Natalie Holt Email & Phone Number

Exe Estuary, Labrador Bay, Ashill And North Devon Reserves

I manage 9 nature reserves and the RSPB shop at Darts Farm. The Exe Estuary reserves comprise 5 nature reserves: Exminster Marshes, Powderham Marsh, Matford Marsh, Bowling Green Marsh and Goosemoor. I am also responsible for Labrador Bay and Ashill near Teignmouth, and Chapel Wood and Isley Marsh in North Devon. I manage a geographically spread team of 12 staff, 3 trainees and c100 volunteers.The Exe Estuary reserves are predominantly coastal grazing marsh/ lowland wet grassland reserves, which are most of which are designated SSSI and SPA habitats. The reserves are important in the context of the whole estuary, where more than 30,000 wintering waders and wildfowl come to feed and rest each winter, including internationally significant numbers of species including avocet and black-tailed godwit. The Exminster and Powderham Marshes reserves are also important as they hold the last stronghold of breeding lapwing in Devon.The Labrador Bay and Ashill reserves are managed for the red-listed cirl bunting and associated arable plants and farmland birds. These are mixed farm landscapes of spring-sown barley crops providing winter seed source and invertebrate-rich grasslands.Recent successes:- Installation of two anti-predator fences for breeding waders, seeing productivity increase to 2.11 chicks per pair in 2023 from 0.4- Snagging of lagoon extension and new scrapes 2020-21- Replacement of Exminster viewing platform- Securing new farming tenants for two key breeding wader areas on Exminster and Powderham Marshes (2024 start)- Securing new farming tenant for RSPB Ashill (2024 start)- Securing new countryside stewardship schemes for the Exe Estuary an Ashill reserves (2023-2024)Current projects:- Saving Devon's Lapwing - to increase Devon's last stronghold of breeding lapwing from 16 pairs- Bowling Green Marsh - a sustainable future- Exe estuary lower catchment partnership - looking at climate change adaptation on a landscape scale with partners

West And North Dorset

Countryside Manager for 27 dispersed and diverse National Trust landholdings in North and West Dorset- from the Devon border in Lyme Regis across to the Purbecks, and North into Cranborne Chase and Wiltshire. I held the oversight of the special countryside places in our care, making improvements where possible and inspiring visitors about what we do and why our special places are important. I managed sites with multiple ecological, historical and geomorphological designations and interest features, and worked across a diverse range of habitats. I led the work to set up work programmes to deliver the Trust's Land Outdoors and Nature strategy.I led a team of 20 staff and over 150 volunteers spread across seven bases. In this role I was a co-author of a structural (people) review to bring changes to maximise efficiency.Key successes:- In 2019 I managed the rechalking of the Cerne Abbas Giant, a project that saw 329 individuals give 1819 hours over 10 working days. My project management skills and community approach ensured the rechalking was successful, and the relationship with my team was also strengthened because I got stuck in with the practical work as well as leading the media response which allowed them to concentrate on the practical work.

South Essex And Wallasea Island Reserves

Management of 8 nature reserves covering 15km²; the suite of South Essex reserves near Basildon, and the flagship Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project. I also managed a visitor centre on the Wat Tyler Country Park, and was responsible for a team of 9 staff and c.100 volunteers.This role involved a multitude of operational areas including: workforce management and leadership, risk management and legal compliance, project management, working with tenant farmers, working with statutory agencies and local bodies, overseeing health and safety management and budget management.Successes included:- Completing delivery of a £190k+ project of wetland improvement works on West Canvey Marsh funded by the landfill tax distributor WREN (earthworks, electric predator fencing, electric pumps, installation of water management control structures, new viewing mounds and screens). This involved every step of project management from concept through designs, funding applications, planning permissions, tendering and procurement, contract management, defect corrections, financial administration and funding reports.- The successful breaching of the sea wall around the new Jubilee Marsh on Wallasea Island, and a fantastic celebration event attended by EU Commissioner Vella and Rory Stewart MP DEFRA minister- Changing farming arrangements to provide suitable grazing arrangements on the reserves to improve habitat condition

Dungeness And Lydden Valley Reserves

Key achievements:• Developing Dungeness’s risk management system, contributing to the development of a national risk management approach.• Overhauling health and safety practices to ensure best practice and compliance, and instilling a health and safety conscious culture• Setting up the Kent Internship Programme.• Revising and streamlining the reserve monitoring programme.• Contributing to the production of the Dungeness Management Plan 2013-18, and writing annual reports.• Distilling top-level management plan objectives into implementation plans.• Altering poor grazier practice to reach compliance• Managing installation and ongoing management of an anti-predator fence for breeding wadersAreas of responsibility:• Line management of two Assistant Wardens, two residential volunteer interns, and over 25 day volunteers• Duty manager in the visitor centre and shop as required• All routine management at Dungeness RSPB, including habitat, livestock, infrastructure and vehicle and machinery management and budget associated with this work• Project management at RSPB Dungeness, including the Dungeness Re-tern project.• Implementation of all legal and health and safety compliance matters at Dungeness.• Producing annual reports and risk registers

Elmley Marshes (North Kent Reserves)

Minsmere Nature Reserve

Exe Estuary And Aylesbeare Common Reserves

Near Maidstone, Kent

Bachelor’S Degree, Environmental Science, 2:1

Activities and Societies: Environmental Sciences Student Society Secretary 2007-2008, SU Duke of Edinburgh's Award Society co-founder.

A2: Geography (A), Biology (B), French (B), General Studies (B); As: English Lit (B), Statistics (B)

Activities and Societies: Piano 1995-2004; Tennis 2000 onwards; Volunteer Young Leader (Brownies) 2002-2008