This is the core team for Devon Culm. Between us we have an immense amount of relevant experience and skills. Beyond this core team, we have a network of contacts who support the objectives of the charity. We are constantly building on both our networks and skills as Devon Culm develops.
Nicola Channon (Chair of the Trustees)
Nicola is a generalist manager and administrator who has had a career in several sectors including Royal Navy, Education and local Government. She has held several voluntary roles including chairing the Board of Trustees of the Sid Valley Memory Café and volunteering in Youth Referral Panels working with the Youth Justice Service. In these activities Nicola has developed a detailed knowledge of the way in which charities work and what is required for a driving forward a successful strategy.
The environment is a key focus and she has led her church to manage its land for maximum habitat value and achieve a silver eco church award.
Anna and Pete Grugeon (Trustees and Secretaries)
Anna and Pete Grugeon have always been passionate about the environment. They were involved with environmental protest before they became involved with land management. They’ve been preserving and enhancing habitats on their own land for the last 20 years. Their business (Bulworthy Project) provides land management and consultancy services for private landowners and organisations including the Woodland Trust and Devon Wildlife Trust. As well as an understanding of habitat management and the grant system, they have the self motivation, determination and ingenuity it takes to run a successful business, gain planning permission to build a house in the woods and build it with their own hands.
Pete Etheridge BSc MCIEEM MCMA (Trustee)
Pete is the Owner and Principal Ecologist at GECM, a well respected ecological and land management consultancy based in south-west England. With over 20 years’ professional experience in the environmental and conservation sectors, Pete’s main interest lies at the interface between nature recovery and sustainable forestry and agriculture. He currently lives on an organic farm with experience in farming sheep, cattle, pigs and goats. Pete is passionate about regenerative agriculture & agroforestry, is a former Director of the National Coppice Federation, and is an award winning hedgelayer.
Dr Tom Parsons (Trustee)
In his role as a land management advisor with Devon Wildlife Trust, Tom has worked with over 250 farmers and land managers across northern Devon. He has extensive knowledge of the government agri-environment schemes and specialises in management, restoration and creation of grassland habitats. Tom set up and manages a regular DWT volunteer group to carry out practical work across the region, contributing to the ongoing management of high-value wildlife habitats and to the creation of new wildlife sites. He has organised numerous events for landowners and farmer groups through project work and local facilitation funds. He also volunteers regularly for Devon Wildlife Trust in his ‘spare’ time.
Eleri Pugh (Treasurer)
Eleri Pugh grew up on a Welsh hill farm, where 4 generations of her family have farmed sheep and beef cattle. Here she developed hands-on experience in livestock management and animal welfare. She later went on to run her own 26-acre smallholding in Devon using regenerative agriculture practices raising sheep, goats, and pigs.
Alongside her agricultural background, Eleri has over 15 years of project management experience, leading complex, high-value projects across multiple industries. She currently manages a team of 10 Project Managers delivering projects across Europe.