for nature and community by running a local community garden which she is still involved with.
When not working, you will find Clare out and about looking for wildlife and trying to beat her Dad in seeing the most species (he always wins).
London Team
Amy Stocking, Project Manager: Leaping Forward for Dementia, London
Amy joined Froglife in October 2022 as Project Manager for the Leaping Forward for Dementia project in London. Amy has a variety of experience engaging with communities of all ages. Prior to this role she spent 8 years working for community libraries, facilitating library events and teaching digital skills to older people. She has also worked as a primary school teacher.
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She owes her love for wildlife to her parents, who would walk her through their local nature reserve every Saturday on their way to visit her grandparents, as well as her shy, rescue dog Pip, who she likes to walk (on a lead!) in wild spaces, at dusk (when you can spot the really good wildlife!).
Her favourite amphibian is the warty and magnificent common toad!
Kelvin Shewry, London Blue Chain Project Manager
Kelvin joined Froglife in November 2022 as the London Blue Chain project manager.
Over the last 5+ years Kelvin has enjoyed working hard to protect, enhance and promote some of the wonderful green and blue spaces across South London. From opening up eel habitat on the River Wandle to contributing to the declaration of the South London Downs National Nature Reserve, the experiences have been rich and varied, reflecting the diversity of the London landscape. Connecting people with their local natural surroundings has never been more important and is an ambition Kelvin cares a lot about.
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When he’s not to be found in London Kelvin enjoys cycling and swimming his way around Great Britain, always keeping an eye out for our ‘common’ toads that are particularly uncommon in London and the South East.
Midlands Team
Christina Nijjar, Coalface to Wildspace 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, Coalface to Wildspace 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
James Stead, Come Forth for Wildlife Project Manager
James joined Froglife mid-way through the Living Water project in July 2012, but was just in time to start working on Phase 2 of the project. He also worked as the Project Officer for the Scottish Dragon Finder project based in Stirling, but is now the Come Forth for Wildlife Project Manager. James originally studied at the Newton Rigg campus and graduated with a BSc Honours degree in Animal Conservation Science.
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Louise Smith, Development Officer
Louise joined the Froglife team in January 2017 as the Learning Officer working on the Green Pathways project based in the Glasgow Office. Louise is also the Learning Officer for the Green Pathways for Life Project. 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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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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Sussex Team
Will Johanson, Discovering Dewponds Project Manager
Will joined Froglife in April 2022 as the Discovering Dewponds project trainee and in 2023 became the project’s Manager.
Will graduated from the University of Kent with a BSc in Anthropology, where he was fascinated to explore the relationships between people and nature across the world. He has held a lifelong passion for wildlife and wild spaces and is enthusiastic about sharing this with others, having experience working in the outdoor activity sector and volunteering with Lewes Railway Land Wildlife Trust.
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Will is lucky to have grown up around the South Downs and is privileged to be part of a project making a positive difference for the reptiles, amphibians and communities living within this amazing landscape. His favourite native reptile is the water-loving grass snake!
Yorkshire Team
Darren Starkey, Operations Manager: Small Projects
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 the 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 & Admin Officer
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, Operations Manager
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) Operations Manager.
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Researchers
Michael Hartup, Intern
Michael joined Froglife in 2013 through an internship funded by the Peoples Trust for Endangered Species to investigate small wildlife road tunnels using automated camera systems. Michael has a background in broadcast engineering, and worked for BBC Outside Broadcasts for over ten years. He guaranteed television facilities for some of Europe’s largest live events for Sky, ITV, ESPN and the BBC before moving to special camera projects.
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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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