About us

Natalie Kay is an Associate Ecologist with extensive experience delivering ecological support for a wide range of development projects across the South-East. Working in ecology since 2012 and joining FPCR in March 2020, Natalie specialises in protected species licensing and invertebrate ecology, with expertise spanning residential, industrial, railway and highway schemes. She has managed projects ranging from individual household applications through to large-scale town extensions and infrastructure developments, supporting clients from the early design and planning stages through to condition discharge, mitigation licensing and on-site supervision.

Natalie is experienced in habitat and protected species surveys, including badgers, bats, great crested newts, hazel dormice, reptiles, riparian mammals and specialist invertebrate groups such as beetles and butterflies. She has particular expertise in species mitigation licensing, overseeing the full process from baseline survey work and licence applications through to liaison with Natural England, supervision of licensable works and post-development monitoring. Alongside survey and project work, Natalie supports the FPCR Dorking ecology team through mentoring, training, administration and quality assurance of technical reports.

Her technical capabilities include QGIS mapping, bat sound analysis using Kaleidoscope and Sonobat, and protected species licensing. Natalie holds class licences for bats (Level 2), great crested newts, dormice, barn owls, rare reptiles and Roman snails. She is also experienced in producing Preliminary Ecological Appraisals (PEAs), Ecological Impact Assessments (EcIA), Environmental Statement chapters, mitigation and management strategies, and shadow Habitat Regulations Assessments (sHRAs).

Natalie’s notable projects include managing extensive great crested newt surveys and mitigation at Biddenden, Kent, supporting a successful planning appeal; coordinating dormouse licensing, reptile translocation and long-term monitoring at Hawkhurst, Kent; and overseeing bat surveys and mitigation licensing for 96 MOD family homes at Pirbright, Surrey, including works affecting a soprano pipistrelle maternity roost.

Natalie holds a BSc (Hons) in Zoology and an MSc in Entomology. She has a strong personal interest in invertebrate ecology, particularly butterflies and beetles, and her MSc research assessed the suitability of regenerated heathland for Silver-studded Blue butterflies in collaboration with Butterfly Conservation. She is an active volunteer with the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme and is a member of several local bat, dormouse, amphibian and reptile groups, as well as the Royal Entomological Society.