The team

New Life on the Old West is coordinated by a specialist team, who are bringing their love and knowledge of wildlife to deliver our vision. Meet the team below.

Karen MacKelvie

Natural Heritage and Communities Officer

Karen is an Environmental Biologist by degree (St Andrews University), a therapist by diploma (Warwick University) and a community engager by nature. She has lived and worked on the peaty soils of Shetland for 25 years, working creatively to link people with wild spaces, for the benefit of their health and wellbeing and for the benefit of nature. Her internationally acclaimed Nature Prescriptions project (RSPB Scotland) is an example of the innovative way she likes to work.

Karen started with New Life on the Old West in 2024. Glad to be back on peaty soils again, after a stint as a ‘Nature Recovery Ranger’ at a hospital in North London, she looks forward to inviting people back into deeper connection with the wonderful wildlife of the fens.

Jamie Deakins

Project Manager

Jamie holds a BSc in Biology from Newcastle University and a MSc in Ecological Economics from Leeds University, with a strong focus on regenerative agriculture. He has hands-on experience working on organic farms at market garden and field scale, has co-ordinated volunteers on community growing projects, and hosted events bringing together local authorities, academics, and members of the growing community to explore ways to better utilise public land for growing food.

Jamie previously worked as a Field Team Leader and Operations Manager on a catchment and wetland restoration project in Queenstown, New Zealand, co-ordinating riparian planting across 10,000 hectares of freshwater habitat.