Innovative mammal conservation
Katherine joined the Trust in June 2023 as Carnivore Conservation Officer. Childhood holidays in Scotland stirred up a passion for the natural world and she later completed her undergraduate degree in Animal Behaviour at Liverpool John Moores University before going on to complete her Master’s degree in Conservation Biology at Manchester Metropolitan University. Before moving into ecological consultancy, Katherine joined Cheshire Wildlife Trust as a trainee officer based in Delamere Forest, alongside other volunteer roles. During her time in consultancy she gained several years of experience in protected species surveying and mitigation and worked on a variety of projects from small developments to national infrastructure schemes. Office: Ledbury.
Max joined the team as Wildcat Project Officer in 2023.
Following childhood aspirations to become a “Geordie Steve Irwin”, Max started out volunteering on local conservation projects in the North East before receiving a bachelor’s in biology at Newcastle University.
After traveling abroad to study crocodilian endocrinology in his second and third years, he joined a Master’s programme in the US to study the reproductive health of crocodilian populations exposed to anabolic steroids and DDT.
Alongside his research, he worked to engage local people with environmental projects at an environmental field station in New Orleans and developed a keen interest in community-led environmental action.
Since then, Max has worked to support a variety of Welsh community-led environmental projects and to establish a housing co-operative for new-entrant farmers in Carmarthenshire. Office: Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.
Cathy joined VWT in December 2023 as Barbastelle Conservation Officer for Pembrokeshire. Cathy’s role has emerged from the collaborative Natur Am Byth! project, which is dedicated to monitoring and supporting some of Wales’ rarest species. Cathy completed her BA in Anthropology in 2021, with environmental anthropology being a key interest of her degree. She has been a keen wildlife conservation and rescue volunteer for many years, volunteering locally and abroad in Africa and Central America with a particular background in the rehabilitation of injured and orphaned birds. She has also completed the BCT training in hands-on bat care. Office: Narberth, Pembrokeshire.
