Our Trustees

Prof Vicky Pope

Prof Vicky Pope is the founding Editor in Chief of Climate Resilience and Sustainability for the Royal Meteorological Society which publishes international interdisciplinary research on climate change and its implications. She spent many years at the Met Office, during which time she led the Hadley Centre Climate Programme. She is now Chair of the charity, Mathematics Education Innovation, and is a member of the audit and risk committee for Climate Change and Rural Affairs at Welsh Government. Vicky is also a trustee at other charities in the education and environmental sectors, does some consultancy work and is an honorary Professor at the Science Technology Engineering and Public Policy Institute at University College London.

Vicky has a strong interest in promoting solutions to climate change and environmental challenges and has been a DWT Trustee since 2018 and Chair of the Board of Trustees since December 2022.

Abby Allen

Abby has spent the majority of her career working directly with ethical businesses whose purpose has been to safeguard landscapes and communities who rely upon a vibrant rural economy by providing functioning routes to market. 

As Farms Director for Pipers Farm Abby works directly with 50 small scale, family farms, predominantly based in the South West. She also represents the Nature Friendly Farming Network as a Farming Champion. Abby has authored two books ‘The Sustainable Meat Cook Book’ and ‘Homegrown, a Celebration of Seasonal, British Food’. 

Abby has a deep connection to the natural world that was forged growing up in the heart of rural Devon, spending summers fishing in our rivers, climbing trees and lending a hand on neighbouring family farms. 

Abby has been a member of DWT’s Board of Trustees since April 2024.

Rebecca Bower

Rebecca is a chartered accountant and spent most of her career at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London leading the Finance Department. She retired in 2013.

She has been a Trustee of various other charities, several with an environmental focus and has extensive experience of charity accounting and governance.  Rebecca became a member of Devon Wildlife Trust when she moved to Exeter in 2014 and volunteers regularly with the South Devon and Dartmoor Practical Conservation Group.

She has been a member of DWT’s Board of Trustees since July 2019.

Rebecca Broad

After a childhood spent in the National Forest, and an internship at Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, Rebecca moved in 2013 to study BSc Biology at the University of Exeter, where she co-ran an environmental conservation society. During her part-time degree, she volunteered and briefly worked for Devon Wildlife Trust.

Rebecca’s passions include accessible communication, sustainable living, and inclusivity. She is a Young Trustees Movement Ambassador, having joined the Board at 22 years old. Rebecca chairs a Trustee sub-committee with a view to championing diversity and wellbeing. Rebecca wrote a blog for EnvironmentJob on her experiences as a trustee.

Rebecca is a freelance writer and organic content consultant.

Member of DWT’s Board of Trustees since April 2018.

Martin Callow

Martin’s conservation career spans over 25 years, much of which has been spent working internationally.  After studying at the University of Plymouth, Martin began his career at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory before joining the Royal Geographical Society, where he coordinated a marine research, training, and education program in the Seychelles.

He later joined the Wildlife Conservation Society, taking on a variety of roles in Fiji, London, Myanmar, and Singapore.  During this time, Martin led and supported science-driven field conservation teams across global programs, including pioneering innovative and sustainable finance initiatives.  In 2024, he returned to the UK and joined The Nature Conservancy as Conservation Director for the Nature Bonds program, a global initiative he now leads remotely from Devon.

Beyond his professional life, Martin is a keen runner, gravel biker, and nature enthusiast, as well as the proud new guardian of a Dalmatian puppy.

Martin became a member of the Board of Trustees in December 2024.

Paul Cottington

As a kid Paul loved jumping across rivers. Not the mighty rivers we see at the end of the river Dart and River Exe but the little tributaries and ditches that flow into them. This created a connection and love of the countryside that still remains. To build on that connection Paul started his conservation career as a voluntary ranger in East Sussex and is now Head of Conservation Investment for the RSPB. In between he has worked for Kent Wildlife Trust, the SW regional development agencies, a number of community groups, Countryside Agency and the National Farmers Union. This experience of different voices and different views has helped shape Paul’s purpose for the environment. This is “to create better choices for farmers, landowners and businesses so they can do more for nature and the environment”.  His current work very much plays to this as Paul is responsible for the RSPBs work in nature markets and working in green finance as a new way to do more to help the nature and climate crisis.

Paul has a Masters in environment management and a Master of Law on Environmental law. He loves to collect and listen to music and has a bimonthly radio show.   

Paul became a member of the Board of Trustees in December 2024.

Catherine Fileman-Wright

Catherine trained as an Oceanographer.

In a 40-year career with the Environment Agency and predecessor organisations she has held senior roles in operations, flood and coastal risk management and evidence.

She has led large operational teams delivering all aspects of the Environment Agency’s work from regulation, water management to building and maintaining flood defences. Catherine has maintained an interest in coast throughout her career leading technical teams, working with partners, advising Government and giving evidence to Parliamentary Committees on climate change impacts and sea level rise. She was a Director of the Association of Drainage Authorities for 5 years.

Catherine has lived on Dartmoor for over 30 years. She is also a Trustee of Moretonhampstead Development Trust, a charity promoting well-being, environment and arts. Member of DWT's Board since March 2023.

Charlotte Grezo

Dr Charlotte Grezo is a biologist with a PhD in Environmental biology.  She has worked in senior sustainability roles in multinational companies throughout her career.    She was the Director of Global Environmental Issues at BP, with responsibility for climate change and biodiversity. Subsequently Charlotte established and led Vodafone’s global sustainability function. She went on to be Global Head of Sustainability at Lehmann Brothers and more recently was Group Director for Corporate Sustainability Strategy at Centrica.  Charlotte has been a Trustee of a number of conservation and natural history charities and is currently a Trustee of Botanic Gardens International, a member of Council of the Linnean Society, a member of the BBC Sustainability Advisory Group and a WWF UK fellow. She has regularly served on the finance committees of conservation charities

Charlotte’s key interests are biodiversity and climate change. She lives in Devon and is involved in efforts to increase biodiversity and wildlife locally.  Member of DWT's Board since March 2023.

Martha Hall

Born and raised in the Netherlands, Martha trained as a geobiologist before moving to Plymouth, where she obtained a PhD in marine vertebrate palaeontology. She worked in South West Water operations for several years, before returning to the University of Plymouth, where she was a technician in physical geography and environmental science, as well as senior lab manager and research technician in environmental chemistry. Martha has supported many research projects from a technical, analytical and, more recently, from a management perspective, after re-training as project manager in 2021. Notable projects focused on reuse of waste soil, carbon storage in saltmarsh habitats and sustainable fisheries management.

Martha joined the University’s Marine Institute in 2023, where she develops and manages workstreams that help to champion and deliver on the Institute’s strategic priorities, supporting academics and research centres across the marine portfolio.

Martha has been a member of DWT’s Board of Trustees since April 2024.

Gail McKenzie

Having studied Zoology and Botany, Gail worked for the Natural History Museum in London for several years – in exhibitions and then as Head of Press & PR. Became publicist for the BBC Natural History Unit, working on series from the Private Life of Plants to Blue Planet.

After being Head of Communications at the Soil Association, she is now a freelance communications consultant working with organisations such as the National Trust and BBC. Born and raised in Devon, with a lifelong passion for the natural world, Gail returned in 2013. Member of DWT’s Board since April 2018.

Sara Papworth

Sara is a qualified accountant with a varied career background, including Royal Mail, Devon & Cornwall Police and the education and charity sectors. She was Director of Finance & Resources at Bicton College and subsequently Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education until retiring in November 2020, after overseeing the successful relocation of the charity to new facilities in Exmouth.  She has extensive experience of corporate services management and also served as a Trustee of the Exeter Northcott Theatre.

A proud Devonian, she is passionate about protecting the natural beauty of the county. Member of DWT Board since April 2021

Koy Thomson

Koy trained as an ecologist, specialising in upland blanket bogs and tropical forests. His career spanned: citizen science; heading the Friends of the Earth Rainforest Campaign; sustainable development policy action as Assistant Director at the International Institute for Environment and Development; everything from humanitarian response to food rights as International Director of Policy at ActionAid International; urban sustainability as CEO of the London Cycling Campaign – when he was named as one of the 100 most influential Londoners; and supporting education and building schools in war zones. He was a special advisor at the UN Development Programme and coordinated the UK NGO input at the 1992 Earth Summit. He has been a Chair and Trustee of many UK and international NGOs.

Many of his Thai family are social and environmental activists, and he married into a Dartmoor farming family. He teaches yoga and assists in teacher training.

Koy has been a member of DWT’s Board of Trustees since April 2024.