Second Nature

Ben Sharples heads up the Natural Capital Team at Michelmores and brings his dual qualifications as a surveyor and solicitor to assist clients engaging in the market for environmental services. 

As one of the first lawyers to engage with emergent policy on natural capital, having already completed numerous deals in this space and having been the architect in several novel and ground breaking natural capital-related schemes that have since become embedded as the norm, Ben wrote his first book entitled A Practical Guide to Payments for Environmental Services. 

Having practised as a agricultural litigator for over 20 years, Ben knows the importance of properly documenting deals that involve land. Ben is an accredited mediator and arbitrator so can assist in resolving disputes in any number of ways.

This mix of contentious expertise and environmental experience is of particular relevance in this new and rapidly developing market where agreements need to be flexible enough to embrace as yet unknown future opportunities, and sufficiently clear so as to avoid disputes.

Gil Martin is the Director of Estates and Natural Capital at Belmont, a regenerative organisation on a mission to inspire community connection, restore biodiversity, and tackle climate change through ambitious nature-recovery projects, a nature connection program, natural capital solutions, and outdoor shared experiences.
 
Gil is a passionate naturalist with a focus on ecosystem ecology and the development of a nature market as a mechanism to catalyse change. His path has taken him from traditional land management, running farms and estates across the country, to classic conservation with organisations like the National Trust, and finally to Belmont Estate, where the values of connection, ambitious restoration, and commercial diversification come together.
 
With a deep passion for connecting people to nature and decades of experience, Gil leads efforts on nature restoration and connection projects while encouraging community involvement through activities such as volunteering days. As part of the Belmont team, Gil’s expertise, knowledge, and passion for genuinely ambitious ecosystem restoration and the emerging natural capital market has helped place Belmont at the forefront of impact-driven business.

Joss Ford is the founder of Enviral, a purpose-driven agency that consults, creates and communicates organisations’ social and environmental stories. He believes that communications plays one of the most important roles in solving our global challenges. A graduate of The School of Earth and Environment at Leeds University and CISL (Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership), Joss helps companies operate more sustainably and transparently communicate their environmental messages through impactful campaigns. Enviral works with a number of clients, dedicating their communications skills to help create a cleaner, greener and more just future.

Lyall Spencer is the Estate Manager at Esgair Arth for Oxygen Conservation, where impactful projects focused on ecological restoration and sustainable land management are at the forefront. Lyall’s dedication to conservation has been a lifelong journey. He began his career as a teenager, working hands-on in sustainable woodland management, later advancing through studies in countryside management and conservation at both college and university.

Lyall now oversees conservation efforts at Esgair Arth, including the Wild Service Trees in Wales Project, and the planting of 90,000 trees to restore native woodlands and enhance biodiversity.

Driven by a passion for landscape-scale conservation and a commitment to sustainable practices, Lyall is dedicated to advancing innovative approaches in land stewardship. Through his work, he aims to not only help regenerate natural ecosystems but also inspire communities and future generations to prioritise and protect the environment.

Debbie Tann MBE is the Chief Executive of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.  From humble beginnings and an unconventional background, she has carved out a remarkable career in ecology and nature conservation.  During her 25-years with the Trust, she's grown the charity into one of the largest of the county wildlife trusts in the UK, now with 150 staff and assets of £25 million.  

She has instigated many significant conservation projects over the years including bringing large swathes of MOD land into conservation grazing,  and setting up England's first nutrient neutrality schemes through buying and rewilding two farms on the Isle of Wight and reducing pollution into the Solent.  She was seconded into Defra in 2010 to help write the groundbreaking Natural Environment White Paper which put into policy the concept of landscape scale nature recovery and was the first publication to recognise the value of natural capital.  

Her current projects include working towards a wild release of beavers to the Isle of Wight, developing the local Rewilding Network and delivering further nature-based solutions schemes. Debbie is also passionate about engaging and connecting people with nature,  and empowering communities to demand a better future for themselves and for wildlife.  

Ben Goldsmith is a British financier, philanthropist, and lifelong nature lover who has been at the forefront of rewilding campaigns across Britain, Europe and beyond.

He founded and chairs Conservation Collective, a leading nature restoration charity supporting 20 locally-focused foundations around the world.

Ben is the Chief Executive Officer of Menhaden, a London-listed, sustainability-themed investment company and also a Trustee of the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), one of the world’s largest climate change focused philanthropic funds.

Ben served from 2018 until 2022 as a Non-Executive Director of the UK Government’s Department of Food, Environment and Rural Affairs.

Luke Baldwin is CEO of Nature Broking which he co-founded in March 2023 to channel more private and public finance into climate and nature. 

Nature Broking builds unique, personalised carbon credit and nature portfolios for corporations enabling them to maximise their impact on climate and wildlife. Nature Broking’s high impact projects in the UK and round the world reduce and remove emissions whilst restoring habitats and biodiversity.

Luke has built considerable knowledge and expertise on natural capital, nature-based solutions and portfolio creation and is passionate about the business of engaging companies with the projects that they finance through site visits, education and impact reporting. 

Luke’s ‘feral’ childhood in Yorkshire, Cambridge and Scotland gave him a deep love of the natural world which, along with some key book reading and the difficulties he encountered with a project to plant a woodland in memory of a friend, provided him with the impetus to set up his own company. 

Prior to founding Nature Broking, Luke took a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering at Loughborough University, then worked in the insurance industry, both of which helped him develop Nature Broking’s model using insurance techniques to mitigate against the potential risks inherent in the carbon and nature markets. 

Eoin Murray is the Managing Director of SEED at the Crowther Lab, joining in 2024 to bring the SEED Biocomplexity Index to market. With over thirty years of experience as a successful business and investment leader, Eoin is proud to have supported the launch of one of the first biodiversity equity strategies with the Natural History Museum in London, and helped drive the launch of the UK Nature Restoration Fund backed by the Department for the Environment in the UK. Eoin is currently studying for a PhD in Nature & Investment, further cultivating this commitment to business playing a vital role in protecting biodiversity. Eoin is based in the UK, where he is Chair of the Exmoor Search & Rescue Team.

Eoin is now set to join Rebalance Earth in 2025 to begin his next adventure as their CIO. 

Meet Ed Dark, Head of Technology at Oxygen House, the innovative force behind our tech-driven approach to conservation. In this episode, Ed takes us through his journey from tech enthusiast to leading the technology team at Oxygen House. He discusses how he handles the challenges of data storage, cybersecurity, and cutting-edge digital solutions that support Oxygen House and the business within including Oxygen Conservation. Tune in to hear how Ed ensures our data is secure, efficient and learn about the exciting tech developments helping to protect us all!

Alistair Maltby is the Director of Estate and Woodland Outreach at The Woodland Trust, where he plays a pivotal role in promoting the conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of the UK’s woodlands. With a deep passion for connecting people to nature, Alistair leads efforts to expand and protect woodlands while encouraging community involvement in forest conservation. His work spans innovative reforestation projects, climate change mitigation, and nurturing biodiversity through sustainable land use. With decades of experience in environmental outreach, Alistair is dedicated to shaping a greener, more sustainable future for generations to come.