OUR CAMPAIGN

This is a youth campaign dedicated to protecting ancient woodlands. Our goal is to change the law to ensure that these precious ecosystems are given ultimate protection. We were originally funded by the Woodland Trust’s Youth Igniting Innovation Fund and are looking for further funding opportunities.

We are a passionate team of young people who care about the environment and are committed to making a difference. Our campaign is based on scientific research and a deep understanding of the importance of ancient woodlands for wildlife and biodiversity. Join us to protect these irreplaceable natural treasures for generations to come.

Meet the Team

Chair, Founder & Campaigns

Lucy Grabe-Watson (she/her)

Lucy is an environmental campaigner and forest school leader. She loves connecting people of all ages with nature and seeing the mental and physical health it provides. She has previously campaigned on issues around access to green spaces and sewage pollution. Lucy was inspired to start this campaign by her love of ancient trees and woodlands and concern about their ongoing loss in the UK. She believes that young people can be a powerful voice for change on environmental issues. Her talent allows her to work in all areas of the campaign.

Co-founder & Vice Chair, Brand & Communications

Katie Thompson

Having graduated with an MA in Wildlife Documentary Production, Katie is a wildlife storyteller with a wide range of experience, including events, communications and conservation. She's passionate about how events and communications can aid and educate on environmental issues to inspire social and political change. She strongly believe in the power of young voices and community to create meaningful differences in society.
Her goal is to increase the representation of LGBTQ+ women in the conservation and media landscape.

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Head of Land Management

Joseph Bristow

Joseph is a woodland ranger by trade. When he is not restoring native woodlands, he creates educational videos, reads about trees, goes on runs and fungi spotting walks. He also runs nature workshops with his own business and for Ancient Woodlands UK. He focuses on informative content creation, event planning and leads the practical-based research of the bill.

Head of Fundraising

Emily Napier (she/her)

Emily is currently a Fundraising Coordinator for an environmental charity and has always had a passion for the environment. At University, she studied Liberal Arts, focusing on eco-justice, sustainability and sociology. Emily enjoys volunteering for a range of different campaigning groups many of which are empowering young voices in her free time. Within Ancient Woodlands UK she helps with research and fundraising.

Research Assistant & Ambassador

Georgie Stephens

Georgia is an ecologist by trade, currently travelling in British Columbia, Canada. When she’s not surveying protected species, she enjoys hiking, camping and spotting lichens wherever she can. She is skilled in content creation and is currently leading our political research to assist our lawyer.

Conservation Illustrator

Lucy Pickett (she/her)

Lucy is an illustrator and small business owner based in London. Despite her urban location, she is a nature lover at heart and creates illustrated prints, cards, home-ware and original artwork celebrating wildlife and conservation from her little garden studio. She is passionate about the protection of endangered species and areas in the UK so, by working with charities such as The Woodland Trust, has an online shop and illustration portfolio to helps to support our beautiful wildlife.

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Education and Communciations Officer

Rose Meadows (She/her)

Having graduated with an MSc in Geoscience in 2022, Rose began working with the Icelandic forestry service undertaking direct conservation work and starting her conservation journey. She is a keen environmental advocate and currently works full time at the National Centre for Earth Observation. Rose strongly believes in the role of communication, outreach and engagement in supporting wider policy change and ultimately conservation wins. Her goal is to support conservation efforts in whatever way she can, as a keen birder and all-round naturalist ecosystem function is at the core of what she does.

Education and Communciations Officer

Rob Knott

Ambassador

Isabelle (She/her) and Cooper 🐶

Isabelle is planning to become an ecologist, currently studying biology, chemistry, and geography. Her passion for the environment drives her to learn about ecosystems, conservation, and sustainability. She is particularly interested in how different species interact with their habitats and the impact of human activities on natural resources. She wants to use her knowledge to contribute to the protection and restoration of ecosystems, advocate for environmental policies, and promote awareness about the importance of preserving our planet for future generations.

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Ambassador

Jaleel Tapper-Gray (he/him)

Jaleel is a content creator with a passion for exploring the outdoors. A lover of quiet woodlands, hidden streams and blue skies, he strives for a world where nature and people are considered one and the same. His focus is on bringing more eyes to the campaign, through content strategy, content creation, and SEO.

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Ambassador

Sushant Bali (he/him)

Sushant lives in London and works as a Waste Minimisation Officer for one of the city's councils. He has been a part of several citizen-led environmental campaigns in India and now is a part of our team. He has organised various woodland restoration projects. He loves volunteering for nature conservation projects and researching on native biodiversity. He believes and wishes that considering the effects of climate change around the world, all natural areas should have complete legal protection and other human utility areas should be managed in an environmentally sustainable manner.