Governance

Peter Tallantire was a senior civil servant in the Cabinet Office before his retirement from full time work in 2022, although he still does some part time work for the department.  In nearly 35 years in the Cabinet Office, he worked closely with ministers on a diverse range of issues including public service reform and national crisis management arrangements. Particular highlights included supporting the response to many events over that period, delivering major projects, guiding legislation through both the UK and European parliament, leading the UK team negotiating the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, and membership of the Met Office’s Public Weather Service Customer Group (PWSCG). Peter was born in Middlesex and has lived most of his life in Hertfordshire where he lives on a smallholding with his wife and family balancing the needs of local wildlife with his daughters’ passion for horses. A life long lover of nature, Peter has sat on the management committee for the Hertfordshire Natural History Society since 2012 and is a member of many other local and national organisations. He was awarded an OBE in 2004.

Appointed Trustee 19th September 2020

Appointed Chair 30th September 2023

Duncan Brown is a Chartered Accountant and a retired audit partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers. He spent much of his career based at their office in St Albans, working with a range of businesses and charities and, most recently, pension funds. He has lived in Hertfordshire for most of his life. Duncan has always had a passion for wildlife and the outdoors. Most weeks he can be found out on his bike, enjoying cycling through the countryside in Hertfordshire and beyond, and enjoys visiting HMWT’s reserves on his rides. He enjoys gardening, and is currently focused particularly on encouraging more birds, insects and wild flowers into his garden at home.

Appointed Trustee and Treasurer 30th September 2023

Lisa Clavering has spent most of her career in the charity sector, specialising in digital engagement and fundraising. Alongside her day jobs both in-house at charities and as a consultant, she has also written for charity sector magazines, and twice helped organise one of the key conferences in the charity sector annual calendar. Lisa also spends time supporting the PTAs of both of her small children’s schools, alongside building up her coaching business. She enjoys local walks with her husband, and engaging her children with our wild environments wherever possible - they are firm fans of the St Albans Cathedral peregrines.

Appointed Trustee 18th September 2021

Jackie Hunter was Chief Executive of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the major funder of Bioscience research in the UK. Most of her career was spent working in the pharmaceutical industry and she also started an open innovation consultancy which is now also focuses on best practice in the adoption of AI based technologies in the life sciences. She is a past governor of the University of Hertfordshire, past Chair of Trustees of the Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich which focusses on plant diseases research and a past director of BenevolentAI that uses artificial intelligence to accelerate the discovery of new medicines. She currently chairs the board of the Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst and is a scientific advisor for Digital Science. Jackie is passionate about wildlife both here and abroad and is a member of the RSPB and other wildlife related charities She spends most of her free time in the garden trying to create a rich habitat for wildlife! She lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and Ben, the beagle. 

Appointed Trustee 14 September 2019

Hannah Law is a seasoned HR leader with over 20 years of experience delivering people strategies across the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Her career includes senior roles at global financial institutions such as SMBC Group and Royal Sun Alliance, as well as purpose-driven organisations like the BBC, The Brooke, and Central YMCA. Hannah is passionate about cultivating inclusive environments where individuals and organisations can thrive. A committed lifelong learner, she is constantly engaging with new ideas – always either taking a course or planning the next one! Her early love of nature, sparked by a Young Ornithologists Club membership and inspired by figures like David Attenborough and Chris Packham, has shaped her ongoing commitment to environmental causes. She has supported organisations like WWF, Greenpeace, the RSPB, and the Wildlife Trust for many years. Hannah is an avid traveller with a deep appreciation for wildlife – always adding to her growing list of “creatures of note.”

Appointed Trustee 27th September 2025

Cathy Myatt is a sustainability professional and a Chartered Environmentalist. Her career has focused on embedding environmental best practices within the built environment, across both public and private sector organisations. Cathy has worked on a range of major construction and infrastructure projects, including as Head of Environment at Crossrail, the company responsible for delivering the Elizabeth Line. She is currently leading the Environmental, Social and Governance strategy for a property development company. Cathy is also a non-executive director of RSPB Nature Regen Ltd, which was set up by the charity to focus on providing carbon credits, biodiversity net gain units and habitat management services for the benefit of nature. Cathy lives in Hertfordshire with her family and in her spare time is usually found in the garden, trying to encourage more wildlife to visit. 

Appointed Trustee 27th September 2025

Kerry Rock has over 30 years’ experience in research, policy and management. She is Chief Executive at Prospecting for Gold, a consultancy working with charities to support their major gift fundraising programmes. Before she moved to the UK from Australia in 2005, Kerry worked in the water industry then ran her own research and communication consultancy, supporting leading companies within the research industry. Kerry also ran an independent film production company, writing and producing a range of films including a feature film that was selected for the Cannes Film Festival. Kerry volunteers both within the charity sector and in her local community. She is a trustee of Cure Parkinson’s and sits on the Chartered Institute for Fundraising’s Consultants Special Interest Group committee. She is a member of the Market Research Society and president of the UK branch of the University of Melbourne’s Alumni Association. Closer to home, Kerry is on the River Chess Association Committee and is a volunteer citizen scientist, helping to protect her local river, the Chess. 

Appointed Trustee 27th September 2025

Patrick Schneiders is a Chartered Environmentalist with the Society for the Environment and currently serves as Head of Governance and Accountability at the Marine Management Organisation. He is also a trustee of the Box Moor Trust, a conservation charity based in Bovingdon and Hemel Hempstead that works to create and protect spaces for both wildlife and people. With over a decade of experience in the environment and sustainability sector, Patrick has worked across environmental protection, habitat enhancement, sustainable development, and governance. Passionate about practical conservation, he has even built his own home in Hertfordshire with nature in mind -incorporating bat roosts, bird and hedgehog boxes, hazel coppices, wildflower meadows, and multiple ponds to support local biodiversity. Patrick is deeply committed to nature recovery and enjoys supporting the Trust’s work to protect and restore wildlife across the county.

Appointed Trustee 30th September 2023

Simon Turnbull is an experienced solicitor in the financial industry. Since 2020, his in-house role has expanded to become Chair of the EMEA Pro Bono Committee, concentrating on environmental projects both in the UK and abroad. In this role Simon has worked with a number of environmental charities such as the Environmental Investigation Agency on various wildlife trafficking research projects; The Chancery Lane Project on its creation of template climate change focused legal clauses; and the Environmental Legal Foundation on various UK research projects to better protect wildlife for local communities. Simon is a well regarded landscape and nature photographer and Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society. Simon grew up walking the fells of the Lake District and there developed a strong interest in the natural world. He is passionate about addressing climate change and bio-diversity loss and is looking forward to using his experience in his role at the HMWT. He lives on the edge of Ashridge Forest in Hertfordshire and enjoys appreciating nature in the countryside with his wife and two young boys.

Appointed Trustee 28th September 2024

Louise Turner is a television producer and journalist driving Channel 4 News’ environmental coverage, with a particular focus on highlighting the biodiversity crisis we face. Louise also runs the Film Fund, commissioning filmmakers from around the world to produce features that appear within the nightly news. Prior to this, Louise made documentaries for Channel 4 and the BBC, including the Natural History Unit. Raising awareness of the many threats to nature is what drives Louise both at work and in taking on the role of trustee. There is, after all, no better place to try to save the world than in your own backyard! Growing up in the Yorkshire Dales has given Louise a lifelong passion for British wildlife, and in particular birds. These days, Louise can often be found cycling or running around Hertfordshire with binocular braces, or picnicking with her partner and two young boys. 

Appointed Trustee 18th September 2021

Stephanie Woods is a solicitor and General Counsel at the PRI, a UN-backed not-for-profit and the world’s leading proponent of responsible investment. Prior to becoming a solicitor, she worked for the Charity Commission for six years, advising charities on charity law and good practice. Stephanie is passionate about wildlife and sustainability and has completed a Business Sustainability Management course at the Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership. When not working Steph enjoys walks in the Hertfordshire countryside with her husband and two sons.

Appointed Trustee 30th September 2023