Gina Hale

About me

Motivated by the vision of a more sustainable, balanced and greened-wherever-it-fits world. A passionate manager with eight years of experience in the charitable sector, spanning wildlife rehabilitation, environmental NGO fundraising and conservation project management. I am focused on obtaining tangible results in safeguarding under-served communities, threatened habitats and wildlife, via restoring natural processes wherever possible.

Water = life. I have always been drawn to it, so WWT naturally fits. Though my more recent work overseeing freshwater habitat restoration and rewilding was in rural settings and this role is in urban, all Conservation work is governed by hearts and minds. The stakeholders’ geographical and emotional connection to what the project is aiming to save or reinstate, represents ‘keys’ of local knowledge, skills and passions. The UK and International work at WWT bridges that gap always. These two projects are no different - where the work with communities unlocks the restoration potential.

My role / My project

I oversee the Community Bluescapes Project in Richmond & Wandsworth, and Project Sponge in Slough – both in partnership with the respective Borough Councils and organisations including Barnes Common Limited and National Flood Forum.

These EA/Defra funded urban wetland and flooding intervention (such as SuDS) projects galvanise collective action and community resilience building, listening to the people experiencing the worst of flooding and drought, as well as readying the people in hotspots who have climate change induced effects knocking at their doors. Further, as a result of wetland habitat creation and river restoration led by WWT in addition to suites of urban greening, we will create more spaces where water, land and people meet. Co-designing with communities and raising awareness on how blue-green spaces are a rewarding and replenishing place to be.

Experience and interests

• Team management
• Project and programme management
• Conservation through a landscape scale and systems lens
• Fundraising skills
• Mammals and birds
• Music

Publications

• Hale, G. Freshwater habitats: Our inland ‘Blue Carbon’ assets. Radnorshire Wildlife Trust.