Anna Becvar (BSc (Hons), MI Soil Sci, C Sci, MBPR (FACTS)) is Managing Director of Earthcare Technical Ltd.  Anna coordinates the team’s energies in delivering a wide range of projects as well as working on her own projects. She began working life on the family farm in Hampshire,  has then been lucky to work within pioneering and innovative SMEs in the agricultural and waste sectors.

Anna’s work includes providing assistance to legal teams, planning, Environmental Permitting, developing soils and an extensive array of waste material recovery, recycling, and product development activities. She is a specialist in recovery of waste to land. Anna is a BASIS approved trainer for Advance Modules. She really enjoys troubleshooting and technical marketing.

Martin Wood (BA Hons, PhD, F I Soil Sci.) was born and raised in rural Warwickshire. After studying Agricultural and Forest Sciences he trained as an environmental microbiologist before specialising in soil science and spending 20 years in Soil Science at Reading University. He taught undergraduate and postgraduate students and carried out research all around the world on soil use and management. Martin’s passion is in transforming science into practice; since 2005 he has worked as a consultant with Earthcare Technical on soil management.

Clients have included Defra, AHDB, WRAP, local government and commercial organisations. Martin enjoys writing for technical and non-technical audiences and has published a pile of scientific papers and a student textbook (Environmental Soil Biology, 1995). He writes technical reports and delivers talks for Earthcare Technical Ltd. Martin is currently chair of the Luxembourg Government research-funding panel for Sustainable Resource Management

Emily Pitts (BSc Hons CEnv MIEMA) is a Chartered Environmentalist and a Full Member of Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) with 12 years’ experience as an environmental regulator for the Environment Agency and anaerobic digestion industry experience as an Environmental Compliance Manager. Emily has a holistic knowledge of the waste industry and regulatory standards in particular waste treatment, composting, anaerobic digestion and landfills.

The key areas Emily specialises in are permitting and advice on suitability of location, design, drainage and containment for proposed sites. Emily has experience in the development of Environmental and Quality Management Systems and provides clear guidance on the definition of waste and waste legislation. Emily has also provided support to several AD Plants through Certification to the Biofertiliser Certification Scheme to PAS110 and ADQP. Emily is a WAMITAB qualified Technically Competent Manager for  Anaerobic Digestion facilities.

Julia [BSc (Hons) CEnv CIEEM MI Soil Sci] has been providing agricultural and environmental advice for fourteen years throughout the Midlands and South-West regions. Julia specialises in Countryside/Environmental Stewardship, habitat management, conservation and ecology; and has a Great Crested Newt License. Julia also has an extensive background in soil management, has her Soil & Water Certificate and has been actively involved with the Catchment Sensitive Farming initiative, the Farm Ammonia reduction Grant and the Soils4Profit project. Julia is FACTs qualified and carries out nutrient management and planning on behalf of landowners, including NVZ compliance, Cross-Compliance fertiliser plans and land spreading deployments. Julia worked for the Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) for seven years before starting her own consultancy business 5 Farming in 2012. Julia is a Chartered Environmentalist with the Society for the Environment as well as a Full member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management and the British Society of Soil Science. She also has a good working knowledge of agricultural and conservation legislation within Europe following trips to Slovenia and Bulgaria as part of the Leonardo di Vinci project, and a working conservation project for the Forestry Service in Iceland.

Susie Holmes (BSc Hons, CSci) is a soil scientist specialising in horticultural growing media and soil management. Susie has worked for ADAS for 25 years as horticultural and soils consultant, working across all crops in both consultancy and research projects. The specific areas of work Susie specialises in are the use of green compost for soil amelioration, soil erosion and the use of non-peat materials in growing media. She also has an interest in soil management of paddocks for horses, including soil and fertiliser advice for studs and horse owners. Susie is a BASIS approved trainer on the BASIS FACTS Horticulture and Nutrient Management Planning courses and is also a regular contractor for AHDB Horticulture, including presenting for their workshops on growing media and plant nutrition and co-authoring technical Factsheets.