Green Futures Devon CIC
Green Futures Devon is a community interest company founded by a group of skilled professionals who share a passion for our relationship with Nature and a strong motivation and commitment to help communities, organisations and individuals to experience the benefits of including more of the wider ecosystem within our everyday lives, our work and our wider society.
We are all Nature...it's in our breath, our beings and we feel that these connections hold an important key to all of our futures.
What we do
Responding to Nature
When nature is in trouble, it's often a very quiet process. People only tend to notice when a plant, bird, insect or fish is in decline when they're not heard or seen any more, and by then the impact has already happened. We therefore aim to engage with the latest research and physically get to know our local environment so that we can understand what human impacts we need to work on in order to create more balance with nature.
Supporting Wellbeing
Building Partnerships
We focus on developing positive, proactive and authentic relationships with all the individuals, groups and organisations with whom we work. We listen to what others want to achieve and do our best to find solutions for nature that meet people's needs as well. We recognise that developing an effective partnership takes time, commitment and trust, so this is how we take our steps forward with all of our project development work.
Happiness and being in a relaxed state are really important to all of us. We want to encourage a greater sense of wellbeing wherever possible through our person-centred approach. How we all feel really matters and creating a working environment and a community regeneration approach, based on listening to where people are at and offering friendship and support, means that we can help nature and feel happier and more fulfilled at the same time.
Who We Are
Our Core Team
Andrew Rothery Managing Director
Andrew has an MSc. in Environmental and Ecological Sciences and a career background in community environmental work, managing a wide range of regeneration initiatives within local government, the health service and the voluntary sector over the last 35 years.
With a particular interest in the importance of local food resilience and our personal relationships with the natural world around us, he has always found that the most significant driver of individual and social change is the degree to which it brings happiness and a sense of wellbeing.
Lucy Wiltshire Director
Lucy is an environmental communications specialist who has led media campaigns for NGOs and industry professionals across the South West. As a Bangor University graduate with a degree in BA Geography, Lucy uses her background in environmental studies and sociology to create grounded, research-led marketing strategies.
With a technical toolkit spanning web development, social media and graphic design, Lucy manages many of our digital platforms for various Green Futures projects. When she isn't at her desk, she is usually adventuring across her home county of Devon—whether wild camping on Dartmoor, snorkeling at the beach or walking the South West Coast Path.
Philip Sansum Director
Phil is the Botanical and Projects Team Leader at the Devon Biodiversity Records Centre and has been a key ecology advisor, field surveyor and citizen science facilitator for Green Futures initiatives in Newton Abbot since 2021.
He has previously worked on projects researching, digitally mapping and surveying semi-natural woodland in different parts of the UK for a range of clients including the Forestry Commission and High Wield National Landscape. Phil has an ecological sciences background and has undertaken research in historical ecology and palaeoecology. He is an active botanical and Lepidoptera recorder, a BSBI member and is a passionate about helping people to experience the wonder of nature’s incredible diversity and complexity.
Our Associates
Simon Heath Design and Publicity
Simon is a counsellor and ecotherapist based in Devon, and a co-founder and Director of Operations and Training for Step by Step Counselling Training. He is also a professional graphic designer with experience of delivering public arts initiatives and supports Green Futures with the design and delivery of its publicity materials.
Outside of his counselling work, Simon enjoys good vegetarian food, films, creating art, walking, bird watching.
Anita Gorst Health and Wellbeing
Anita worked as a Creative Therapist and Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner in the NHS for 20 years and originally trained as a Dramatherapist. She is now an enthusiastic citizen scientist with a specific interest in monitoring the diversity and abundance of local pollinating insects for local projects and national organisations including Butterfly Conservation, The UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme and the British Trust for Ornithology.
Anita has a particular interest in how citizen science activities can enable people of all ages to feel a stronger sense of wellbeing through facilitating a greater sense of connection and care for nature as well as contributing to cognitive health. In addition to a love of bugs and birds, she sings in a local choir and enjoys table tennis.