Arbor Vitae, or Tree of Life, was formed in 1978 and from the beginning set out to bring ecological principles into the management of farmland and forests.

About Us

Whilst being firmly committed to environmental sustainability, the challenge is to balance the needs of nature, people and business. We work with landowners, householders, public bodies and businesses to help them achieve this balance in a sensitive and pragmatic way.

We have close working relationships with a number of professionals and specialists in similar fields and enjoy collaborative projects.
Please see our careers page for any upcoming vacancies within our team.

Will Prestwood

Founder and Senior Consultant

Will is trained in farmland ecology, forest management, birds and mammals. Will has worked for the Shropshire Wildlife Trust, Natural England and was editor of The Ecological Flora of the Shropshire Region. He runs a mixed farm in Staffordshire which breeds pedigree South Devon cattle and was awarded the Whitegrove Trophy for Farm Conservation in Staffordshire.

Pip Stirling

Senior Ecologist and Director

With more than seven years’ experience in the role, Pip is licensed in England and Wales to survey bats, great crested newts, and hazel dormice, and holds a Master’s in Wildlife Conservation and UAV Technology. Pip is an Associate Member of CIEEM and trained in Biodiversity Net Gain assessments.

Charlotte Skinner

Assistant Ecologist

Charlotte is a qualifying member of CIEEM, with a BSc in Marine Geography and a master’s degree in Global Ecology and Conservation. She has been completing Preliminary Ecological Surveys and Biodiversity Net Gain Assessments, to assist with planning applications. Charlotte also has experience in various protected species surveys, including bat activity surveys, reptile, great crested newts and badger surveys.

Joel Andrews

Forestry Consultant

Joel assists clients with all aspects of woodland management, from writing woodland management plans and gaining felling licences, to designing new woodlands and the sustainable harvesting of timber. He also tackles arboricultural work, including BS 5837 reports as part of planning permission applications. He holds a degree in forestry and a masters in agroecology and is an associate member of the Institute of Chartered Foresters.

Briony Horton

Office Manager

Briony brings over 10 years of customer service and administration experience to the role. She is a reliable point of contact for both staff and clients, ensuring daily operations are well-coordinated and the office is running smoothly.

Dave Simpson

Dave oversees the maintenance of various estates which we manage and has been with Arbor Vitae for over 20 years. Dave is also responsible for woodland planting and management as well as a large portion of our contracting services.