Phil Warren – Project Manager
Phil joined the GWCT in 1998 as a research assistant working on red grouse. Following completion of his PhD on grouse at Durham University, he became the project officer for the North of England Black Grouse Recovery Project in 2002.
Over the last 28 years, he has worked on habitat recovery projects to conserve black grouse, has recently led pioneering studies involving translocation of birds from the Durham Dales to expand the range in the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors, and designed Heritage Lottery Fund funded projects to co-ordinate volunteer black grouse count schemes in Scotland. Most recently, he was the project officer for the Black Grouse Range Expansion Project. This culminated in him being the lead author on 17 papers published on black grouse. He has chaired both the English and Scottish Black Grouse Species Action Groups as well as being project officer for the Merlin Magic project.
Holly Appleby – Project Officer
Holly grew up in the Durham Dales and joined the GWCT in 2023 as a research assistant working on camera traps and ground-nesting waders and long-term red and black grouse population monitoring. Most recently, she was the project assistant for the Black Grouse Range Expansion Project. Prior to joining the GWCT, she completed a BSc and MRes at Durham University, worked as a countryside ranger in Cumbria and Northumberland and enjoys beating on many local grouse moors.
Eleanor Humphryes – Project Assistant
Eleanor joined the GWCT back in 2024 as a placement student with the NCA/GIS teams. Now, as a fully-fledged graduate in Zoology from Newcastle University, she is looking forward to exploring another beautiful area of the Northeast.