Committed To
Conservation

With over 25 years of experience as an environmental scientist, ecological consultant, health and safety practitioner, and environmental communicator, Ian now leads HAR, supported by a dedicated team and international associates. Passionate about addressing the growing biodiversity and climate crises, Ian brings a broad skill set to HAR, from technical expertise to leadership, business management, and project execution. He actively drives and engages in support and funding for large-scale habitat restoration projects through effective communication, networking, and collaboration with industry partners, government agencies, charities, and local community groups.

As Principal Ecologist, Helen brings expertise in island restoration, biodiversity monitoring, ornithology and invasive mammalian species management to HAR. She supports the design, delivery, and evaluation of island restoration projects, with a particular focus on effective biodiversity monitoring, minimising risk to non-target species and translating evidence into practical conservation action. Her experience spans the UK, New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific, including rodent eradications and biodiversity monitoring on Lord Howe Island, non-target species mitigation and avicultural care during the during the Midway Atoll Seabird Protection Project and in the Galápagos, and post-eradication biodiversity and environmental monitoring on Late Island, Tonga and in the Rock Islands of Palau. Helen is driven by a love of islands, seabirds and wild places, and by the extraordinary, multi-faceted recovery she has witnessed on islands following the removal of invasive species. She is passionate about restoring resilient ecosystems, helping threatened species recover and creating lasting benefits for wildlife and people.

With over 10 years of experience in island restoration, Lydia serves as HAR’s Restoration Ecologist and Field Manager, bringing conservation plans to life. She has worked on invasive species eradication projects across the UK, the Caribbean, and New Zealand, contributing to protecting fragile ecosystems. Lydia is highly skilled in biosecurity and incursion response, ensuring restored environments remain free of invasive threats. She is particularly passionate about tracking and detecting small mammals, a skill she enjoys sharing with local communities and fellow conservationists.

As HAR’s Lead Restoration Ecologist, Ed brings over a decade of experience in invasive species control and eradication. Having contributed to six major eradication projects in locations such as the UK, New Zealand, and the Caribbean, Ed’s work has had significant impacts on restoring vulnerable ecosystems. A lover of the outdoors, Ed often captures stunning imagery and footage in some of the most remote and wild areas where his work takes him, sharing the beauty and importance of these landscapes with others.

Samantha’s role at HAR is multi-disciplinary, combining project management, community engagement, and creative input. A graduate of Schumacher College with a Master’s in Ecological Design Thinking, Samantha has integrated holistic ecological practices into restoration projects across the globe, from the Peruvian Amazon to Kenya and the Highlands of Scotland. At HAR, she brings her expertise in project management and community involvement to balance marine and land ecosystems through seabird habitat restoration.

Will Brown, HAR’s GIS expert, is just as comfortable crunching spatial data as he is working in Britain’s rugged landscapes. After a decade designing products for global brands, Will redirected his career, earning a Master’s in Environmental Management and Conservation at the University of Stirling. He has developed models for landscape preferences in Cairngorms National Park and invasive species management in Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park. Will is passionate about restoring ecological processes and exploring innovative methods to monitor large-scale environmental changes through remote sensing.

Hannah has over a decade of experience in canine training and behaviour, with recent years focused on detection work in the conservation sector. She places the dogs’ health and welfare at the heart of her work, ensuring they are supported and advocated for throughout their working lives. Her professional practice combines structured planning with practical support for handlers. She develops dog‑specific training plans that align with operational objectives, underpinned by precise record‑keeping and clear documentation. She is committed to continually improving her skillset as both a handler and trainer, adapting her approach when presented with new challenges and refining methods to meet the needs of the operational work environment.
Her involvement in conservation projects has provided valuable opportunities for professional development. These experiences have enabled her to refine training methods and handler skillsets, while building a greater understanding of how best to support handlers in the field.

Niamh is one of HAR’s Consultant Restoration Ecologists, supporting the design and delivery of HAR’s seabird habitat restoration projects. Niamh is extremely passionate about seabird conservation and brings to the team a wealth of seabird knowledge and monitoring skills, as well as experience in invasive species management and island habitat restoration. After graduating with a MSc in Applied Ecology and Conservation from the University of East Anglia, Niamh worked at the Rathlin West Light Seabird Centre on Rathlin Island in Northern Ireland. She also volunteered with the LIFE Raft Project, a conservation project aiming to protect Rathlin’s seabird colonies by eradicating invasive non-native predators. After Rathlin, Niamh spent two years working as Alderney Wildlife Trust’s Ramsar Ecologist on Alderney in the Channel Islands, undertaking seabird productivity and population counts for several species, assisting with marine surveys and leading boat tours. Niamh is happiest doing fieldwork on islands and is driven by a desire to have a positive impact on our important seabird populations.

Jura MacMillan is one of HAR’s Restoration Ecologists. A geography graduate from the University of Glasgow, Jura has developed her environmental career working in nature restoration and land management. Jura is highly skilled in managing large-scale environmental restoration initiatives, bringing experience in the design and implementation of peatland restoration projects across Scotland. Working in predator control and seabird monitoring in New Zealand, and seagrass restoration in Scotland, she is passionate about protecting remote coastal environments.

Ben has a background in environmental applications of remote sensing and GIS. After completing his BSc in Environmental Geography, he went on to study MSc Earth Observation and Geoinformation Management. Ben’s dissertation focussed on Scottish temperate rainforest restoration, combining his passion for fieldwork and spatial analysis to provide habitat management solutions for one of the UK’s most threatened ecosystems. At HAR, Ben uses these skills to help the team both in the field and in the office.

Passionate about rewilding and all things marine, Sophie specialises in seaweeds and their role in supporting healthy ecosystems. With a scientific background in coastal ecology, Sophie’s research has focused on the resilience of Scottish seaweed communities to increasing environmental stressors. Following work on ecological restoration and sustainability projects in New Zealand, Sophie now combines her field experience and marine science expertise to support habitat restoration projects with HAR. She brings perspective on the underwater foundation of marine food webs and how they support the seabird species HAR strives to protect.

Josie is an Assistant Restoration Ecologist at HAR. She has a MSc in Marine Systems and Policy from the University of Edinburgh and a BSc/Ba in Biology and Music from Bath Spa University. She brings experience in RStudio, big data analysis and ecological research. She is a qualified Divemaster and has field experience working with cetaceans, coral habitats, and subtropical terrestrial environments. At HAR, she aims to bridge fieldwork and data driven insight to help deliver restoration strategies grounded in robust ecological evidence. With a background in marine science and her experience working in various places around the world she is very excited to be part of HAR.

Kirsty Tapp is one of HAR’s committed Restoration Ecologists. She began her career in the environmental sector working in woodland management and government advisory roles before completing a BSc in Wildlife and Conservation Management at the University of Glasgow. Kirsty has developed broad, hands-on experience across the UK, including habitat management, conservation forestry, wildlife surveying, and stakeholder engagement. She has previously worked as a contractor with HAR, supporting the delivery of projects in remote and challenging environments, including seabird monitoring in Orkney, invasive species management, and the collection of environmental DNA samples for laboratory analysis. Passionate about protecting and restoring natural ecosystems, Kirsty brings a practical, solutions-focused approach to conservation work and is committed to delivering effective, field-based outcomes.

Matt brings experience from a 20-year career with wildlife that has led him to Australia, South Africa and the UK, before calling the Channel Islands home. His work has spanned commercial, academic, public and non-profit sectors, with experience in conservation, education, ornithology and invasive species management. Currently leading on restoration projects in the Channel Islands, Matt takes a proactive approach to communication, planning and delivery, to empower teams to operate safely and effectively. He believes sincerely in finding solutions that work for both people and the natural world, along with HAR’s mission to protect and restore seabirds; ensuring the history of the Great Auk’s extinction serves as a vital reminder of the importance of seabird conservation.