Meet Lizzie Carr MBE
Lizzie isn’t just a campaigner; she’s a catalyst for change. By creating community science opportunities, she has empowered individuals to actively contribute to the collection of vital environmental data.
She is at the forefront of revolutionising the way we monitor environmental pollution. Through innovation, collaboration, and a deep commitment to the cause, she has paved the way for a more effective, inclusive, and data-driven approach to environmental preservation.
Lizzie’s journey began as a personal quest, compelled to protect our healing waters. What started as a solo endeavour evolved into a global movement, connecting like minded individuals across the world. Her mission? To transform the way we monitor environmental pollution and place the power to act in the hands of the people.
After a cancer diagnosis at 26, Lizzie took up paddleboarding to aid recovery. In 2015 she left her job and dedicated her time to campaigning and in just three years she completed three world firsts on a paddleboard:
- 2016 the first person in history to paddleboard the entire length of Britain’s waterways, solo and unsupported
- 2017 the first woman to paddleboard solo across the English channel testing water and collecting samples for microplastics
- 2018 the first person to paddleboard the entire length of the Hudson River in New York testing water quality along the way
Each of these endurance challenges had a deeper purpose: to use adventure as a way to raise awareness of environmental issues globally, connecting a wider audience to the problems
These achievements earned Lizzie international recognition and a string of prestigious awards including being awarded an MBE in 2021 for her commitment to environmental campaigning and charity, but her work doesn’t here there and the fight to protect our planet continues.
Simon
Simon is the Head of Public Affairs at Handelsbanken and has over 10 years' experience in corporate communications and issues-based lobbying. During his career he has successfully delivered political and wider stakeholder engagement programmes for highly regulated organisations, consumer groups and charities. Simon provides strategic counsel to Planet Patrol, and advises on stakeholder engagement and public policy.
Fiona
Fiona is a practicing solicitor and has 10+ years of legal experience working in London. She has worked in both private practice firms as well as for key brands and companies including Google, The Guardian Newspaper and Pernod Ricard. Fiona now leads the legal and compliance function for Facebook’s marketing teams across EMEA and APAC.
Rebecca
Rebecca provides overall leadership to the team and is currently leading on developing a sustainable funding stream for our work. She also leads our operations, assessing needs across the team and ensuring the right platforms and systems are in place. She is a highly experience C-Suite leader, having held C-suite roles in a number of mission driven organisations. Rebecca lives just outside Bath with her husband Oli and son Billie. She loves walking in nature and seeing the world through her toddlers eyes.
Klara
Klara leads on designing Planet Patrol’s innovative programmes and campaigns strategy and supporting the wider team to deliver it. She is excited about building up our community of citizen scientists reporting on water quality around the UK, and pushing powerholders to go further to address pollution. With over a decade of experience in the charity sector, Klara has designed and delivered projects on advancing LGBTQ+ rights, disability rights, and the rights of children and families. She has run projects with the FCDO, Sport England, Vodafone Foundation, and Elrha. Klara lives on a boat with her husband and her cat, Budgie, so she’s passionate about cleaning up the waterways that she calls home!
Natalie
Natalie is behind everything online from social media posts to community event management and working with our amazing volunteers. Natalie comes from a content creation background as an award-winning Film Producer and Director as well as having produced commercial content for brands like Google, Virgin Media and BAFTA. Her wealth of experience in storytelling brings a unique and creative approach to the Planet Patrol brand. In her spare time, Natalie still lives and breathes storytelling, writing and directing her own films.
Turin
Turin leads on developing and delivering Planet Patrol’s environmental innovation and project strategy, with a focus on scaling citizen science and turning grassroots data into meaningful environmental action. With over nine years of experience in the not-for-profit and climate-tech space, Turin has designed and delivered projects spanning environmental monitoring, sustainable agriculture, and carbon-negative technologies. Turin is passionate about bridging the gap between science, technology, and public engagement, ensuring that community-led data can influence real-world environmental outcomes. Outside of work, he is particularly interested in foraging, ecological design, and developing new ways to produce sustainable materials from natural systems.
Nathan
Nathan leads Planet Patrol’s data analysis, supporting our work to turn citizen science data into compelling narratives for environmental action. With experience working on water quality modelling and geospatial analysis for clients across the water sector, Nathan is about to start a PhD focused on river restoration. Outside of work, Nathan is an avid wild swimmer, runner, and trekker - once completing an 800 km traverse of the Pyrenees, camping for 60 nights along the way.