Programme Management
+44 (0) 1865 318***
Hannah Rooley
Strategic Finance and Project Manager - Extn: 833
Hannah started at Earthwatch at the beginning of 2005, having moved out of a marketing role in the corporate sector. Prior to her current position at Earthwatch, she has held a couple of roles including Expedition Recruitment Manager and maternity cover for the Head of Communications and Marketing.
Hannah is now responsible for setting up the Regional Climate Change research centres for the UK and India - the UK centre opened in May 2008 and the India centre will be up and running from January 2009. These centres will receive "Climate Champions" who will participate in a programme of research and learning around climate change, and will take their knowledge and experience back to their work-place. She also coordinates the local volunteering projects that HSBC employees can participate on - we do this by setting up a network of partnerships with other NGOs across Europe and Asia, enabling large numbers of the bank's staff to get involved with environmental work focused on climate change.
Having graduated from Edinburgh with a Masters degree in French and Sociology in 2001 Hannah is keen to get back into some academic study, so is hoping to start a part-time Masters in International Development Studies this autumn. Outside of Earthwatch she enjoys anything that gets her outdoors, but is also a voracious reader when the English weather keeps her indoors!
Richard Sylvester
Field Director - Europe Regional Climate Centre
Richard started with Earthwatch at the Europe Regional Climate Centre in Wytham Woods in June 2008 and was appointed Field Director in August 2009. Working principally on the HSBC Climate Partnership, he is responsible for the general management of the Centre and, with the ever-lovely ERCC staff, for ensuring the successful delivery of programmes and the safety and happiness of the visiting teams.
In his previous life he was, among other things, a bar manager and spent several years offering light relief and strong medicine to the hedonistic and the hapless, the wild and untamed, the windswept and exciting, mainly in Oxford, Winchester, Bath and London. As Richard neared his 30th year he turned back to his Cambridgeshire country lanes background, dusted off his binoculars and his field guides and reacquainted himself with the wonders and delights of the wild. Finally, in 1999, he put away childish things, if only temporarily, and went back to college, gaining a BSc in Rural Resource Management at Writtle College, part of the University of Essex. Between leaving college and starting with Earthwatch Richard spent much of his time in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, working with both the Wilderness Foundation and the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa, helping to develop environmental management plans and action plans on the stunning Wild Coast and in Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.
His interests are many and varied, usually unfulfilled and often accompanied by a small beer or a good book.
Kate Barker - Support and Logistics Officer
Europe Regional Climate Centre
Kate joined Earthwatch in February 2010 where she enjoys a wide and varied role looking after everyone and everything at the Europe Regional Climate Centre. She enjoys putting her organisational ways to good use in the peaceful surrounds of Wytham Woods.
Having graduated from the University of Birmingham with a BSc in Geography, Kate returned to her Westcountry homeland to take holidaymakers out to discover the nature and natural history of the Jurassic Coast (and fill her pockets full of fossils). She then found herself amongst the limestone clints and grikes of North Yorkshire teaching geography and ecology to school groups. Despite the cold, rain, mist and snow she developed a passion for inspiring people to enjoy and explore the outdoors.
In 2009 Kate headed half way around the world to spend a year in Australia where she indulged in her passion for diving and gained her PADI Divemaster. To earn her keep she also had a terrible time selling ice cream from a busy little shop overlooking the Coral Sea!
Her wide and varied career has also found her teaching English in Paraguay and volunteering on a marine conservation project in Honduras. Despite travels in Latin America, Australasia, Japan and Europe, she never tires of exploring the nooks and crannies of the British Isles and might – one day – scuba dive in chilly British waters.
Sue Morris
HCP and Oman Earthwatch Programme Administrator
Sue originally joined the Earthwatch staff as a volunteer in April 2009 to help with the HSBC Climate Partnership Programme, assisting Sarah Brown and Dan Bebber and his research team on admin and logistics two days a week. After listening to a presentation by Dr Roderic Dutton at Earthwatch on a possible project in Oman Sue volunteered to help on this as well! This has now led to gainful employment on the Oman Earthwatch Programme where she is the Programme Administrator.
Sue worked for the Royal Geographical Society in the 1980s as PA to the Director and Secretary. She then spent six years running a hill livestock farm on Exmoor in partnership with her husband before returning to London and running two small children. Various part-time and voluntary jobs followed including working for an author, a property search company and a three year spell as a Special Constable. Finally, she managed to get back to what she really loves – the world of expeditions and science.
When not at Earthwatch Sue loves playing tennis, cooking, walking, ski-ing, chatting and standing on the sidelines of various pitches.
Sarah Brown
Team Administrator, HSBC Climate Partnership - 263
Sarah joined Earthwatch in March 2009 as the Team Administrator for the HSBC Climate Partnership. She is assisting the HCP team with general administrative duties, coordinating and facilitating their activities across the globe.
Sarah has spent most of her working life in museums: at the Tate, the National Gallery and the Ashmolean in Oxford. Her belief in the care and understanding of our heritage translates well to the environment. As HCP team administrator she has the enviable task of helping a global team - from Brazil to Hong Kong, Boston to Mumbai - fulfill their valuable work of research and learning. The fact that she genuinely loves the boring details of filing and organizing makes her perfectly suited to the backroom role.
Sarah has a BA Hons (History and History of Art) at Bristol; Fine Art Foundation (Witney College). When she is not in the office, Sarah spends nearly all her time either in the garden; looking after her hens and sheep or standing on the side of a rugby or cricket pitch watching her husband and sons in their element.