About Wild Marlow

We are passionate about protecting the future for our native species

Wild Marlow is a group of volunteer enthusiasts passionate about wildlife and protecting biodiversity in the Marlow area. Our objective is the promotion of conservation, protection and improvement of the biodiversity and the physical environment.

We cover the areas in and around Marlow, including the Parishes of Marlow Town, Great Marlow, Marlow Bottom and Little Marlow.

Our objective is the promotion of conservation, protection and improvement of the biodiversity and physical environment, specifically for wildlife in and around Marlow.

Our aim is to engage the local community including residents, local organisations, land owners and decision makers, through events, educational guides and tours, advice, competitions, volunteering and practical work parties, to raise awareness of the importance of a balanced ecosystem and to champion Marlow’s wildlife, whilst working with existing volunteer and wildlife groups. This will also raise awareness of the importance of biodiversity and encourage educational and social based actions to support and enhance the value of community spaces.

Our aim is to engage the local community including residents, local organisations, land owners and decision makers to raise the awareness of the importance of a balanced ecosystem.

We will champion Marlow’s wildlife, while working with existing volunteer and wildlife groups to encourage educational and social based actions to support and enhance the value of community spaces.

We run events, educational guides and tours, provide advice, run competitions, organise volunteer and practical work parties and support schools.

Verity West

Founder, Trustee & Chair

Having lived in Marlow her whole life, Verity is passionate about the local wildlife. Her home is in Little Marlow, close to Spade Oak Nature Reserve, which she visits regularly. Having worked for the local organisation BBOWT (Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust) and now for an Ecological Consultancy, Verity is properly immersed in nature, not just through work and Wild Marlow, but also with volunteering for the local bat group and bird box monitoring. She loves being outdoors, all creatures (except spiders!), the peace and quiet of nature, and making her garden wildlife-friendly.

Sarah Foot

Trustee & Vice-Chair

An ecologist by profession, Sarah is keen to help spread awareness of the amazing wildlife in the area and to be involved in projects to protect nature. She enjoys bird ringing and environmental campaigns such as Plastic Free Maidenhead. One of her favourite nature walks is the River Thames stretch between Bourne End and Marlow.

Stephen Hill

Trustee & Treasurer

Stephen has lived in Marlow for almost 30 years and joined Wild Marlow to protect and extend the biodiversity of flora and fauna in the area. Stephen loves walking in the Little Marlow Lakes Country Park and is a member of the charity, Save Marlow’s Greenbelt, which exists to oppose developments like The Marlow Film Studios. Stephen is a keen bridge player and teacher and active member of The Marlow Club.

Emma Shaw

Trustee & Secretary

After a lifetimes love for nature and wildlife Emma took a career leap later in life and has worked in the conservation and ecology sector for nearly 10 years. She has a particular love for birding but is constantly fascinated by everything in the natural world. Originating from the Midlands Emma has lived in the Marlow area for 14 years now and keen to put her knowledge to local good. Her other passions are photography, walking and crafting.

Trevor Farnfield

Trustee

Trevor’s favourite local wildlife areas are Quarry Wood/Cock Marsh and Heath/Homefield Woods. He’s lived near Marlow Lock for around ten years and joined Wild Marlow to encourage others, particularly children, to enjoy and engage with their local wildlife and habitats. A keen advocate of the Wild Marlow Gardens Campaign, Trevor is proud of his own Gold Standard garden. A lover of hedgehogs and kingfishers, Trevor enjoys long walks in the Marlow area. Before retiring, he worked as an environmental/sustainability engineer in the construction industry.

Susanna Beard

Trustee

Author Susanna has lived in central Marlow for over ten years and enjoys exploring the surrounding countryside with her dogs. Despite this, she has yet to spot her favourite British wild animal, the weasel, in the Marlow area. Before becoming a full-time writer, Susanna enjoyed a long career in marketing, running her own PR agency in Marlow and Henley. When she isn’t writing her next psychological thriller, she enjoys tennis, swimming, books and walking.

Martin Robinson

Trustee

Martin joined Wild Marlow to help protect the area’s precious local wildlife. He has lived in the area for over ten years and enjoys visiting Homefield Wood when he’s out and about. In the summer months Martin carries out butterfly population surveys for Butterfly Conservation and BBOWT. He also works with some local landowners in helping to create and maintain butterfly-friendly environments that fit in with their land use. Before retiring, Martin was the director and co-founder of a business consultancy specialising in the clinical research sector.

Nick Horslen

Trustee

Having lived in the Marlow area for over twenty years, Nick loves the connection with nature on his doorstep and walks regularly with his family in Marlow Common, Homefield Woods and along the river. A lover of birds and amphibians, Nick supports the Henley Toad Patrol at the annual migration across the main road. Nick is a Chair of Governors for a primary school in Totteridge and Enterprise Advisor to secondary school in Bourne End, helping young people plan their career development goals. Through his career in science and technology and owning and running a retail pharmacy with his wife, Nick is very conscious of the needs of local communities and their links with the planet and the environment in terms of health and education.

Ann Pitwell

Membership

As well as her garden, Ann loves Homefield Wood, especially when the orchids are out. Having lived in Marlow for 29 years, she cares deeply about the local wildlife and is concerned about the widespread decline in animal numbers. Through Wild Marlow she’s enjoying meeting like-minded people and increasing her knowledge of wildlife locally. She takes a keen interest in birds, butterflies and sustainability. Before she retired, Ann worked for a number of organisations in the manufacturing and services sectors

Catherine Day

Volunteer

Catherine has recently arrived in central Marlow from West London. She and her partner Jon have created wildlife areas in their new garden, with long grasses and wildflowers attracting the damselflies. Formerly a reference book desk editor, Catherine is passionate about swifts and other wildlife. She’s an RSPB Swift Volunteer, Swift Conservation volunteer and a member of the Swifts Local Network, and is looking forward to helping to conserve Marlow’s swift population. She also enjoys photography.

Natasha Somers

Volunteer

Tash’s family has lived in Marlow for over 65 years. She joined Wild Marlow because she believes the everyday destruction of ecosystems is a huge motivator to help educate herself and others. Tash works with people on their land to encourage them to find a place of peace and connection with it and to help move them into a role of custodian by improving the land's health and biodiversity. Along with her deep love of nature, the land, and the movement of rewilding, she is a formally trained artist and brings that into many aspects of her life from cooking to allotment growing. She loves the Munday Dean Valley for walking and finding all types of wildflowers, a particular passion of hers.

Helen Fensome

Volunteer

During her eight years living in the area, Helen has enjoyed the best wildlife experiences around Munces Wood and Kimber’s Copse. As a primary school teacher, Helen is heavily involved in Forest School activities, and joined Wild Marlow out of love of nature and concern for the environment. As well as walking and swimming, she loves hedgehogs, rabbit rescue and generally anything nature-related.