Our Team
A multidisciplinary team delivering evidence-led river restoration across North Wales catchments.
Laura Owen Sanderson // Chief Executive
Laura has spent over a decade in the non-profit sector, working nationally with NGOs and charities to protect and restore waterways. In her previous role, she led the strategic development of major national water quality campaigns, influencing public awareness and policy conversations around freshwater pollution.
She has also worked as a sustainability consultant across the events and business sectors, advising organisations on environmental responsibility and impact reduction.
As CEO, Laura sets the Trust’s strategic direction, leading campaigns, partnerships and funding development to secure long-term protection for North Wales’ river systems. She champions innovative, evidence-led approaches to river restoration — combining community engagement, data, and practical habitat delivery to drive measurable environmental change.
Poppy Backshall// Communications Manager
Poppy is our Communications Manager, overseeing the delivery and coordination of the Trust’s community engagement activity. She works across the team to ensure our restoration projects, partnerships and evidence-led work are communicated clearly, consistently and professionally.
Poppy leads delivery of community education initiatives and oversees the Lab Dŵr programme, coordinating structured engagement opportunities that connect people directly with freshwater environments and deepen understanding of river health and restoration.
With a background in journalism, she combines strong storytelling skills with environmental awareness to translate complex technical work into accessible and engaging content, helping broaden participation in river conservation across North Wales.
Elis Lloyd Williams // Project Officer
Elis is one of our River Project Officers and leads delivery of our SAF programme of river restoration projects. He is also responsible for farmer engagement in his role as a Farm Advisor, working closely with landowners to develop practical, collaborative solutions that benefit both farms and river systems. A proud Gog, he is passionate about caring for the landscapes and rivers of his home in North Wales.
He holds in-house hydromorphology and aquatic invertebrate survey qualifications, alongside a background in Mathematics and Data. This combination of technical field skills and analytical thinking enables him to scope new projects, assess river condition and contribute to evidence-led restoration planning.
Elis enjoys being out on site scoping new projects, advising farmers and landowners, communicating with local communities, and embracing new mapping and IT tools to support restoration work.
Angharad Powell // River Restoration Manager
Angharad is our River Restoration Manager, leading the design and delivery of restoration projects across North Wales. She has an academic background in Environmental Management and has worked in fisheries research and management in various corners of the UK.
Drawing on this experience, Angharad oversees the development, planning and implementation of a wide range of river restoration schemes — from early-stage project design through to consultancy and on-the-ground delivery.
She is passionate about aquatic environments, conservation and enhancing biodiversity within our river systems, and believes that education and knowledge-sharing are vital to achieving long-term environmental change.
Josh Berry // Fisheries Engagement Officer
Josh is our Fisheries Engagement Officer, and his work is focused around strengthening relationships with Angling communities across our catchment.
As a passionate Angler and fisheries science enthusiast, Josh brings a fantastic mix of firsthand experience and academic knowledge.
When not working or studying you will usually find Josh fishing, photographing wildlife or getting to know the river and it’s inhabitants up close!
Rich White // project Consultant
Rich White brings decades of experience in river restoration to his role as Project Consultant, supporting the effective delivery of high-impact restoration projects.
Rich has worked across Welsh catchments for many years, leading practical conservation efforts and achieving impressive results for the health of our rivers. His expertise and commitment make him an invaluable part of the team.
Stewart Johnson// Ecologist
Stewart is an experienced freelance ecologist with over 25 years of practical field experience.
He is a Full Member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) and is SafeContractor accredited, CSCS certified, and qualified for National Grid work.
Stewart provides Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW) services, protected species surveys, utility supervision and habitat management planning. He is particularly valued for his strong field skills, contractor liaison experience, and practical, solution-focused approach.
JACK JOHNSON // Project Officer
Jack is our Project Officer, leading habitat improvement and monitoring work across river systems. He previously worked with us as a Project Assistant and intern, progressing through the organisation as his experience and expertise developed.
Jack studied Freshwater Ecology at Bangor University, and he is passionate about life beneath the surface. An enthusiastic diver, he enjoys exploring rivers, lakes and marine environments to better understand the species that depend on them.
Jack brings curiosity, technical knowledge and a practical, hands-on approach to every project — from overseeing restoration works to coordinating monitoring and engaging local communities in protecting our freshwater environments.
Emma Bonham // Marine and freshwater project Coordinator
Emma is our Marine and Freshwater Project Coordinator. Her work is focused on initiatives to improve biodiversity and water quality across rivers flowing into the Menai Strait and within the Strait itself.
With a background in ecology and conservation, Emma has a PhD in Biology and has worked for NGO’s and government agencies. Emma loves communicating about natural history and is passionate about conservation initiatives that look at wider river catchments and our impacts on them.
When not at work Emma loves being outside and can usually be found rambling with her dogs exploring the varied landscapes of North Wales.