8th April 2025
We are excited to announce this year’s winners of the Local Government Ecology Awards!
The Awards, run by Verna and the Association of Local Government Ecologists (ALGE), celebrate the positive impact of ecologists in local government.
The winners were chosen from a competitive field of nominations from all over the country, and were judged by an independent panel.
The judges were:
- Dr Iain Boulton, Deputy Chair of the Association of Local Government Ecologists.
- Dr Helen Fearnley, Environment Division, Defra.
- Sally Hayns, CEO, Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management.
- Dr Victoria Hills, CEO, Royal Town Planning Institute
- Dr Nick White, Principal Advisor, Net Gain, Natural England.
Here are the winners:
Local Government Ecologist of the Year – Winner
Clare Russell – Dartford Borough Council
Clare has started a step change at Dartford, increasing biodiversity in natural open spaces and urban parks.
She has played a pivotal role in establishing wildflower meadows throughout the Council’s green spaces and promoting nature-based solutions for flood management. She regularly organises volunteer sessions at the River Darent, Dartford Heath, and Darenth Country Park, and has even supported firefighters in tackling wildfires.
Responding to the award, Clare said “Thank you all at Verna and ALGE for the honour of receiving this award. It is a privilege and humbling to have been selected amongst so many well deserving ecologists, all of which deserve this level of recognition for the amazing jobs they do across the country. I am so grateful to all the teams at Dartford, especially the Countryside Team and volunteers; without their hard work and dedication we wouldn’t be able to deliver so many biodiversity improvements for Dartford.”
A representative of Dartford Borough Council said “Clare has driven real change across Dartford’s countryside and parks with a focus on biodiversity. She’s led on the introduction of wildflower meadows across the borough and changed planting to require less water, an innovation that’s gaining interest across the country. Her passion for wildlife and biodiversity is infectious and has led to greater volunteer and community engagement.”
Local Government Ecologist of the Year – Runner-Up
Des Hobson — Swindon Borough Council
Des has played a pivotal role in embedding biodiversity in planning decisions, integrating technological solutions to enhance ecological assessments, and enabling efficient developer–local authority collaboration.
He led the construction of 12 new ponds and worked with local groups to secure more than nine thousand swift bricks for nesting. Under his leadership, Swindon Borough Council secured Responsible Body status from Defra and adopted policies that reduced developer burdens whilst supporting conservation.
Community member Sarah said “Des exemplifies the traits every Local Government Ecologist should aspire to have. We trust him to hold toes to the fire to ensure biodiversity is given the legal and policy-backed priority it deserves. Swindon has been lucky to have him!”
Young Local Government Ecologist of the Year – Winner
Demi Cook — Shropshire Council
Demi is a key member of the Shropshire planning ecology team. She goes out of her way to assist and works out of hours on bat activity surveys in the community.
Senior Ecological Consultant Ben Jones said “Demi absolutely deserves this award and recognition. She’s far and away the most pragmatic and conscientious council ecologist I ever deal with, and you can always tell she cares.”