Wild Stewards
The Wild Stewards programme places young people into paid, key decision-making roles in active nature recovery projects for one year. Wild Stewards receive seminar and training opportunities as well as operational support, informal mentorship, and regular in-person meet ups. Below is our first legendary cohort of Wild Stewards!
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Pari Balu
Pari is a Wild Steward at Hepple Wilds in Northumberland. As an MBiol Zoology student and aspiring environmental lawyer, Pari is excited to work on the beautiful site of Hepple for some hands-on and impactful conservation projects and documenting it as she goes.
Harvey Carter
Harvey is a Wild Steward at The Grange project in Wales. He is mad about anything trees and rewilding so getting to work on The Grange Project is something of a dream come true. He's keen to design a process-lead strategy that creates value for wildlife and people as the project grows over time.
Lucy Ingham
Lucy is a Wild Steward at Hepple Wilds. She graduated in 2023 with a Masters in Conservation and Ecosystem Management and landed her first job in the conservation sector working as a Peatland Conservation Assistant with Northumberland Wildlife Trust. She spends her free time foraging, exploring nature in her local area and journaling her favourite finds. Lucy has a goal to one day manage her own plot of land in Northumberland, using traditional farming methods to create a varied landscape rich in biodiversity. As a Young Steward she will learn to listen to the land and understand what it requires from her to enable nature to flourish and is excited to contribute to the management of Hepple Estate, a beautiful area in the Coquet valley spanning from the river basin to the fells of Simonside.
Conor McNeil
Conor is a Wild Steward at Maple Farm. Surrey born and bred; he is a Countryside Ranger for the National Trust in the Surrey Hills. After graduating in Environmental Science, he headed into rural estate management. Some of his key objectives in the industry are to help immerse a more diverse community into the natural world, as well as, facilitate and encourage a synergy between humankind and nature of which today's society has strayed so far from. A keen forager, homesteader and scuba diver, on the weekends I like to tend to my beehives or stravaig the sticks. Feeling blessed to be assigned as the Wild Steward for Maple Farm, I now have an excuse to visit, work, learn from and stay on the site more often! Thoroughly look forward to aiding in the progression and a greater regional connectivity of Maple Farm, all while meeting more of the wonderful people the space brings together when hosting an iconic Youngwilders volunteer day or weekend event!
Dani Moss
Dani is a Wild Steward at Maple Farm. They have a long-standing passion for ecology, but is especially interested in botany. Following their traineeship with the London Wildlife Trust earlier on this year, they are eager to experience more of the nature recovery world. Dani is excited to join the Youngwilders team in their new role as Wild Steward at Maple Farm. They are especially looking forward to connecting with other young people and sharing their love for wildlife conservation.
Jack Rees
Jack is a Wild Steward at The Grange Project. When Jack was growing up in Wales he wanted to be a biologist or a zookeeper, but ended up studying economics and working in digital marketing. While working in Brazil, he saw the tragic effects of climate change on the Amazon Rainforest and knew he had to change paths. Jack is interested in how nature and stories about nature influence culture and behaviour. Now he wants to use his communications and ecology skills to build the Rewilding movement among young people, especially in Wales.
Kimie Roberts-Taira
Kimie is a Wild Steward at Pounce Hall. Primary school teacher by day, side quests of cooking, baking and painting by night, Kimie is MEGA excited to start her rewilding journey as a wild steward to use her love of nature for some good. Bring it on!!
Abi Tomlinson
Abi is a Wild Steward at Pounce Hall. She is currently in her second year at uni studying History and French. She's really interested in environmental history, which considers the ways in which people have related to and interacted with nature in the past, although her interest for rewilding in particular was sparked recently when she watched the 2023 Documentary ‘Wilding’. Abi is really excited to get started as a Wild Steward and help out with nature restoration at Pounce Hall, to connect personally with the natural world and to contribute towards the recovery of biodiversity in our countryside more generally.
Join us!
