GAINS Spring Symposium 2026

Alys Laver is the Site Manager at Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) Steart Marshes in England, UK. With over 14 years of experience, Alys’ passion for wetlands began as a child on Somerset’s Levels and Moors.

Her role involves managing some of the rarest and most valuable wetland habitats in the world. Working with the local community, landowners, and partnerships in the wider landscape. Overseeing wetland management, creation, and restoration, overseeing multiple projects,  and aspiring to expanding the holdings for more connected wetlands. Working with the team on site to engage and inspire visitors about wetlands and realise WWT’s ambition for a world where healthy wetland nature thrives and enriches lives.

Nicole Turnbull describes herself as the people person for the site! She shares:

As Engagement and Learning Manager I oversee volunteer management, events, education, site visits, website, social media, newsletters, trading and income generation.

As Project Manager for the Steart: Connecting Coastal Communities Project I am working with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to promote wetlands and saltmarsh superpowers to new audiences. We are creating new educational resources with STEM Learning UK for part of the project.

My roles are vast, but we are a very small team here with a very big site to manage. I have a close personal connection to the reserve and being involved here has transformed my life so I am always happy to talk about this and try to enthuse others to get involved.

Elena supervises the development, expansion, and operation of the John & Daria Barry Water Quality Lab in Larchmont. Her work also concerns the Unified Water Study, bacteria-monitoring program, and Long Island Sound Report Card, and supporting the growing network of participating groups around the Sound.

Elena grew up in Pennsylvania and graduated with a B.A. in Anthropology from Temple University. She went on to work as staff scientist for The Patrick Center for Environmental Research at The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University in Philadelphia, where she monitored sites across the Delaware River basin and worked with the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary in conducting freshwater mussel surveys.

When she’s not on the water, Elena loves hiking with her dog.

Nicole joined Save the Sound in April 2018. She holds a B.S. in Marine Science, from Long Island University and worked as a sea turtle biologist before graduate school. Nicole came to Connecticut by way of Virginia, where she earned a Masters of Science from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).

While at VCU her research focused on the connections between land use, water quality, and instream communities. Once in Connecticut she worked as a regional planner, working on environmental, watershed, and transportation initiatives.

Nicole enjoys being outdoors whether it’s at the beach, in the woods, or on the water.

Allison Rugila joined Save the Sound as Associate Soundkeeper in April 2025. As a Soundkeeper, Allison serves as an on-the-water watchdog and environmental advocate for fishable, swimmable, and drinkable waters through pollution patrols, habitat restoration projects, and proposed legislative change. She brings over a decade of experience in marine conservation and climate change research. Originating from the Chesapeake Bay, Allison spent 6 years managing oyster restoration projects for a grassroots non-profit organization, the St. Mary’s River Watershed Association. She then went on to complete a M.A. and Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution at Stony Brook University, which focused on identifying mechanisms of resilience in shellfish to climate stressors like seawater acidification, warming, and low dissolved oxygen (hypoxia). Following graduate school, Allison completed a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellowship at University of Massachusetts Amherst, which evaluated effects of ocean warming on reproductive phenology (the timing of reproduction and reproductive output) in native and invasive populations of a marine predatory snail. Allison’s background combines a deep appreciation of coastal communities with a passion for environmental stewardship. 

Katherine Meier shares:

I am a current doctoral student at Yale University, studying the ecology and conservation of great apes (chimpanzees and gorillas) living in a seasonally flooded swamp forest in the Republic of Congo. Broadly,  I use transdisciplinary methods to study how socio-political and ecological processes intersect to produce place-based conservation outcomes for wildlife and people. My research increasingly centers around advancing more ethical engagement with local and Indigenous communities around the world and integrating more diverse knowledge and value systems into environmental policy and governance.