Paul Cottington

Paul Cottington has over 20 years of work experience in various roles related to conservation management, environmental advising, and project coordination.

Their most recent position was as the Head of Conservation Management at RSPB, where they currently work. Before joining RSPB in 2022, they served as an Environment Adviser at the National Farmers Union for 15 years, where they were responsible for leading on environmental matters in the agricultural sectors of the SouthWest region.

Prior to that, Paul worked as an Environment Adviser at the South West Regional Development Agency, where they played a key role in the design and development of the Rural Development Programme for England.

Paul also worked as a Project Coordinator at the Wiveliscombe Area Partnership, where they managed a range of regeneration projects and facilitated community groups.

Additionally, Paul had their own environmental consulting business, Big Green Ltd, where they served as the Founder and Managing Director. In this role, they provided environmental education, policy and strategy development, and wildlife management advice to various clients.

Before starting their own business, Paul worked as a Wildlife Sites Officer at Kent Wildlife Trust, where they established and developed the Wildlife Sites Project, provided wildlife and funding advice to protected area managers, and produced management plans and funding applications.

Overall, Paul Cottington has a wealth of experience in conservation management, environmental advising, and project coordination across various organizations and sectors.

Paul Cottington earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Politics and Philosophy from Keele University, where they studied from 1991 to 1994. Paul then pursued a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Environmental Management at Birkbeck, University of London, from 2001 to 2005. Later, from 2009 to 2013, they attended Aberystwyth University to earn a Master of Laws (LLM) degree in Environmental Law.