Simon was one of the co-founders of Ambios back in 2001, which was set up to help people gain the skills they needed to get work in the nature conservation sector.
After following badgers around the countryside of Devon for a research Masters, Simon managed to get a part-time job in communications working for the Wildlife Trust. At the same time, he got involved in adult education through helping with and eventually leading study tours to California, the Arctic, and the primeval forests of Eastern Europe. A lifelong interest in delivering learning experiences emerged and he soon realised there was a disconnect between the knowledge and understanding that Universities provided, and the practical skills that employers wanted. He also saw that people without degrees but with good practical skills were able to get jobs in the sector. A series of projects focussing on providing practical skills, and supporting learning journeys for those interested in getting a job in our sector followed, and continues to this day.
For him, at the end of each cohort of trainees, receiving feedback is always uplifting. The personal stories shared around feeling more confident, learning new skills, and preparing to look for work in our sector are heart-warming every time.
Simon connects to nature through taking time to sit and observe, engaging in birdwatching or sitting and watching the landscape, and his favourite wildlife sighting at the farm is the barn owl that regularly flies over the rewilding fields.
Jack was accepted onto an Ambios trianing programme called Kingfisher in 2005. His placement was with Ambios, whereas most placements were hosted by other NGO’s in Devon, including Exmoor National Park, Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust, and the Marine Biological Assocation. He spent 9 months in Taunton, and it was during this time they applied for project funding for a residential nature conservation volunteer programme. They approached Sharpham Trust to ask if they would like to host the project, and the rest is history!
At the time, Jack had a burning desire to learn about nature conservation, having not previously studied it, and was considering an MSc in Falmouth when this training position came up. His interests were around rural regeneration, partly eco-tourism, partly nature conservation, partly sustainable development. He was looking to find a career path that linked him to the land, but where community was integral. He had spent the previous 2 years, after graduating from university, working in the countryside – hedge laying in the winter, gardening in the summer, and playing lots of cricket. Jack had spent some time travelling and seeing amazing parts of the world that he was fully inspired by, and wanted to create something similar here in his home of Devon.
Jack’s favourite part of working for Ambios is the people! Getting to work in a beautiful part of the world, doing important work, but getting to spend it with wonderful folk. He loves the community around the farm, and across the Ambios network. Ambios trainee alumni are now doing incredible things, and it’s wonderful hearing their updates and stories.
Jack finds connecting to nature happens in various ways. He’s quite an early riser, and appreciate the early mornings, and loves waking before the birds, so he can begin to hear their calls. When he takes Yeti (their black lab) for a walk, when he leans on a gate looking at the farm, when he heads out with his family to spot the barn owl foraging in the fields, he finds peace, and takes a moment to connect to nature.
As for his favourite wildlife sightings on the farm, he’s had a lot of astonishing wildlife sightings; kingfisher in the marsh, seal on the river, otter on camera traps, even a white-tailed eagle. He really appreciates some of the fungi species the farm has. He loves the moments when you are least expecting to see something, when you might be distracted by the business of life; a stoat running across a path for instance when checking on the cows! His favourite has to be watching the barn owls. One of the earliest projects at Sharpham was radio tracking fledgling barn owls as they left their natal home. More recently they can be spotted from their window, foraging across the fields that are transforming into a rodent haven, plenty of good food for raptors. Without fail, seeing one takes his breath away.
Mike’s career in conservation spans 30 years with specialism in wildlife surveys, habitat assessment and ecological evaluation. He has worked with Ambios since 2005 and has played a central role in the development of its programmes over the last 10 years. He provides trainees with core elements of their training throughout each of our residential programmes, including species identification, wildlife monitoring techniques, field ecology and ecological restoration approaches. Mike also provides continuous residential support for trainees as they progress through their placements.
Shirley first met the Ambios team in 2017 when she did a traineeship with them in Autumn, after finishing her Master’s in Conservation Biology at the Universidade de Évora. Whilst still on the traineeship, she was invited to be a founding member for Ambios Portugal, a not-for-profit NGO based in Portugal (despite the shared name, the two organisations are entirely separate). While working there from 2018 until 2024, she had the pleasure of continuing to work alongside Ambios as a partner in various Erasmus + funded projects. When her path lead her to move to the UK, she started working for Ambios in January 2025.
Shirley’s path has often been a winding one throughout life, and her return to Ambios is a loop she had always wondered about and hoped for, so she counts herself as lucky to have a chance to work in this beautiful location with this great team!
Having a team to work with that is always there and willing to help whenever they can, to support you in difficult moments, and above all not only work incredibly hard but also have fun doing it, is one of her favourite parts of working here. She can’t, of course, fail to mention the privilege of working in such an idyllic location, where you hear the birds calling, and on a quiet day, the rustle of the leaves in the trees.
She connects to nature through observation, usually through artistic pursuits like photography and illustration, or with a casual stroll or a longer hike through a beautiful landscape, punctuated with stops to look at birds, flowers, fungi, or whatever else she can spot.
So far seeing the greater spotted woodpeckers flitting up and down tree trunks, or seeing the cheeky gatherings of jackdaws on the fence posts around the yard, would be one of her favourites wildlife sightings on the farm, but she has to admit she’s pretty excited to see the fungi season here this year!
Uschi’s journey with Ambios began in 2022 as a conservation volunteer, later taking part in the Summer Nature Recovery Traineeship in 2023. In 2024, she became a permanent member of the team, as the Communications and Marketing Officer.
While studying Social Anthropology at the University of Manchester, Uschi developed a deep interest in environmental anthropology – particularly how human societies both shape and are shaped by the natural world. She was especially fascinated by the relationship between First Nations Peoples in Canada and their profound knowledge of, and respect for, the land. This made her reflect on her own relationship with nature, prompting a desire to better understand the flora and fauna on her own doorstep, and a longing to feel a bit more connected to the land.
Uschi loves working at Ambios for the sense of shared purpose and community that comes with being part of a passionate, supportive, and inspiring team. Sharing the positive news stories of the wildlife, fantastic projects taking place across the site and beyond, and being around the infectious enthusiasm of the trainee cohorts all make her work at Ambios both meaningful and engaging. Also getting to have her tea break overlooking the stunning River Dart is an added bonus!
When not working, she enjoys trail running, river swims, and quiet moments in nature – turning her phone off and going for a walk in her local woods is one of her favourite ways to recharge. Uschi’s had a few particularly special encounters on the Sharpham Estate down by the river when a curious seal has popped up and they’ve shared an exchange; she always wonders what they’re thinking and these encounters never fail to feel a bit enchanted for her.
Fraser has worked intermittently for Ambios since its founding in 2001, but on a more regular basis since 2014.
His career in the Nature Conservation sector started soon after leaving school in the early 1980’s, since when he has had varied employment in the Wildlife Trusts, RSPB, the Nature Conservancy Council, and statutory authorities, both local and national. Most of his career has been ion nature reserve management.
Fraser enjoys working for Ambios as a trainer and also gets involved in conservation projects wherever his skills might apply. He says his main reason for working at Lower Sharpham Farm is the students. “This is my opportunity to pass on skills to amazingly enthusiastic and deeply committed people, knowing that they will use them to continue the work of conserving nature.”
Fraser connects with nature mostly by spending time at his own small piece of riverside meadow and woodland on Dartmoor; managing the site as a nature reserve and observing what lives there, but mostly just enjoying it. Fraser is also a bird ringer and ringing trainer, and spends time ringing birds at various locations in Devon.
Trix first joined Ambios at Lower Sharpham Barton Farm in 2022 as a trainee on the 12-week nature conservation training course after a career change from lighting design for theatre. She was incredibly inspired by the education and work, and decided to dedicate her time to further study on the Apricot Centre’s Regenerative Land Based Systems Level 3.
Trix has now joined the team as the Community Forest Ranger. Her role involves planning and implementing the two year tree planting project, running a weekly practical nature recovery volunteer group and a monthly citizen science group. She is also part of the steering group at Moor Barton Wilding in East Dartmoor.
Trix is inspired by land use change, reinstating functional ecosystems, tending the wild, permaculture and rewilding people, and improving access to nature. She loves meeting new people and sharing knowledge around rewilding.
Izzy joined Ambios in 2022 as a trainee, and then started working for them in 2023.
She’d always gained so much joy from being out in nature, hiking, camping, swimming; there’s never been another career that made sense to her other than one to care for our world and its inhabitants. She studied Countryside Conservation at Aberystwyth University, a university surrounded by beaches and wild hills. She was able to do a year in industry and worked as a Nature Reserve warden, as well as on an organic farm. To her, the path has always been clear: nature gives her so much, she needs to give it back.
Her favourite part about working for Ambios is that she gets to work with her best friends (human and non-human)! So many people that pass through Ambios are like-minded and have the same values about nature and its recovery, so she feels her community is here.
To connect to nature, Izzy goes on long walks alone on the moors, by the coast, and in river valleys. Having prolonged periods of time out in nature helps her feel not only connected to nature, but part of it.
As for her favourite wildlife sighting on the farm, she truly can’t pinpoint any one moment as there are so many special sightings every day. She remains in awe of the buzzards, stonechats, blackcaps, bush-crickets, speckled woods, painted ladies, oaks, chestnuts, buttercups, cuckoo flowers, thistles. Things seen every day, that make her smile.
Zoe joined Ambios in January 2024 as part of a year-long Level 3 placement with the Apricot Centre. It was her first training in regenerative land systems, exploring everything from soil health to permaculture. An interest in food security and local food systems started her on this journey, and throughout the placement she was increasingly inspired by the garden. Now working part-time in the garden with Leona, she helps grow food for the farm and facilitate sessions for the nature recovery trainees.
They have applied their learnings from the Apricot Centre with the likes of the new irrigation system, crop planning and following some of the permaculture principles, as well as drawing on ancestral knowledge, like seed saving, companion planting and herbal remedies. She loves the collaborative spirit of the farm – there’s been a huge transformation in the garden this winter and it’s thanks to teamwork, creative problem-solving, and shared commitment to learning.
Her connection to nature is inspired by slowing down and finding awe in the simple moments: the light shining through a leaf, a worm wriggling in the soil, the flow of the river. Living and learning on the farm has shaped the way she see and relate to the natural world. All these daily sightings are her favourite. Finding wonder in the everyday is always magical.
Chris joined Ambios in January 2025.
He was looking for a career change from his job with Royal Mail in Sussex, and after going on a retreat at Sharpham in September 2023, he successfully applied for the Spring 2024 Nature Recovery traineeship with Ambios. During the 4 month traineeship he then applied for a one year traineeship with the Apricot Centre with a residential placement at Ambios.
He loves feeling that everything done at Ambios is making a big difference both for the local community and the reverberations of the knowledge learned here spreads far and wide across the world.
To connect to nature, Chris loves walking in the woods or going to the beach as well as sitting and listening to the sounds of the birds and wildlife.
He counts himself lucky enough to have had some beautiful moments watching barn owls hunting over the rewilding areas, and to have once seen a kingfisher by the river.
Jaya joined Ambios as an Apricot Centre trainee in January 2025.
She studied Geography at Lancaster University, learning about the environmental and social impacts of unsustainable food systems and land use. This sparked an enthusiasm to explore better systems, and through Ambios and the Apricot Centre course, she’s enjoying learning about regenerative agriculture, nature recovery and community engagement.
For her, the best thing about working at Ambios is getting to meet so many different people, plants and animals! There is an incredible atmosphere of joyfulness, curiosity and growth at the farm.
Observing changes in the landscape as the seasons shift, especially in the trees, makes her feel more connected to nature.
It was particularly exciting to Jaya to see a jay for the first time at the farm, with their iconic electric blue feathers!
Stu has 15 years experience in conservation and land management, as well as passion for passing on traditional rural skills and woodland development. His roles include educating the trainees, groundworks and all aspects of woodland and estate management. He is qualified in a range of machinery use and techniques including chainsaws, brush cutters and hedge laying. He especially enjoys utilising the natural resources through his passion for chainsaw planking, woodturning and charcoal making. Stu also runs a small craft company in Devon, called Shaw Wood. Primarily they produce locally sourced and handcrafted wooden items such as Didgeridoos , handturned objects and rustic garden furniture. They also offer a variety of rural skills training, as well as land management, landscaping and outdoor space enhancement. Please visit his website to find out more.
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