Meet the Team

David is an ecologist, water vole specialist, and founder of Kernow Conservation. David leads on all aspects of our field projects including, water voles, ospreys, and beavers. 

Before co-founding Kernow Conservation as a university project in 2019, David ran an antique furniture business for over ten years while working as a long-term volunteer at Rutland Water Nature Reserve involved in habitat restoration/management and surveys/monitoring.

Concerned about biodiversity loss and climate change, David relocated to Cornwall in 2018 to complete a BSc in Conservation Biology and Ecology. He has since developed a strong local network of landowners, along with key contacts within stakeholder organisations such as Natural England, University of Exeter, Cornwall Wildlife Trust, and others. 

David represents Kernow Conservation CIC on two local steering committees, the Cornwall Squirrel Initiative and the Cornwall Stork Project.

Joe is an experienced creative writer and communications specialist and leads on partnerships and memberships, marketing and communications, and our Wildlife Garden Project.

Previously a senior member of the campaigns team at a major business organisation, Joe brings valuable experience having worked on a range of policy areas including net zero, sustainability and diversity equity, and inclusion.

A former travel writer with an MA in Creative Writing and a long-standing passion for wildlife conservation, Joe joined Kernow Conservation on an initial volunteer basis in 2022, bringing his experience to social media strategy before becoming a director in November 2023.

Joe represents Kernow Conservation CIC at the Southwest Rainforest Alliance where he is a member of the communications working group.

Zac Lazarou co-founded Kernow Conservation as a student in 2019 and provides regular input, advice, and expertise.

With a first-class BSc in Zoology and having recently completed an MA in Directing and Producing Science and Natural History at the National Film and Television School, Zac is now embarking on a career in wildlife film-making while acting as a passionate ambassador and advocate for Kernow Conservation CIC within his developing networks.