Darwin Plus Advisory Group

Introduction

The Darwin Plus Advisory Group is one of the Biodiversity Challenge Funds Advisory Groups, and further information for these groups can be found on the Resources for Advisory Group Members page.

The Darwin Plus Advisory Group consists of a range of experts from government, academia, science and the private sector. The group advises ministers on development of the initiative, reviews applications and makes recommendations to ministers on applications for funding.

Membership

Chair

Howard Nelson

Howard Nelson is a Trinidadian ecologist and wildlife biologist with expertise in island ecology, sustainable natural resource use and the science-policy interface of protected areas, wildlife management and forestry. In 2019, he joined Fauna & Flora as a lecturer on the MPhil degree in Conservation Leadership at the University of Cambridge.

Members with UKOT knowledge or experience

Colin Clubbe

Colin is a botanist with more than 30 years' experience working on the conservation of island floras. For the past 20+ years he has focused much of his time working with partners in the UK Overseas Territories and has had the opportunity to visit and/or work in most of them. His expertise covers plant inventory and monitoring, conservation assessments, invasive species, and helping Governments and other national or local entities to develop conservation strategies and policy. He has helped develop and implement capacity building programmes for many territories.

Debbie Pain

Debbie has worked in conservation science and delivery with NGOs and universities for the last 40 years. She has managed teams delivering science capacity building, conservation, and integrated conservation and development projects in the UK Overseas Territories, Europe, Africa, Asia and Central and South America. She has particular expertise in environmental toxicology and in diagnosing causes of population declines and finding solutions.

Jonathan Hall

Jonathan worked in partnerships across the UK Overseas Territories for 13 years, visiting 10 of them in person. His focal areas included marine conservation (sustainable fisheries and Marine Protected Areas), invasive alien species (from biosecurity to large-scale eradication management), species and habitat conservation projects, UKOT environmental policy and civil society capacity-building. In that time he also worked on, or oversaw the implementation of, over 10 Darwin Initiative and Darwin Plus projects working in the UKOTs. Jonathan currently works for Conservation International.

Laura Sinclair Willis

Laura is the incumbent CEO of a UK Overseas Territory government and her expertise is in UKOT governance, policy and operations. Her interest is in understanding and assessing how projects can deliver their aims in territories with very real knowledge and capacity constraints. Laura’s background is primarily in environments that are either extremely remote, or that are recovering from natural disasters or active conflict.

Lee Hardy

Lee undertook a long operationally focused career in the Royal Navy. Latterly he led a UK Overseas Territory and subsequently advised on maritime matters for the Overseas Territories Directorate within the FCO (now FCDO). Now, he is closely engaged in the Blue Economy and is committed to countering illegality at sea, particularly in relation to fishing and that which is harmful to the marine environment.

Nancy Pascoe

Nancy was born and raised in the British Virgin Islands, with 25 years of experience in protected area management and biodiversity research across multiple taxa in the marine and terrestrial environment. She is an active user of GIS for conservation management, creator of environmental education materials for the BVI and keen mentor for students and individuals within environmental organisations. Nancy currently works for the Government of BVI.

Sarah Havery

Sarah is a passionate conservationist with expertise in project development and management, partnership development and facilitation of island restoration efforts. She has experience working on islands with partners in the South Atlantic, North Atlantic, Pacific, Indian Ocean and in the Caribbean. She has worked as part of the RSPB’s UK Overseas Territories programme since 2014, with a focus on species recovery efforts as well as implementing priority work for terrestrial sites, partner development and policy & advocacy.

Tara Jane Sutcliffe

Tara brings experience of having led a conservation body on St Helena as well as having worked in partnership across the wider family of UK Overseas Territories to strengthen governance and enhance public financial management. These are skills she employs as a trustee of several conservation charities and as a member of the Council of the National Trust. With a talent for project management, Tara also headed up the Chevening Secretariat - leading a team of 50 to deliver the FCDO's flagship international scholarship programme.

Ex-officio members

Amanda Gregory

Amanda is an experienced and senior team leader with more than 20 years' experience throughout the EU, Caribbean and Southern Atlantic, and on projects working with the UK Overseas Territories (over 13 years). With in-depth knowledge of biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation and mitigation and sustainability management, Amanda has significant experience in strategic sector policies and orientation. She has extensive experience in the evaluation and monitoring of cooperation projects across a range of funders and donors, including extensive experience of EU working. Amanda currently works at the Joint Nature Conservation Committee.

Ed McManus

Ed has worked in marine science for 20 years, and currently works at the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science. His career started in fisheries management in temperate, tropical and polar regions working closely with fishing communities. He has extension experience working on biodiversity conservation and capacity building programmes, and working with countries in relation to their commitments to Marine Protected Areas targets and reporting, and he has also worked on MPA management measures in the Wider Caribbean.

Sara Barrios

Sara is a Conservation Partnership Coordinator for the UK Overseas Territories at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. With a degree in Biology and MSc on Plant Diversity, her main role is to develop and support plant conservation activities across the Overseas Territories. She has experience in developing and maintaining botanical databases, assessing the conservation status of native plant species for incorporation into the IUCN Red List, and providing evidence for ex situ and in situ conservation priorities. Sara undertakes fieldwork in the territories to enable knowledge gaps to be filled and provide training and support for project partners, and has a particular interest in Caribbean flora.

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)