Lou Sykes

cd@afocusonnature.org

Hi everyone! I am really excited to have joined AFON as the new Creative Director. I work within the Rivers Trust movement designing and delivering river restoration projects as well as hosting catchment partnerships. I'm particularly interested in the big picture scenarios, working at landscape scale, and how we can get people to appreciate everything nature has to offer. When I'm not at work you can find me out and about exploring my local area or doodling in my sketchbook. I'm really looking forward to working with a great committee of young people and seeing what AFON can achieve in the next couple of years. 

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Laura Saunders

ad@afocusonnature.org

Hi there! I’m the Associate Director at AFON. After four years as the External Communications Officer for AFON I am excited to work alongside our Creative Director, Lou, to help AFON to continue to grow. I work as Lead Ecologist at an Environmental Consultancy firm, carrying out Ecology surveys, managing projects and helping to grow the small ecology department. I have worked on a variety of sites across the UK, including large-scale housing development schemes, infrastructure and small residential projects. I carry out a range of ecology surveys including ‘baseline’ habitat surveys and more specific species work such as Breeding and Wintering Bird, Bat, Reptile, Great Crested Newt, Otter, Water Vole, Dormouse, Badger and botanical surveys. My job is varied, with a mixture of survey work in the field and technical report writing, mapping, data analysis and project management, in the office. Outside of work I like to spend as much time outdoors as possible, enjoying nature. I am very lucky to live close to the Peak District, so most weekends you’ll find me hiking in the peaks! I also enjoy climbing, keeping active, and I’m currently attempting to learn to crochet.

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I have been passionate about wildlife, nature and conservation from a young age. I truly believe in the intrinsic value and importance of the natural world, and I am dedicated to the conservation of biodiversity, habitats and natural spaces. I am passionate about helping to increase accessibility to nature and break down the barriers to careers in the conservation and nature sector. AFON has come a long way over the past few years and I’m excited to see how much more it can grow, continually building a network to connect, support and inspire young people!

 

Connor Davies 

mentors@afocusonnature.org

Hey folks, I'm AFON's Careers & Mentoring Officer! I work in Bristol as a Youth Officer at Avon Wildlife Trust, helping restore a patch of brownfield land for nature in a project led by a group of local young people; and I'm also a Learning and Engagement Presenter at Bristol Zoo Project, delivering their public talks and education sessions. My passions are helping to increase engagement with, and access to, nature in young people - and trying to increase opportunities for young people to get involved with decision-making in conservation. This is why I’m so excited to be Careers & Mentoring Officer at AFON, helping to provide career resources and access to mentoring from incredible conservation professionals for young people across the UK! Getting into a green career can be a daunting prospect, so we want to take down some of the barriers around it and open it up to everybody!

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Outside of work, I host a podcast called Planty Planty Zoo Zoo with my partner, Steph - and I can usually be found with a pair of binoculars near a local green space!

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Daisy Gillman 

admin@afocusonnature.org

Hi! I'm Daisy and I am really excited to be joining the AFON team! I am currently studying MSc Agroecology at Harper Adams university. I'm particularly interested in farmland wildlife conservation, and I hope to work in this area in the future. I'm really looking forward to working with everyone on the team to continue AFON's network.​​​