Maggie Shelton

THE PEOPLE

Meon Senior Partnership Officer

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

Working to restore the River Meon from source to sea, bringing together habitat restoration, communities and better land management.

WHAT DRIVES HER

Creating practical, collaborative solutions that help nature recover

I’m a conservation professional with a lifelong passion for wildlife, biology and protecting the natural environment.

My career began in training and education. Once my children were in their teens, I returned to study as a mature student at Sparsholt College and qualified with a degree in ecology and conservation management. I work at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, delivering catchment-scale programmes focused on the restoration and protection of precious chalk streams. I was one of the team delivering Heritage Lottery funded Watercress and Winterbournes.

My interests lie in invertebrates, landscape-scale conservation and creative thinking. I bring hands-on experience such as ecological surveying and monitoring, Riverfly training and volunteer support, SmartRivers species identification, habitat management planning, conservation project delivery, animal trapping and handling, and community engagement.

I’m especially motivated by creating practical, collaborative solutions that help nature recover. I’m passionate about using my background in both ecology and education to inspire and equip the next generation to value, understand and care for the natural world.

PROTECTING OUR CHALK RIVERS

Maggie on the River Meon

How are you or your organisation helping to conserve, improve and protect Hampshire’s chalk rivers?

We are working in partnership on the River Meon, in a long-term ambitious programme of habitat restoration. We aim to restore the catchment of the Meon from the surrounding landscape, the river and wetlands to, and including, the estuarine environment and seascape. We aim to develop the first ‘source to sea’ catchment-based initiative in Hampshire. We will achieve this through building community capacity and ownership. Through partnerships, we will deliver targeted restoration of key areas of the river and its surrounding habitats. We will identify and address key pressures on the river and will encourage and support appropriate land management. We aim to secure positive policy change for this and other chalk streams.

What gives you hope for the future of Hampshire’s chalk rivers?

My hope for chalk streams is that we continue to campaign for all chalk streams to receive robust legal protection. I feel that this is one of the most important overarching aspects of chalk stream conservation. I am hopeful and moved when volunteers give their time and energy to act for their chalk streams. We have experience of supporting these communities, enabling them to take ownership of their conservation activities. I value the contributions of these committed, knowledgeable people. They have great impact and we should celebrate their work.

FIND OUT MORE

Further information

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

KEEP MEETING THE PEOPLE

Meet more of the people behind the project

The Chalk River Project brings together people working in many different ways to protect and restore Hampshire’s chalk rivers. Meet more of the people sharing their knowledge, experience and commitment with the project.