AGM 2025

For the past thirteen years, Mike has been a proud Vice-President of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust but his links with the City, County and Trust stretch back to the 1980s and his time at the University of Nottingham when he spent many a happy hour birdwatching at Attenborough Nature Reserve.

After University, Mike worked for the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers at Burton Joyce and then got a short-term contract with Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust - before moving into broadcasting.

Mike has made a number of films with the Trust for The One Show & Inside Out – including a piece about the heronry at Besthorpe and one about our grazing programme - when he got to meet our Shepherd, Agnes and her son Indy. He also made a One Show film about money spiders with Prof Sara Goodacre of the University of Nottingham’s Spider Lab – who has now been nominated as a Trust Vice President!

Whilst Vice President, Mike has enjoyed trips to other reserves including Idle Valley and Besthorpe, presented talks and hosted events and even hosted a dawn chorus event for us from his garden during the pandemic lock downs!

Hello, my name is Mick Burrows. From a young age, I have loved the outdoors. I have fond memories of cycling from my family home in Beeston with my friends to explore what was then the newly created nature reserve at Attenborough. More than 60 years later, I am still a regular visitor, my appreciation for nature remains as strong as ever.

Although my working life was largely spent in office-based roles, that never diminished my passion for being outside. Since retiring around ten years ago, my wife Sheila and I have been fortunate to spend precious time with our children and eight grandchildren and to travel both within the UK and abroad, often enjoying visits to National Trust properties. I also spend time with friends attempting birdwatching, occasionally playing rather erratic golf, and enjoying the privilege of responsible wild camping and canoeing, particularly in Scotland, where nature truly comes to life in all its magic. Our family also continue to keep me busy as I inherited reasonable DIY skills from my dad, it helps keep me fit!

I was very fortunate to enjoy a rewarding career, initially supporting unemployed people back into work through roles in the Employment Service and Manpower Services Commission. After 20 years, I joined the County Council, where I held various management and later Director roles. I was proud to have been appointed Chief Executive, a role I held for seven years during times of political change and significant financial and service challenges. I had the privilege of working alongside a great number of dedicated public servants who shared a single aim which was improving life for the people of Nottinghamshire.

During my career, I also served on a number of Boards, including The Prince’s Trust and Common Purpose, I chaired and supported several county-wide partnerships covering community safety, the economy, and health amongst others. In retirement, I served as Chairman of the Nottingham Roosevelt Travelling Scholarship for seven years and was appointed a Commissioner for the West Bridgford Growth Board.

I was deeply honoured to receive an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Nottingham in 2015 for services to public life and to be appointed a Deputy Lieutenant in 2016 which I remain actively engaged.

I am genuinely delighted to be invited to serve as one of the Vice Presidents of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust. I hope to offer useful support through my experience and connections, and I look forward to contributing in any way I can to the important aims and values we all share.

Professor of Evolutionary Biology and Genetics, University of Nottingham

Sara is a geneticist by training, and works at the University, spending most of her time giving lectures on different biological topics and running the SpiderLab, which researches how we can use the natural world as inspirations for solutions to problems. For example: making new materials, such as synthetic spider silk, that we might use in medicine or engineering; using spiders as natural alternatives to insecticides for controlling insect pests; using molecular tools to study and help conserve species that are under threat.

Sara has also been involved in citizen science projects where people are given the knowledge they need to survey their local environment, for example by using lichens to indicate how clean the air is where they live. Sara lives locally and one of her favourite places is the Attenborough Nature Reserve where she has supported the Trust with advice, support and research for a number of years.

Research

2012-present (Associate) Professor, University of Nottingham; 2006-2011 Research Fellow, University of Nottingham; 2002-2005 Research Fellow, University of East Anglia; 2000-2001 Research Fellow, University of Oxford; 1999 Ph.D., University of Nottingham; 1995 B.A. (1998 M. A.) Natural Sciences, Gonville and Caius College, University of Cambridge. vice-President of the European Society for Arachnology (2014- present).

Hi, I'm Tom,

I was born at the QMC and grew up around Nottingham and Mansfield, often being fortunate enough to spend time out in wild spaces when I was younger, especially with Sherwood Forest right on the doorstep. I often visited Attenborough as well, often walking and cycling up and down the riverside path to grab a sandwich at the Beeston Marina Cafe.

After I finished University, I went abroad for 6 months, and came back home looking for work and, importantly, a sense of purpose. My mental health was in decline, so I decided to look for volunteering roles with The Wildlife Trust. I came across the State of Nature 2016 report in my searching, which highlighted 56% of species in decline in the UK, an abhorrent number. I took up volunteering roles across Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust; as part of their practical conservation team, their Wildlife Watch team and as part of Keeping it Wild, their youth team.

I was able to move into the charity sector, taking on a role with Sustrans first as a Project Officer, then as a Volunteer Coordinator supporting other people to get involved in volunteering to help more people walk, wheel and cycle. After 6 ½ years, I moved into a role with Trent Rivers Trust, acting as a Partnership and Engagement Manager to support projects that aim to speak to people about the health of our rivers, and what we can do to improve them. I've been in the role since 2024.

I've taken on more volunteering roles whilst learning more about the plight of nature within the UK and about the climate crisis; as a Greenpeace activist, as Chair of the Nottingham Amnesty International group, supporting a local group called Broxtowe Green Umbrella connecting people with sustainable projects across Nottingham, and on the committee for a local music festival in Beeston called Oxjam (and other bits and bobs here and there). I've represented Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust at parliament, speaking to MPs about protecting brownfield sites in urban areas for nature, and more recently meeting Clare Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands Combined Authority, representing the Trust's youth team and advocating for stronger community connections for nature across the region.

In the time I have left, I play cricket and aim to visit parkrun on Saturday mornings, I'm often at gigs in Nottingham or across the country, occasionally nerd out at a board games cafe or by playing dungeons and dragons, and I’ve probably been spotted on my bicycle around Beeston and Nottingham a fair few times."

Hello, my name is Oli and I’m the treasurer and trustee for the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust

I was originally born in Spain but moved to England at a very young age, I currently live in Ilkeston and have spent most of my life in and around Nottingham which has shaped my personal and professional life in many different aspects. I began my career in finance back in 2017 and currently work as an auditor at an accountancy firm based in Nottingham. In December 2024, I proudly became a Chartered Accountant, a personal achievement that reflects years of dedication and learning in the field.

Outside of work I am passionate about our natural world, local wildlife, and ways which we can work together to preserve it and have been from a very young age since I used to read (and re-read) books on facts about the insects, birds, and other wildlife of the UK. I am really looking forward to getting as involved as I can in the activities and aims of the Trust in its mission to create a movement for nature.

I have a particular love for bird watching and learning about new areas to go and explore on a long walk.

I was in a band for many years as it’s singer but just play on my own at home now due to other, and more professional, commitments. I also love attending live music gigs, eating great food, and keeping healthy. 

Hello, my name is Matyas Liptovszky and I live in Sutton Bonington, near the River Soar on the Nottinghamshire border. I've always had a strong interest in wildlife and conservation, and as a child wanted to become a wildlife biologist. I've ended up studying veterinary medicine instead, but also got a degree in wildlife management. Later, I specialised in wild animal medicine, and now work as a Professor at the University of Nottingham, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, where I teach and do research in the broad fields of wildlife health, welfare and conservation. Prior to my current position, I worked in zoos for a long time, both as a clinical veterinarian and in various leadership roles in Europe, the UK and Australia. I also had the chance to be involved in  a range of field conservation and research projects in Europe, the UK, Asia, Africa, Central America and Australasia, working with some of the most threatened species.  

Outside my work I love spending time outdoors with my partner, who is a zoologist, and our two young children. We also co-founded a wildlife conservation and welfare non-profit, Wilder International, which works both locally in the area where we live, and with overseas partners. I find great joy in seeing wildlife in their natural environment, and love traveling, preferably to places which are still as close to their natural state as possible, both within the UK and further afield. 

Hello, my name is Chris Ruston and I`ve been a Non Executive Directive with NWT since Autumn 2024. 

I grew up in Hull and even though I moved away when I was 18 it`s a place I always enjoy going back to when I`m visiting family. 

Throughout my career I have worked and lived in several places including Sheffield, York, Halifax, Scarborough, Newcastle, Northallerton, Preston and more recently Doncaster. 

 I`m always proud of my Northern roots and it`s history! 

My career has always been within the retail and leisure/hospitality sectors, starting as a trainee with B&Q before moving onto the former food retailer Safeway and then the motorway service area provider Moto. 

For the past 24 years, however, I have worked for just one company, Center Parcs where I am currently Village Director for our original UK holiday village at Sherwood Forest. 

It`s a company and career that I`ll always be incredibly grateful for and one that ultimately gave me a much greater appreciation for nature, our woodlands and everything that lives and grows within it. Whilst Center Parcs is clearly a private commercial operation their commitment to nature and ecology is 2^nd to none and when the opportunity arose for me to become involved with the NWT it was something I was really keen to step forward with in the hope that I could help make a positive difference. 

Away from work I am a proud father of 3 and a grandad to 1.  

I de-stress by playing tennis, 5 a side and golf as often as I can but I also like to put a bit of stress back into my life by supporting Leeds United. 

I`ve also committed to numerous charity challenges over the years and have ran several marathons, climbed Kilimanjaro, cycled from London to Paris, trekked through the Jordanian dessert, completed the Inca trail and completed the UK 3 Peaks challenge in 36 hours at the age of 60! The latter one had my knees telling me `no more challenges please`! 

As well as the Wildlife Trust I`m a big supporter of Men`s Mental Health charities and I hope to devote more time over the coming years to supporting both these great causes in whatever capacity I can.