About Us

Supporting sustainable development with expert guidance.

MAB Ecology is an independent ecological consultancy providing clear, practical advice to support sustainable development and environmental stewardship. We work with developers, planners, landowners and architects to navigate ecological constraints with confidence, delivering surveys, assessments and mitigation strategies that are robust, proportionate and aligned with current legislation and policy.

Our approach is grounded in technical expertise and a strong understanding of the planning system. From initial site appraisal through to project delivery, we focus on identifying risks early, streamlining the process and achieving workable solutions that balance ecological value with project objectives.

Whether supporting small-scale developments or complex, multi-phase schemes, MAB Ecology is committed to delivering reliable, responsive and commercially aware ecological consultancy.

Our Team

Giles Manners

Jake Walker

Alice Brown

Rachel Boulton

Heather Castle

Isabel Murphy

Giles Manners

Director

MAB owner and director, Giles Manners CEnv MCIEEM, is a zoologist with over 20 years’ experience and has been a professional ecologist since 2004. Giles is a full member of CIEEM as well as a Chartered Environmentalist.

Bats are Giles’ area of expertise is focused on bats. He holds multiple Natural England Class Survey Licences, a trainer licence, is a registered consultant for the Bat Low Impact Class Licence and also has Bat Earned Recognition Accreditation Assessment.

In addition to this, Giles is qualified to conduct River Condition Assessments and also holds a Natural England Class Licence to survey for great crested newts.

Giles spends his free time exploring the countryside, particularly across Europe, and enjoys going on birding expeditions – his favourite bird is the dipper.

Jake Walker

Principal Ecologist

Rachel Boulton

Consultant Ecologist

Rachel is currently a Qualifying Member of CIEEM, working towards ACIEEM, and holds a CL17 Natural England bat survey Class 1 licence, working towards Class 2.

She began working with MAB as a seasonal surveyor before taking on a permanent role in August 2023. She has undertaken bat surveys for a range of sites and developments across North Yorkshire for three consecutive survey seasons. She is experienced in undertaking assessments such as PEAs, EcIAs and Biodiversity Net Gain assessments, using UKHab classification and QGIS for habitat mapping.

During her time at MAB, Rachel has completed several training courses including but not limited to: Barn Owl Ecology, Surveys and Signs course through the Barn Owl Trust, BatAbility, Identifying Broadleaf Trees in Winter, and Botanical Skills for Ecologists. She attends webinars frequently including content produced by FSC, CIEEM, Saving Scotland’s Amphibians and Reptiles, First Thursday Club via RSK and more.

Rachel achieved a BSc (Hons) degree in Biology from the University of Stirling. Her university course covered a wide range of modules, including Animal Behaviour; Behavioural Ecology; Biodiversity; Plant Ecology; Conservation Biology; and Statistical Analysis.

Heather Castle

Consultant Ecologist

Heather joined MAB in May 2024, she is a Qualifying Member of CIEEM. Heather conducts habitat surveys to UKHabs, PEAs, EcIAs and BNGs. As a CL17 Natural England bat survey Class 1 licence holder, Heather also performs surveys to identify potential bat roosting habitat, leads dusk bat activity surveys, and produces the related reports on findings. Heather completed her BatAbility training and is now working towards her Class 2 bat licence.

Having graduated and developed careers in other sectors previously, Heather gained several botany-related qualifications in pursuit of her interests in nature and wildlife. Having found her ‘habitat’, she then went on to complete further training through bodies such as FSC, RHS and ARC and then earned her ETUK Certificate in Ecological Consultancy.

She is working towards obtaining her barn owl and great-crested newt licences, having already completed ecology and surveying training for those species, and will continue to develop her botanical knowledge.

As an advocate for wildlife and conservation, Heather supports local wildlife groups and volunteers at her local nature reserve. With a special interest in propagation and tree grafting, she helps maintain a heritage-species orchard, as well as looking after her own plant collections.

Alice Brown

Senior Ecologist

Alice has worked for MAB since February 2022. She is an Associate Member of CIEEM and holds a First Class BSc (Hons) degree in Ecology and Conservation.

Alice is an experienced bat surveyor and holds a Natural England Class Survey Licence CL18 (Bat Survey Level 2). She has undertaken bat surveys for a range of sites and developments across North Yorkshire for four consecutive survey seasons.

She is also experienced in habitat surveys and has a Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC) Level 4. Alice undertakes PEAs, EcIAs, and BNG assessments using the Statutory Biodiversity Metric for developments and uses QGIS for site habitat mapping.

Training Alice has undertaken includes Vegetative Grass Identification with the Field Studies Council and Using UKHab for Biodiversity Net Gain (Advanced) with UKHab Training. Alice is also working towards her Level 1 Great Crested Newt licence; to support this she has completed Great Crested Newt licence training with Froglife.

Prior to her time at MAB, Alice undertook volunteering with the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, which included a range of habitat management techniques including meadow management and hedge laying.

Outside of work, Alice spends much of her time outdoors in North Yorkshire, particularly in the Yorkshire Dales. Alice’s favourite bird is a swift, and she is passionate about the conservation of the species, particularly in the local area.

Isabel Murphy

Consultant Ecologist

Izzy is a Qualifying Member of CIEEM, she is working towards her bat and barn owl licences. Izzy began working for MAB in May 2024 as a Seasonal Ecologist, before joining full time in the September. She has taken part in two full seasons of emergence surveying at a wide range of sites across the region.

Izzy predominantly conducts Bat and Breeding Bird Surveys, alongside BNGs, PEAs and EcIAs. She has completed several training courses during her time at MAB, including passing her BatAbility Acoustic Analysis course. Other courses she has completed include QGIS for Ecologists, Identifying Broadleaf Trees in Winter, the Barn Owl Trust’s Barn Owl Ecology, Signs and Surveys course.

Prior to starting here, Izzy achieved a First Class BSc (Hons) Biology degree at Northumbria University, and a Distinction in MSc Biodiversity and Conservation at the University of Sheffield, where she studied many relevant modules and conducted a research project on European Nightjars.

Outside of work, Izzy spends much of her time exploring the outdoors, whether that be walking her dog or riding her horse. She also combines her love for wildlife with her passion for art and drawing, creating detailed drawings of British wildlife.

Latest News

Bat roost potential suitability categories

April 6, 2026

Rachel, Surveying, April 26 When conducting preliminary bat roost assessments (PRAs), we follow the Bat Conservation Trust guidelines for professional ecologists. The guidance dictates that buildings, structures and trees should be rated based on their potential suitability for roosting bats. This can mean that even without any evidence of bat use, or seeing any […]

Developing with nature: Hedgehogs

March 6, 2026

Heather, Species Spotlight, March 26 When planning a development project, whether it is small or large, rural or urban, there’s a good chance that your site is visited by hedgehogs. The small prickly mammals are a popular species, native to the UK and found throughout western Europe. The issue Once a common night-time visitor, […]

The benefits of habitat surveying in winter

March 6, 2026

Heather, Thought piece Light levels are low, the days are short and the rain seems unending. When performing habitat surveys and ecology assessments throughout the enduring winter, I’m sure most of us are longing for the bright summery days ahead. Yet, as ever, spring cannot be hurried, so let’s shine a little light on some […]