Jim Martin B.Sc. (Hons), M.Sc., Ph.D., MCIEEM
Managing Director

Jim completed his Ph.D. thesis at the Botany Department of Trinity College Dublin in 1998 and then commenced a one-year post-doctoral position with Teagasc. Before taking up his current position he spent two years at the National Agricultural Research Institute in Guyana, South America, and six months working on the raised bog designations team for the National Parks and Wildlife Service. During his time with BEC Consultants Jim has successfully led a number of large-scale national ecological projects including the National Survey of Native Woodland (2003-2008), the Irish Semi-natural Grasslands Survey (2007-2013), and the follow-up Grassland Monitoring Surveys (2015-2017) and (2021-2023). Jim is an accomplished ecologist and is experienced in habitat mapping and GIS. He was part of the team that recently completed the iHabiMAP (Habitat mapping, assessment and monitoring with high resolution imagery) project, a four year project funded by the Environmental Protection Agency that mapped saltmarsh, sand dune, grassland and upland habitats using high resolution satellite data and images collected with unmanned aerial vehicles. Jim has also worked on projects in the areas of restoration ecology, Environmental Impact Assessment Reports (EIAR), Ecological Impact Assessments (EcIA), Appropriate Assessments (AA), the preparation of Natura Impact Statements (NIS), and alien invasive species surveys. Jim is a full member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (MCIEEM) and British Ecological Society (BES).

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Steve Waldren B.Sc. (Hons), Ph.D.
Company Director

Steve has held the position of Company Director since the company’s inception in 2000. He plays a key role for the company in providing the secretariat for the Irish National Platform for Biodiversity Research and his expertise in rare plants has been utilised in projects such as Mitigation Measures for the nationally threatened Schoenoplectus triqueter. He acts in an advisory capacity on other projects within the company. Steve is currently the Curator/Administrator of Trinity College Botanic Gardens, and is involved with a range of conservation and research organisations including BGCI/IABG European Botanic Garden Consortium and the Irish Genetic Resources Conservation Trust. His main areas of research are ecological and population genetics, physiological ecology, plant biogeography, island floras and conservation biology.

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Philip Perrin B.Sc. (Hons), M.Sc., Ph.D., CEnv., MCIEEM
Director of Ecology

Philip joined BEC Consultants in 2003. He is an experienced botanist specialising in woodlands, uplands and saltmarshes. He has written the Irish Vegetation Classification (2015-2024) and had leading roles in other major projects, such as the Ecological survey and restoration planning for NPWS woodland properties in County Wicklow (2024-2026), the Saltmarsh Function and Human Impacts Related to Ecological Status (SAMFHIRES) (2016-2019), the National Survey of Upland Habitats (2009-2014) and the National Survey of Native Woodlands (2003-2008).  He is skilled in habitat surveys and ecological assessments, GIS and statistical analysis of vegetation data using multivariate analysis, and has authored several peer-reviewed publications. Philip is a full member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (MCIEEM), and a Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv).

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Simon Barron B.Sc. (Hons), CEnv., MCIEEM
Director of Ecology

Simon joined BEC Consultants in 2004. He has over 25 years’ experience as a professional ecologist, is a full member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (MCIEEM), and a Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv). He is experienced in habitat surveys, mammal surveys, assessing the conservation value of sites and in developing workable management plans for sites. Recently, Simon project managed the Woodland Reassessment Survey (2021-2023), which considered woodland sites for designation as Natural Heritage Areas. He has been working on the survey of NPWS-owned woodland sites in the southwest and in Wicklow. He also contributed to the most recent assessments for reporting to the EU on the condition of Annex I woodland habitat in Ireland. Simon provided ecological support to the EPA/OSi team which developed the Irish National Landcover Map (2019-2023). He has completed a number of long-term rare plant rescue translocations for Schoenoplectus triqueter, Groenlandia densa and Hordeum secalinum and continues to monitor some of these translocations. Simon is skilled in GIS mapping techniques, aerial photograph interpretation and report writing and is experienced in writing local Biodiversity Action Plans with local community groups.

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Fionnuala O’Neill B.Sc. (Hons), Dip. Comp. Sc., H. Dip. Appl. Sc., Ph.D., MCIEEM
Director of Ecology

Since joining BEC Consultants full-time in 2007, Fionnuala has worked extensively on a number of national habitat surveys commissioned by NPWS, including the Irish Semi-natural Grasslands Survey (ISGS), the National Survey of Native Woodlands, and the follow-up monitoring surveys to both. All variations of these habitats were explored, ranging from inundated grasslands, marshes, tall herb swamps and wet woodlands, to the very driest examples, including both acidic and calcareous habitats. She has also spent time on saltmarsh, turlough, fen, juniper scrub and limestone pavement habitats.

As a result of her wide-ranging fieldwork experience, she is an excellent botanist and has become familiar with many of the protected habitats that Ireland supports. She has carried out or assisted with National Conservation Status Assessments (submitted to the EU as part of Ireland’s obligations under the EU Habitats Directive) for a subset of these habitats for every monitoring period since 2007-2012. She has co-authored over 10 Irish Wildlife Manuals on a range of habitats and species, primarily Annex I habitats.

Fionnuala also has extensive experience of habitat mapping using both ArcMap and QGIS. A former computer programmer, she has developed expertise in the use of databases, and she has designed and/or maintained Access databases for 18 projects.

Apart from her survey work, Fionnuala is also involved in training. She has delivered a number of workshops on botanical topics including botany for beginners and more advanced courses on grasses and grassland habitats for professional ecologists. Teaching non-botanists requires the ability to convey information and concepts in a non-technical way to help participants understand the topic fully.

Fionnuala is a full member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (MCIEEM).

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John Brophy B.A. (Hons), M.Sc., CEcol, MCIEEM
Director of Ecology

John joined BEC Consultants in 2012, bringing with him extensive experience in freshwater and marine ecology. He has over 20 years’ experience in ecological consultancy, including proposal preparation, field surveying, GIS and report writing. He has carried out field surveys across Ireland for freshwater invertebrates (Q-index), otter, macrophytes, marine invertebrates, and marine and freshwater fish. John has carried out surveys of aquatic and terrestrial alien invasive species (AIS) in advance of site works. Surveys have been carried out as part of Ecological Impact Assessments contributing to the preparation of Environmental Impact Statements, and Appropriate Assessments and Natura Impact Statements, as required under the EU Habitats Directive. With BEC Consultants, John was heavily involved with the Rare Mollusc Survey and the Vertigo Monitoring Project 2014-2017, which surveyed Vertigo angustior, Vertigo geyeri and Vertigo moulinsiana and went on to lead the Vertigo National Monitoring Project 2021-2024. He was also project manager for the National Saltmarsh Monitoring Project 2017-2018 and has recently overseen the completion of the National Fen Survey 2021-2025.

John is a full member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (MCIEEM), as well as a Chartered Ecologist (CEcol). He holds a Freshwater Macroinvertebrate Species IdQ from the Natural History Museum, London and is intercalibrated with the EPA for carrying out Small Streams Risk Score (SSRS) assessments.

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Orla Daly B.Sc. (Hons), PGDIP, M.Sc., MCIEEM
Senior Ecologist

Orla joined BEC Consultants in 2009. She has extensive experience in vegetation mapping according to the Irish habitat classification, EU Annex I habitats and to vegetation community level. She has worked on several national monitoring surveys, including the Woodland Monitoring Survey 2017-2018, for which she was Project Manager, Grassland Monitoring, Coastal Habitat Monitoring, Vertigo Monitoring and Rare Plant Monitoring. In 2025, she project managed the National Conservation Assessments (NCAs) for nine EU Annex I uplands habitats for Article 17 reporting, she had also previously assisted in the compilation of NCAs for EU Annex I coastal, grassland and woodland habitats. In 2025, she also project managed the Mount Brandon Uplands Conservation Assessment Project within Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí. Prior to this, as part of the National Survey of Upland Habitats, Orla surveyed eighteen upland SACs across Ireland, conducting conservation assessments, vegetation mapping and relevé recording. She project managed NSUH Phase 5.

Orla was lead ecologist on numerous county Marsh Fritillary butterfly surveys, a species listed on Annex II of the EU Habitats Directive. She is experienced in writing habitat management plans and invasive species management plans. She has extensive data-handling expertise, and is accomplished in the management, creation and integration of spatial datasets. With the company, Orla is the over-arching individual responsible for GIS quality control. She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in GIS from the University of Ulster, an M.Sc. in Biodiversity and Conservation from Trinity College Dublin and is a full member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (MCIEEM). She is also an NPWS Farm Planner and an approved Native Woodland Scheme Ecologist.

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Fiona Devaney B.Sc. (Hons), Ph.D., H.Dip. Data Science and Analytics, MCIEEM
Senior Ecologist

Dr. Fiona Devaney is a highly competent ecologist with two decades of experience in research, fieldwork and consultancy. After successfully completing her Ph.D. in dune slack ecohydrology, she joined BEC Consultants in 2009 as a consultant ecologist. She has amassed considerable knowledge of the biodiversity of a wide range of habitats, having contributed to projects on coastal, grassland, woodland, upland and fen habitats. She has worked extensively on national habitat surveys, primarily the Sand Dune Monitoring Survey and the Irish Semi-natural Grasslands Survey, and contributed to the 2013 and 2019 National Conservation Assessments of several EU Annex I coastal, grassland and upland habitats. She was lead ecologist on a project which developed and applied a tool (SMAATIE) for the ecological status assessment of saltmarshes for the Water Framework Directive. She attained the level of Senior Ecologist with BEC Consultants before leaving in December 2018 to pursue further studies in the area of data analysis. Fiona graduated from Maynooth University in 2020 with a first-class honours Higher Diploma in Data Science and Analytics. She has extensive experience of working with large datasets, and maintaining, digitising and storing field data while ensuring data consistency and accuracy. She re-joined BEC Consultants in 2021 as a Senior Ecologist, where she has been primarily involved in the National Fen Survey, Coastal Data Management project and BIOForest25 mapping project. Fiona is a full member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (MCIEEM).

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Kate McNutt B.Sc. (Hons), PgDip, M.Sc., PgCHE
Senior Ecologist

Kate worked full-time for BEC Consultants from 2006 to 2012, and having taken a hiatus to pursue further education and maintaining involvement with the company as a freelance consultant, fully rejoined the company in 2025. Kate has extensive experience in habitat mapping according to the Irish habitat classification, EU Annex I habitats and to Irish vegetation community level. She has worked as a field ecologist on several large-scale national ecological projects, including the National Survey of Native Woodlands (2006-2007), the Irish Semi-natural Grasslands Survey (2007-2012), the National Survey of Upland Habitats (2011-2012) and the National Fen Survey (2021-2025). Kate has additional field experience in monitoring EU Annex I habitats, including coastal habitats, both salt marsh and sand dune habitats, grasslands and woodlands. She has assisted in the GIS aspects for the compilation of National Conservation Assessments for EU Annex I habitat Calaminarian grasslands, as well as three herb and moss species listed on Annex II of the EU Habitats Directive (2024). Kate has undertaken many smaller-scale projects conducting high quality habitat surveys and habitat assessments as a component of Environmental Impact Assessments, usually considering Annex I habitats, spanning across sand dune habitats, upland habitats, limestone pavements, wet woodlands, grasslands and hedgerows, this last incorporating application of the Hedgerow Appraisal System. She also has experience conducting surveys on the “Results-Based” NPWS Farm Plan Scheme. More recently, she has been leading a medium-sized project monitoring grasslands on lands in the Farm Plan Scheme. She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in GIS with the University of Ulster, as well as an M.Sc. in Conservation and Rural Development and a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education from the University of Kent. She has extensive data-handling expertise, and is accomplished in the management, creation and integration of spatial datasets. Kate also has extensive training in social science methods, such as questionnaire design, semi-structured interviews and the conducting of focus groups and other participatory methods such as community mapping.

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Jessica Hamilton B.Sc.
Ecologist

Jessica joined BEC Consultants in 2022. Alongside botany, Jessica is a keen entomologist with good working knowledge of the main invertebrate groups present in Ireland and is also an experienced moth trapper.

Since joining BEC Consultants, Jessica has been working on a range of projects for the company. Most recently, during the 2025 field season, Jessica has been working on Mount Brandon Annex I Upland Habitats Conservation Assessments that BEC are undertaking for NPWS.

Jessica has also worked on a number of other projects that BEC have undertaken for NPWS, including the National Fen Survey (2022-2025), the Woodland Monitoring Survey (2024), Survey of NPWS woodland properties in the South Western region (2023-2024), Monitoring of Annex I Grassland Habitats (2022), Woodland Reassessment Project (2022-2023), Killarney Fern Monitoring project (2023) and Vertigo Monitoring Project (2022-2023). She has also been involved in the translocation and post-translocation monitoring of the Flora Protection Order species Meadow Barley (Hordeum secalinum).

Jessica is also experienced in conducting surveys of alien invasive species (AIS) and has written habitat management plans. In 2024, Jessica prepared an Invasive Species Management Plan (ISMP) for Killorglin Chamber Alliance and funded by The Heritage Council. Prior to joining BEC, she has worked on a range of other projects. In 2021, Jessica worked for Trinity College Dublin, and carried out the re-monitoring of permanent woodland plots in Killarney National Park (Hamilton et al., 2022).

Jessica is also an active member of the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) and has led or co-led a number of outings in recent years, including the BSBI Annual Summer Meeting in 2023, which was held in Killarney National Park and the surrounding environs. Here, she was on the organising committee and assisted with the organisation and leading of numerous outings. She previously sat on the Committee for Ireland from 2019-2025. She has co-authored resources (Hamilton et al. 2020), on Irish Annex I Grasslands, as part of The Irish Grasslands Project.

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Aoife Embleton B.Sc., M.Sc.
Ecologist

Aoife joined BEC Consultants in 2025. Aoife graduated from Munster Technological University in 2021 with a B.Sc. (Hons) in Wildlife Biology and, in 2024, completed an M.Sc. (Res) at University of Galway (formerly NUIG) in Plant Ecology, which focused on woodland ecology and ecosystem services.

Since joining the company Aoife has completed fieldwork for the National Fen Survey, assessments of upland habitats on Mount Brandon, and habitat mapping as part of a DAFM project monitoring and evaluating habitats and biodiversity in Ireland. She has also contributed to appropriate assessments, surveys of Annex I sand dune habitats at Kilpatrick Sandhills SAC, and various data management, report writing and GIS tasks within the company.

In 2024, Aoife worked for the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) on the Northern Ireland Countryside Survey. She completed botanical fieldwork to resurvey plots for an assessment of long-term vegetation change as well as establishing new plots in a wide diversity of habitats across Northern Ireland. Previously, she has also worked in a small consultancy based in Kerry, where she gained experience in a wide variety of work including offshore breeding bird surveys, appropriate assessment, and invasive alien species surveys.

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Rory Hodd B.Sc., Ph.D.
Associate Ecologist

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