Meet our operational team
A big batty welcome to our newest volunteer Jess!!
Jess Hall
….. xxx
….. xxx
Helen Miller
….. was inspired to get involved with bats through a biology club bat talk when studying for her BSc in zoology at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. As a result she chose to study the winter activity of the cape serotine bat in South Africa as her dissertation for her MSc in Wildlife Biology and Conservation from Napier University, Edinburgh. Helen then joined the Bat Conservation Trust and spent over 13 years with the trust in various roles including managing the training department, as Bechstein's bat project officer and woodland officer. Helen currently works for the Botanic Gardens Conservation International where she specialises in education and training projects but she is always keen to bring bats in wherever possible. In her spare time Helen is a licensed bat worker and a committee member of Essex bat group and an active member of London bat group.
….. was inspired to get involved with bats through a biology club bat talk when studying for her BSc in zoology at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. As a result she chose to study the winter activity of the cape serotine bat in South Africa as her dissertation for her MSc in Wildlife Biology and Conservation from Napier University, Edinburgh. Helen then joined the Bat Conservation Trust and spent over 13 years with the trust in various roles including managing the training department, as Bechstein's bat project officer and woodland officer. Helen currently works for the Botanic Gardens Conservation International where she specialises in education and training projects but she is always keen to bring bats in wherever possible. In her spare time Helen is a licensed bat worker and a committee member of Essex bat group and an active member of London bat group.
Our Founder
Rachael Cooper-Bohannon
...was born in Zambia and grew up in Zambia and South Africa and has lived in the UK for a number of years - studying (BSc in zoology at the University of Bristol) and completed her PhD titled: 'Assessing the distribution of bats in southern Africa to highlight conservation priorities' at the University of Stirling (Scotland) supervised by Dr Kirsty Park and Professor Gareth Jones at the University of Bristol (UK), with fantastic in-country support and southern African (and Portuguese) collaborators. Her fieldwork has taken her to remote and beautiful areas of South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. She currently lives in Malawi and she hopes to make a lasting impact on bat conservation in southern Africa, which was the main driver for founding Bats without Borders.
...was born in Zambia and grew up in Zambia and South Africa and has lived in the UK for a number of years - studying (BSc in zoology at the University of Bristol) and completed her PhD titled: 'Assessing the distribution of bats in southern Africa to highlight conservation priorities' at the University of Stirling (Scotland) supervised by Dr Kirsty Park and Professor Gareth Jones at the University of Bristol (UK), with fantastic in-country support and southern African (and Portuguese) collaborators. Her fieldwork has taken her to remote and beautiful areas of South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. She currently lives in Malawi and she hopes to make a lasting impact on bat conservation in southern Africa, which was the main driver for founding Bats without Borders.
|
Tell us something we wouldn't know about you from your photograph...
I am a relatively new vegan, dog mad, huge Fairtrade fan and love watching rugby! |
When you are out and about what do you enjoy doing?
Going for walks with my very mischievous dogs Blaise and Soma, finding new beautiful places to visit and spending time with family and friends! 
Meet Soma (on top) and Blaise!
|
What sparked your interest in bats?
From a young age my Dad instilled a love of nature in my brother and I - most of our family holidays were spent spotting wildlife in various national parks. Roll on years later...while at the University of Bristol doing my zoology degree I went on a 'bats, bugs and biodiversity' field trip with Professor Gareth Jones. Waiting to experience my first emergence watch, all the students lay down with our bat detectors at the ready - suddenly a stream of greater horseshoe bats flew over us on their way out to forage - from that moment I was hooked! |
What is your favourite quote?
Too many to choose... "The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” From the great legend himself - Madiba (Nelson Mandela) and for a funny quote I love: "laughing is like jogging on the inside"! (unknown) |
Fundraising team
Elaine Anderson
….. graduated from Edinburgh University with a BSc Hons in Conservation and Ecological Management in 2010. She is a highly motivated and hardworking mammal and botanical ecologist with experience of working across public, private and charity sectors. She has a passion for mammals, particularly bats (she is a licensed bat worker) and is being drawn further into the fascinating world of plants. In 2008 she led a student research expedition to Nepal where the team of Scottish and Nepalese students worked with local communities and rangers in Langtang National Park to form solutions to issues regarding human-wildlife conflict. Elaine takes a holistic approach to conservation matters, is dedicated to finding solutions to conservation issues and has a particular passion for helping people from all backgrounds to fall in love with wildlife and the environment. She is a volunteer fundraiser for Bats without Borders helping to coordinate fundraising activities and to promote its work.
….. graduated from Edinburgh University with a BSc Hons in Conservation and Ecological Management in 2010. She is a highly motivated and hardworking mammal and botanical ecologist with experience of working across public, private and charity sectors. She has a passion for mammals, particularly bats (she is a licensed bat worker) and is being drawn further into the fascinating world of plants. In 2008 she led a student research expedition to Nepal where the team of Scottish and Nepalese students worked with local communities and rangers in Langtang National Park to form solutions to issues regarding human-wildlife conflict. Elaine takes a holistic approach to conservation matters, is dedicated to finding solutions to conservation issues and has a particular passion for helping people from all backgrounds to fall in love with wildlife and the environment. She is a volunteer fundraiser for Bats without Borders helping to coordinate fundraising activities and to promote its work.
HelenTaylor-Boyd
..... has a passion for wildlife and conservation and is currently studying for a PhD on Bats in Agricultural Landscapes in her home country of Zambia with the University of Stirling working under Professor Kirsty Park and Dr Elisa Fuentes-Montemayor. As well as a fundraising volunteer with Bats without Borders, Helen is involved with bat work on the ground in Zambia on outreach, capacity building and collaborative research. In her spare time she enjoys crafts and makes the funky felt 'lavender bats' we have in our online shop to raise funds for the work we do!
..... has a passion for wildlife and conservation and is currently studying for a PhD on Bats in Agricultural Landscapes in her home country of Zambia with the University of Stirling working under Professor Kirsty Park and Dr Elisa Fuentes-Montemayor. As well as a fundraising volunteer with Bats without Borders, Helen is involved with bat work on the ground in Zambia on outreach, capacity building and collaborative research. In her spare time she enjoys crafts and makes the funky felt 'lavender bats' we have in our online shop to raise funds for the work we do!
Education team
Nicola Boulton
...has had a lifelong passion for wildlife, art, and conservation from a very young age. After graduating with a BSC (Hons) in Zoo Biology in 2011, she became a wildlife tour guide on the western coast of Scotland. She now currently works for 'Go To St Kilda' which takes guests from the Isle of Skye to the remote island of St Kilda, the UK and Europe's largest seabird colony and dual World Heritage Site. Nicola gets a real kick out of showing her guests the beauty of the natural world, and trying to instil how important conservation is in maintaining our natural world. Currently she is working on an education project for Bats without Borders by illustrating some of our iconic bats. Her inspiration comes from her own passion for wildlife and she hopes to get the next generation of wildlife lovers interested with her drawings!
...has had a lifelong passion for wildlife, art, and conservation from a very young age. After graduating with a BSC (Hons) in Zoo Biology in 2011, she became a wildlife tour guide on the western coast of Scotland. She now currently works for 'Go To St Kilda' which takes guests from the Isle of Skye to the remote island of St Kilda, the UK and Europe's largest seabird colony and dual World Heritage Site. Nicola gets a real kick out of showing her guests the beauty of the natural world, and trying to instil how important conservation is in maintaining our natural world. Currently she is working on an education project for Bats without Borders by illustrating some of our iconic bats. Her inspiration comes from her own passion for wildlife and she hopes to get the next generation of wildlife lovers interested with her drawings!
Research team
Kate Derrick
… is from the UK but has been living in France for over 16 years, where she completed her BSc in biology and her MSc in wildlife management. Her passion for bats started at university, where she carried out two projects in France, including a study on Geoffrey’s bats using radiotracking for her master’s thesis. Since then she has worked in Malawi as a research assistant with African Bat Conservation, teaching volunteers to catch bats and overseeing several research projects. After a brief detour into the world of sloths in Costa Rica (having a soft spot for arborial mammals too), Kate knew she couldn’t stay away from bats for long, and spent a summer catching bats in Dominica with Operation Wallacea. She is very excited to add her experience to the Bats without Borders team!
… is from the UK but has been living in France for over 16 years, where she completed her BSc in biology and her MSc in wildlife management. Her passion for bats started at university, where she carried out two projects in France, including a study on Geoffrey’s bats using radiotracking for her master’s thesis. Since then she has worked in Malawi as a research assistant with African Bat Conservation, teaching volunteers to catch bats and overseeing several research projects. After a brief detour into the world of sloths in Costa Rica (having a soft spot for arborial mammals too), Kate knew she couldn’t stay away from bats for long, and spent a summer catching bats in Dominica with Operation Wallacea. She is very excited to add her experience to the Bats without Borders team!
Kathy Halsall
.... is originally from the UK but has worked in Malawi researching the bats of Lilongwe city. She has extensive trapping and surveying experience in Africa, New Zealand and the UK. She has a masters in Ecology and Environmental Management from York University and a bachelors from Durham University. Kathy has a particular interest in the impact of wind turbines on bat populations, a subject which she studied for her masters thesis, developing a methodology for estimating annual fatality of bats at wind energy sites. Kathy has a particular passion for the bats of Africa due to their incredible diversity and is a very welcomed addition to the Bats without Borders research team.
.... is originally from the UK but has worked in Malawi researching the bats of Lilongwe city. She has extensive trapping and surveying experience in Africa, New Zealand and the UK. She has a masters in Ecology and Environmental Management from York University and a bachelors from Durham University. Kathy has a particular interest in the impact of wind turbines on bat populations, a subject which she studied for her masters thesis, developing a methodology for estimating annual fatality of bats at wind energy sites. Kathy has a particular passion for the bats of Africa due to their incredible diversity and is a very welcomed addition to the Bats without Borders research team.
Isobel Oldfield
….. has a Bachelor of Environmental Management from Massey University, New Zealand and is currently studying towards a Masters in International Nature Conservation (MINC) at Lincoln University, New Zealand. As part of the MINC programme Isobel has been lucky enough to spend a semester studying in Germany at the University of Göttingen and is currently completing a three month internship at the University of Stirling in Scotland. Isobel first developed a passion for New Zealand bats during an ecology class at Lincoln University and has decided to make them the subject of her master’s thesis. Interning at the University of Stirling has enabled Isobel to learn more about UK bats and if that was not enough she was excited to get involved with Bats without Borders and learn more about bats in southern Africa and has joined the team updating our species pages online.
….. has a Bachelor of Environmental Management from Massey University, New Zealand and is currently studying towards a Masters in International Nature Conservation (MINC) at Lincoln University, New Zealand. As part of the MINC programme Isobel has been lucky enough to spend a semester studying in Germany at the University of Göttingen and is currently completing a three month internship at the University of Stirling in Scotland. Isobel first developed a passion for New Zealand bats during an ecology class at Lincoln University and has decided to make them the subject of her master’s thesis. Interning at the University of Stirling has enabled Isobel to learn more about UK bats and if that was not enough she was excited to get involved with Bats without Borders and learn more about bats in southern Africa and has joined the team updating our species pages online.
Sande Mulwanda
... has joined the list of super heroes protecting the Chiropteran sky puppies. He has described his new Research Assistant role as an exciting scientific journey learning, collecting skills and knowledge (superpowers) to effectively protect and conserve amazing little fruit and insect lovers, well some bats in Latin America like to get a little bloody and some Asian fruit puppies aren't really little. Sande works at Livingstone Museum, in a collaborative project with Bats without Borders, University of Stirling, University of Porto's CIBIO-INBIO and the Harrison Institute. He recently travelled to Portugal for training in molecular methods and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and in Zambia had the opportunity to learn from Dr Paul Bates of the Harrison institute on the taxonomy and identification of bats and during that training also received field techniques skills in bat capture and call recording.
Sande said he was delighted to work with "the amazing team (Ms Clare Mateke, Dr Rachael Cooper-Bohannon, Dr Hugo Rebeló, Dr Raquel Godinho and Dr Paul Bates) is like the "Dc and Marvel” of super heroes protecting and conserving the Chiropteran sky puppies and he is excited to see how his role as the "Batman" contributes to this quest."
... has joined the list of super heroes protecting the Chiropteran sky puppies. He has described his new Research Assistant role as an exciting scientific journey learning, collecting skills and knowledge (superpowers) to effectively protect and conserve amazing little fruit and insect lovers, well some bats in Latin America like to get a little bloody and some Asian fruit puppies aren't really little. Sande works at Livingstone Museum, in a collaborative project with Bats without Borders, University of Stirling, University of Porto's CIBIO-INBIO and the Harrison Institute. He recently travelled to Portugal for training in molecular methods and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and in Zambia had the opportunity to learn from Dr Paul Bates of the Harrison institute on the taxonomy and identification of bats and during that training also received field techniques skills in bat capture and call recording.
Sande said he was delighted to work with "the amazing team (Ms Clare Mateke, Dr Rachael Cooper-Bohannon, Dr Hugo Rebeló, Dr Raquel Godinho and Dr Paul Bates) is like the "Dc and Marvel” of super heroes protecting and conserving the Chiropteran sky puppies and he is excited to see how his role as the "Batman" contributes to this quest."
Jen Muir
… is currently studying towards a BSc in Psychology and Biology at the University of Stirling and also works as an illustrator. She hopes to work in conservation after her degree is completed. She has recently been a research assistant with Operation Wallacea in Romania and also volunteers with animals when she can. As an illustrator she has worked with children's books and scientific illustration, most recently working for the Wildcat Action Trust. Jen's volunteering work with Bats without Borders involves illustrating each of the diverse bats found in southern Africa to improve our species information pages.
… is currently studying towards a BSc in Psychology and Biology at the University of Stirling and also works as an illustrator. She hopes to work in conservation after her degree is completed. She has recently been a research assistant with Operation Wallacea in Romania and also volunteers with animals when she can. As an illustrator she has worked with children's books and scientific illustration, most recently working for the Wildcat Action Trust. Jen's volunteering work with Bats without Borders involves illustrating each of the diverse bats found in southern Africa to improve our species information pages.
Debbie (Deborah) Nanchinga
….. completed her BSc at the Copperbelt University in Zambia and then started working for Livingstone Museum as a Research Assistant as part of the bat data mobilisation project, which is in partnership with Bats without Borders. Debbie's is passion about molecular (lab) work and how this contributes to our greater understanding of biodiversity, ecology and conservation issues. Thanks to Bats without Borders' key collaborators, she was delighted to travel to Portugal to received training at University of Porto's CIBIO-InBIO in molecular methods and geographic information system (GIS). Debbie said: "this rare opportunity has enhanced my passion for DNA studies and using GIS in mapping which is greatly used in bat conservation. I was also privileged to receive training from the taxonomy Guru Dr Paul Bates. My utmost gratitude goes to my mentors Dr Paul Bates, Dr Rachael Cooper-Bohannon, Dr Hugo Rubelo and Ms Clare Mateke, indeed together we shall reach greater heights and I pledge my allegiance in BAT CONSERVATION."
….. completed her BSc at the Copperbelt University in Zambia and then started working for Livingstone Museum as a Research Assistant as part of the bat data mobilisation project, which is in partnership with Bats without Borders. Debbie's is passion about molecular (lab) work and how this contributes to our greater understanding of biodiversity, ecology and conservation issues. Thanks to Bats without Borders' key collaborators, she was delighted to travel to Portugal to received training at University of Porto's CIBIO-InBIO in molecular methods and geographic information system (GIS). Debbie said: "this rare opportunity has enhanced my passion for DNA studies and using GIS in mapping which is greatly used in bat conservation. I was also privileged to receive training from the taxonomy Guru Dr Paul Bates. My utmost gratitude goes to my mentors Dr Paul Bates, Dr Rachael Cooper-Bohannon, Dr Hugo Rubelo and Ms Clare Mateke, indeed together we shall reach greater heights and I pledge my allegiance in BAT CONSERVATION."
James Winter
…loves all things related to small mammals (bats and microtines in particular – but don’t make him pick favourites). He has an MSc in Environmental Management (Conservation) from the University of Stirling, where he completed a dissertation on bats activity in relation to hedge length in known foraging sites.
For Bats without Borders he is currently reviewing the current literature assessing threats to bats in southern Africa.
…loves all things related to small mammals (bats and microtines in particular – but don’t make him pick favourites). He has an MSc in Environmental Management (Conservation) from the University of Stirling, where he completed a dissertation on bats activity in relation to hedge length in known foraging sites.
For Bats without Borders he is currently reviewing the current literature assessing threats to bats in southern Africa.