About Us
Argus Ecology currently employ five full-time professional ecologists.
Kevin Honour MSc MIEEM
Kevin specalises in vegetation and habitat surveys, land management and restoration, and ecological impact assessment. He has over 28 years experience as an ecologist, and has worked for Argus since 1991 (full-time from 1994). He is a competent field botanist, gaining an IdQ in Vascular Plants from the Natural History Museum, and is experienced in a wide range of habitats and development types across Britain.
Prior to joining Argus, Kevin worked as a Senior Lecturer in Ecology at Sunderland University, preceded by experience as a local authority ecologist and land manager. He is qualified with a first class BSc from Manchester University, and has an MSc with Distinction in Ecology from Sunderland University.
Paul Lupton MSc
Paul is a protected species specialist, who was also involved in Argus since its earliest inception, and has worked full-time since 2002. Paul holds current bat and great crested newt survey licences, and has prepared many successful applications for licensing of development projects involving European protected species. He is also competent and experienced in badger, otter, water vole and reptile surveys. He is an active member of Durham Bat Group.
Paul has a long-standing interest in invertebrates, and has expertise in the identification of a number of terrestrial and freshwater groups.
Prior to joining Argus full-time, Paul worked for many years in biological education. He is qualified with a BEd from Bradford University, and an MSc in Ecology from Sunderland University.
Dr. Caroline Gregory MSc MIEEM
Caroline carries out habitat survey and ecological impact assessment work, organises work planning, and undertakes specialist diatom survey, identification and analysis.
She first worked for Argus from 2000-02, leaving to work at Durham University and study for her PhD, before returning in 2008. Prior to rejoining Argus she held posts in environmental sustainability at a local authority, including Climate Change Officer.
She is qualified with a BSc in Environmental Biology from Sunderland University; an MSc in Geomorphology and Environmental Change and a PhD from University of Durham. Her doctorate involved the study of diatom and pollen microfossils to reconstruct past sea level change on the west coast of Scotland.
She is an active member of Durham Bat Group, with a particular interest and expertise in caring for injured bats.
Claire Gilchrist MSc
Claire joined Argus in 2006 as a protected species specialist. She is a licensed newt worker and an experienced bat surveyor holding a Natural England Roost Visitor’s licence. She also carries out water vole, otter and badger surveys. As well as field surveys she assists with licence applications and mitigation scheme design.
Claire was brought up on a County Durham farm and studied zoology at Edinburgh University. After a couple of years working as a keeper at Edinburgh Zoo she spent a year working and travelling around Australia before returning to the UK to complete a Masters degree in Conservation and Wildlife Management at Reading University.
In her spare time Claire is a member of Durham Bat Group and on the Bat Conservation Trust Rota to assist with calls from members of the public regarding bats, she has a particular interest in caring for grounded and injured bats.
Frank Daly MSc MIEEM
Frank joined Argus as a specialist bird surveyor in 2006. He is experienced in a range of bird survey techniques, including Common Bird Census, Brown – Shepherd upland wader surveys, O'Brien & Smith lowland wader surveys, vantage point surveys and Wetland Bird Survey methods.
He also holds a great crested newt survey licence, and is experienced in both surveys and hand searching / exclusion and translocation methods. He also has experience of reptile surveys, butterfly transect surveys, and Phase 1 Habitat Survey methods.
Prior to joining Argus Ecology, Frank was involved in a variety of projects for the Durham Biodiversity Action Plan Partnership, including a survey of road verge flora; he has experience of compiling conservation management plans, and has carried out extensive vantage point and loch surveys for wind farm developments.
Frank is qualified with a BSc in Environmental Protection & Sustainability, and an MSc in Ecological Assessment from Sunderland University.