Dr Samuel Sinclair

Sam has more than a decade of experience in biodiversity conservation. He specialises in biodiversity decision making with a key focus on policy and governance, and has published on conservation planning, social research and no net loss. He founded Biodiversify with Mike in 2018 and has been working at the forefront of biodiversity sustainability ever since. Through our work, he has applied his doctoral research to develop social processes that help stakeholders make robust decisions about their relationship with biodiversity. He has applied this expertise to a spectrum of contexts, from developing the largest ever natural capital plan in England, to developing corporate biodiversity strategies and informing the design of a 5km2 reservoir in Lincolnshire.

Dr Michael Burgass

Michael has twelve years’ experience in conservation science and project management for the private sector, academia and NGOs. Michael has widespread experience in project management, field survey design and management, report writing, environmental audit, Strategic Environmental Assessment, Environmental and Social Impact Assessment and policy and governance review for a wide range of high-profile clients globally. His technical specialities involve monitoring and managing biodiversity at large scales, and he is actively involved in initiatives to better link scientific practice to biodiversity indicators in the corporate sector as well as how to build biodiversity and nature into corporate accounting.

Michael leads Biodiversify’s work streams in the delivery of biodiversity assessments for corporate clients.  As part of these projects, Biodiversify has developed and tested different methodologies and approaches. Michael has been researching nature-positive concepts as a researcher and together with the team at Oxford University, led Biodiversify’s input in the Conservation Hierarchy project, which went on to inspire the creation of the SBTN’s AR3T Framework. As such, Michael has been a key member of the Science Based Targets for Nature Ocean Hub and led Biodiversify’s input into the Corporate Engagement Program. He has an in-depth knowledge of international regulations and policies on biodiversity and specialises in the design and use of biodiversity indicators.

Dr Cecilia Larrosa

Cecilia has a wide variety of experience working in conservation, including teaching, NGO and consultancy jobs. During the past years she has developed highly technical skills in researching the intersection between the dynamic nature of systems and spatial conservation planning.  Her work lies in the intersection between predictive science, resource allocation and national policies, with the main objective of planning for sustainable landscapes at regional and large scales.

Brendan Costelloe

Brendan joined us from Defra, where he was a non-political expert advisor to the Secretary of State, spanning a broad range of issues, including the Environment Act targets, Local Nature Recovery Strategies, Environmental Land Managment and biodiversity net-gain.

He has previously worked for the RSPB and the British Ecological Society, where he oversaw a comprehensive report on the potential of different habitats to contribute to climate mitigation, climate adaptation, and biodiversity conservation. Brendan has also published work on the use of the Red List Index and Living Planet Index to inform policy choices and has extensive knowledge of the planning system, having started his career as a planner.

In his spare time, Brendan likes to watch nature, which is a relaxing antidote to watching football (especially Cheltenham Town).

Dr Julia Haywood

Julia has nine years’ experience in ecological conservation, including academic research, field work, and teaching. Julia specialises in large scale spatial ecology aimed to help inform conservation management, with an interest in determining the spatial overlap of nature and human activities as well as the impact of a changing climate. Julia’s career has allowed her to work around the world for NGOs, the private sector, and academia, with the majority of work conducted in the Mediterranean. During her Masters and doctoral research, Julia developed highly technical skills in mapping and data analysis used to investigate spatial ecology and inform spatial planning.

Daisy Snook

Daisy has a keen interest in UK ecology, with a passion for avian conservation. This knowledge has been established through her recent MSc in Environmental Leadership and Management, specialising in Sustainable Ecosystems. The focus of her work was implementing Systematic Conservation Plans within the context of the UK, where her interest in integrating different stakeholder knowledges into conservation plans blossomed. Her Geography BSc and voluntary work with conservation NGOs have given additional foundation to her enthusiasm for environmental conservation. At Biodiversify, Daisy has focused on the fashion industry and has developed Climate and Biodiversity Strategies for the sector

Dr Mirjam Hazenbosch

Mirjam is an interdisciplinary conservationist. She specialises in sustainable agriculture, trying to find answers to the question of how we can provide everyone with the food and clothing they need while safeguarding the environment. In her work, Mirjam collaborates with farmers, companies, academics and NGOs. She has used a wide variety of approaches to find answers to her question, ranging from measuring ecosystem services to conducting social network analyses to collaborating on a participatory photography project to doing spatial risk analyses – and is always keen to learn and explore new methods. Mirjam has lived and worked in The Netherlands, England, USA, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, and speaks Dutch, English and Tok Pisin fluently.

Holly Pike

Holly has a degree in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation and, through her industry year, has gained a variety of experience from terrestrial conservation research in Greece, to wildlife rehabilitation in Canada. Her passion for conservation led her to undertake an MSc in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Environmental Management, allowing her to apply her ecological knowledge in a more practical way.   Holly’s current master’s thesis focuses on comparing UK woodland establishment techniques by using LiDAR. Her most recent work experience was working on creating a woodland opportunity map for Sussex, allowing local expert knowledge to be combined to prioritise woodland establishment efforts

Sara Kenny

Sara joined Biodiversify in 2022 as our Communications Specialist. She has a BSc in Zoology and an MA in Human Rights and Political Science and draws on experience from both to inform her work. Sara has four years of experience in digital marketing and communications, having come from a background in the charity sector. Sara has also worked independently as a communications strategist and copywriter.

Sara is responsible for developing and delivering communications strategies that raise awareness of Biodiversify’s work and engages key audiences. This includes managing our social media channels, website content, and email newsletters, as well as developing marketing materials.

Sara is passionate about using her skills to support our efforts to see the recovery of nature and believes that effective and honest communication is key to achieving lasting change. In her spare time, she enjoys yoga, reading, and spending time with her family and friends.

Spencer Kellum

Spencer has extensive experience working with communities across the US, Canada, Europe and Southern Africa. He brings a deep understanding of what it takes to work with people and organisations to create lasting change for nature. Spencer studied Environmental Science at Saint Louis University and followed this with an MS in Geographic Information Systems from Eastern Michigan University.

His focus is on developing practical solutions to the most significant environmental challenges of our time: biodiversity loss, climate change, and natural resource degradation. Through roles with different organisations, including the US Geological Survey and The Stewardship Network, Spencer has worked on projects across a range of urban, natural, and agricultural systems. A self-described multitool, Spencer combines environmental knowledge, analytic skills, and management experience to understand and solve complex real-world problems.

Spencer joins Biodiversify after relocating from Michigan, United States, to Bangor, Wales, where he enjoys exploring the countryside with his wife and dog. Spencer works alongside our corporate and technical teams as a senior project manager to help develop and deliver nature-based solutions with clients.

Dan Oldham

Caitlin Schindler

Caitlin joined the Biodiversify team in February 2023 and brings a wide range of experience across biodiversity, sustainability, and human rights in supply chains. She holds a BSc(Hons) in Environmental Science from Queen’s University and an MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management from the University of Oxford.

Caitlin is passionate about improving the often fraught and complex supply chains of everyday products. From a brief stint in academia working with timber, she then moved into the private sector with a focus on seafood, and most recently worked for a wildlife charity on wild-harvested plant ingredients found in beauty products, food, drink, and medicine. Throughout her career, she’s become familiar with various certification schemes, standards, and market-based mechanisms for improving sustainability and working conditions, and hopes to continue driving these forward with Biodiversify.

Outside of work, Caitlin likes to balance her desk job with art-y pursuits like bread baking, pottery, yoga, and photography, alongside walking her dog(e) Katsu and searching for interesting plants, fungi, and marine life.