Our people

Clare Freeman

Director

Clare leads and manages NHSN, shaping NHSN’s strategic direction and ensuring it continues to inspire wonder in the natural world. 

Working alongside NHSN trustees, Clare ensures the charity is well-governed, developing strategies, fundraising, building relationships with partners and delivering plans to ensure NHSN achieves its aims for people and nature.

James Common

Senior Naturalist

James organises opportunities for people to experience and enjoy North East nature through events, trips, courses, talks and venue hire.

Working closely with volunteers, he oversees NHSN’s citizen science programme, as well as wildlife recording, volunteer rangering and student projects at Gosforth Nature Reserve.

Kris McKie

Project Archivist

Kristopher is the NHSN Project Archivist for
‘Nature’s Cure in Times of Need: New Voices for
North East Nature’.

A professional archivist for over 15 years, Kris has
worked closely with diverse communities across
the North East to explore and reinterpret local
archives and shared histories.

Anna Ward

Finance and Office Manager

Anna provides administrative support to the team, ordering materials, managing the NHSN office and administering financial procedures. She ensures the smooth running of NHSN activities and ensures that members’ donations are used where they are needed most.

Sarah Seeley

Membership Support Officer

Sarah is the friendly face behind the NHSN email account, answering your queries and administering the Student Award Scheme. 

She works to ensure NHSN memberships run smoothly and offers support to volunteers and staff across the organisation. 

Julie Ross

Senior Nature Ranger

Julie leads on the new and exciting, Gosforth’s Wild Web project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage fund.

She also leads the education programe at Gosforth Nature Reserve, working with and inspiring primary school children to engage with the natural world around them.

Amber Tatman

Nature Ranger

Amber supports and delivers the new and exciting, Gosforth’s Wild Web project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage fund.

She works closely with volunteers, helping to inspire school children and community groups to notice the nature around them.

Paul Drummond

Reserve Warden (unpaid)

Paul is responsible for practical work at Gosforth Nature Reserve including woodland management, reedbed clearance, monitoring water levels, controlling the sluice gates and path clearance.  Paul leads Wednesday and Saturday conservation volunteer groups. Paul lives at Lake Lodge at the entrance to Gosforth Nature Reserve.