Our Speakers

Chester Zoo are providing 3 talks from their Conservation Training Academy!

Liz Webb - Role of Science - Conservation Training Academy Manager

Liz joined Chester Zoo as the Conservation Training Academy Manager in 2019 after nearly 12 years working as a lecturer and manager in Further and Higher Education. Liz is specialised in teaching and training in the lifelong learning sector and completed her QTLS accreditation to become a registered member of the SET in 2010. Alongside this, Liz is a trained apprenticeship assessor with experience in IV, quality monitoring and external examining for degree validations.

Zoe Batchelor - Interpretation Design - Interpretation Manager

As an experienced science communicator, I'm passionate about taking complicated narratives and turning them into a compelling story. Distilling paragraphs into pictures and reframing complicated issues is so rewarding, especially if we can encourage behaviour change at the end! Working in zoos for nearly 7 years, I have a wide range of experience. I've delivered talks and workshops to visitors, produce signage and research, and I'm often spotted running around the zoo installing signs! One of my main loves is learning new things, so I'm always ready to take on the next challenge. 

Rebecca Lewis - Bioacoustics - Population Biologist 

Rebecca is part of the NERC-funded Earth, Atmosphere and Oceans doctoral training programme at the University of Manchester.  She is supervised by Dr Tucker Gilman and is working with Chester Zoo to examine the impact of birdsong evolution on conservation efforts. Her PhD is funded by NERC and Chester Zoo. “I am a zoologist with a strong interest in animal management within zoos and in animal behaviour, as well as in conservation.  In 2014 – 2015 I joined the Chester Zoo Primate Team as a One Year Intern. This cemented my desire to work with zoos in my future career as I believe they have a vital role to play in conservation."

Rhys has been working in the animal industry since the age of 14, working in many areas of the industry. He has also held a keen interest in animals since a young age which has led him to keep a varied selection of species over the years, notably he has previously become well known in the South Wales area for breeding axolotls and has recently taught a geriatric cockatiel a trick or two! Rhys loves working with animals that are deemed "difficult" by others and is also fascinated by animals that make people stop and have to think about what they can see.

Teaching in FE for 6 years his passion for education and the impact it can have on lives is always present. Rhys will self-proclaim education changed his future outlook at 16. Rhys is passionate about getting the level right when educating and also had interest in the needs of further education educators (the focus of his current MA). He believes educators are heroes and will share this passion whenever possible.

Rhys is currently employed as a lecturer and team lead (vocational Stroud) as SGS College. He enjoys his job that includes helping to mange the onsite animal collection which has been undergoing expansion in the last few years, and always welcomes the opportunity to work with other organisations, enjoying working collaboratively as a consultant when time allows.

Joe was a late comer to the industry, not getting his first position in a zoo until he was 22, as a ‘Zoo Host’ as Chessington World of Adventures. From there he worked at Battersea Park Children’s Zoo, All Things Wild and West Midlands Safari Park over a 6 year period. In 2018 Joe moved over to colleges as the Animal Unit Manager at Halesowen College, heading a team of technicians/ Keepers caring for the now 120 species housed at the collection. In the past four years the collection has seen significant growth and development in the standards of husbandry and welfare. 

In 2019 Joe Cooke started a Facebook group, UK Animal Care Technicians (UKACT), the initial goal of the group being to open up lines of communication between technical staff in colleges nationwide. Since its start, the group has now expanded to over 1,000 members, held 2 conferences, numerous workshops and are currently in the process of becoming a professional organisation. The group facilitates the sharing of best practice, sourcing of animals and acts as a support network for colleagues.

Joe will be talking about the work he is doing with UKACT, the importance of collaboration between college collections and the need for us to demonstrate best practice to our students and aim to be ahead of the industry and not trailing behind. Joe is passionate about college facilities, future-proofing animal management, and trailblazing this concept publicly. He will also outline his findings from surveying the sectors animal unit facilities.

Contact Info: jcooke@halesowen.ac.uk

Link: Facebook - UK Animal Care Technicians

Sarah looks after the vast range of qualifications found within the land portfolio, covering everything from dog grooming to floristry. She started her career as a herpetologist, working in the zoo industry, before moving into the education sector. She worked as an FE lecturer and curriculum lead, primarily delivering animal care qualifications, at Coleg Cambria for 20 years.

Prior to taking up the role as technical advisor, Sarah worked as a consultant for City and Guilds, culminating in her becoming a principal moderator and principal examiner for the technical qualifications in animal care.

Sarah’s extensive knowledge of both the sector and qualification products enable her to provide high level support, advice and guidance to providers, employers, and other stakeholders.

Charlotte graduated from the University of Bristol in 2017 with a Bachelors degree in Veterinary Science. She practiced as an equine veterinary surgeon for 5 years with a strong interest in equine internal medicine.

In 2022, Charlotte moved into education, becoming a lecturer in Animal Management and Welfare at Moulton College, lecturing both FE and HE students. Charlotte especially enjoys using her experiences in industry to teach and inspire the next generation.

Charlotte’s key interests are the role of VCAs, vet nurses and veterinary surgeons in practice, pathology and disease, and pharmacology. Her talks hope to bridge the gap between what is learnt in the classroom, and what is essential in industry

Will has worked in Higher Education for over 10 years, and has expertise in the fields of wildlife surveying and monitoring, climate change ecology and GIS mapping. Will currently lectures and manages the animal-related degree programmes at Plumpton College in East Sussex, which is based in the South Downs National Park. 

Will is passionate about the role that technology can play as a conservation engagement tool and its growing importance in citizen science. Over the years, Will has trained students in the use of a wide range of conservation technologies, from drones to thermal imaging cameras. However, he is especially interested in the application of wildlife cameras to monitor mammals and their activity patterns, and novel applications of this technology for lesser-studied taxa. 

Will has been an active member of the Kent Mammal Group committee since 2015, where he has facilitated grants and research for the group over the last 7 years. More recently in 2021, Will was accepted onto the Training Committee of the Mammal Society, where he works to support education and training in mammal conservation at a national level. 

The Mammal Society – For Evidence Based Conservation

The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) is the professional body representing the best zoos and aquariums in the UK and Ireland. We have more than 100 zoo and aquarium members whom we support in their commitment to be at the forefront of conservation, education and research.

These days’ modern zoos and aquariums are much more than places where the public can go to view a range of different animals. Whilst providing a safe and fun-filled family day out is something our members are understandably proud of, by displaying the BIAZA logo our zoos and aquariums are also demonstrating their dedication to conserving the natural world through research and conservation programmes and to educating and inspiring their visitors to do the same.

BIAZA is a member of both the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), and the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) and through this network our members collaborate on a global scale to further conservation science, natural history and environmental education and animal welfare.