A St Albans based wildlife trust has welcomed a new chief executive, who has 25 years of work and volunteering in the nature conservation sector.

Lesley Davies took up her post at Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust this month. Ms Davies previously worked as the leisure services manager for Aylesbury Vale District Council, where her responsibilities included parks, leisure centres and community development, as well as the Biodiversity Team.

She set up and secured funding for many new wildlife conservation initiatives, along with negotiating high quality green infrastructure and ecological mitigation in new housing developments. 

Ms Davies said: "Being actively involved in wildlife conservation is what really motivates me.  I’m excited to be starting my new role here at Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust to ensure that we do all we can for the wildlife of the area, working towards our goal of building a Living Landscape across the two counties and securing a strong and successful future for the trust."

Mike Master, chairman of the trust, said: "We are delighted to welcome Lesley Davies as the trust’s new chief executive.  She brings a wealth of conservation experience, coupled with business acumen and a proven track record of securing the funds to drive projects forward. We are looking forward to working with her as we develop our vision for the future."

He added: "Lesley takes over from Jane Durney and I know that the trust would like to take this opportunity to thank Jane for her work over the last three years. We wish her all the very best for the future."