Meet the Team

Team photograph: Gary Lawson Media

Simon Warwick

LUCT Director

Emma Higgs

Emma is our Project Manager and oversees habitat management work, wildlife monitoring, and the day-to-day running of the reserve. She also manages our incredible and very hardworking team of practical volunteers. She has delivered two funded projects for LUCT: The Green Recovery Challenge Fund project ‘ Restoring the Swale & Ure Washlands’ in 2021, and the ‘Ure Connected’ project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which ran from 2023 to 2025.

Her favourite species that can be found at Nosterfield is the osprey. “I love the ospreys that visit us each summer and the joy of watching them catch fish in our lakes never fades. Their population crashed in the UK in the mid-20th century, but they’ve made a steady recovery, and so they always remind me of how successful conservation efforts can be! We installed an osprey nest platform in my first few weeks at LUCT, and although some ospreys have shown an interest, none of them have nested on it yet, so I can’t wait for the day they do!”


Jo Swiers

Jo is LUCT’s Director of Operations & Strategy and has been part of the team since 2018. She plays a key role in helping the Trust grow and thrive, leading on everything from organisational development and governance to the day-to-day operations that keep things running smoothly behind the scenes.

Working closely with colleagues, Trustees and partners, Jo enjoys bringing people together to turn ideas into action and helping create the strong foundations that support LUCT’s conservation work. Her role covers business planning, finance, HR, compliance and strategic partnerships, as well as supporting fundraising and the long-term sustainability of the Trust.

Outside of work, Jo loves spending time at the Nature Reserve, especially on peaceful evenings when she can fully appreciate the wildlife and landscape setting that make the Trust’s work so meaningful.

Amy Horton

Community Engagement Officer

Amy joined LUCT as Community Engagement Officer in 2023, as part of the Ure Connected National Lottery Heritage Fund project. With the help of colleagues and a fantastic team of engagement and events volunteers, Amy co-ordinates a wide range of events at the reserve, including group visits, art workshops, conservation club, reserve tours and pond dipping sessions. Amy also oversees LUCT’s social media accounts and quarterly newsletters.

‘One of my favourite aspects of my role with LUCT is seeing the connection people of all ages make with nature. Whether it’s hearing a booming Bittern for the first time, discovering a Bloody-nosed beetle trundling across the path at the Main Reserve, recognising the trill of a wren or watching a Caddisfly emerge from its case of twigs and bark, it’s such a privilege to witness those moments of joy and discovery’.

Sophie Carruthers

Trainee Plant Nursery Manager