DPhil Student
reshu.bashyal@biology.ox.ac.uk @bashyalreshu

Reshu Bashyal

Background

Growing up in a village in Palpa, Nepal, surrounded by people with rich knowledge of plants and their medicinal uses, and occasional encounters with rare and wild animals, I developed an early fascination with plants and wildlife. I often wondered why these species, despite being so important to people’s everyday lives, received so little attention. After more than a decade working closely with communities in conservation, that childhood curiosity has evolved into a deeper question: how can we conserve species that are deeply embedded in people’s lives while ensuring that conservation does not overlook the people who depend on them? This question now drives my work—to better understand the complex relationships between people, wildlife, and trade, and to develop conservation approaches that protect species while strengthening the communities who have long lived alongside and cared for them.

Research Interests

Through my work with local plant trade actors, I have listened to their stories and witnessed how harvesting supports families, livelihoods, and children’s futures. I have also seen a persistent imbalance: those most involved in the supply chain often have the least influence and receive the smallest share of its benefits. Meanwhile, unsustainable harvesting and illegal trade are eroding the resources on which these communities depend and placing increasing pressure on species and ecosystems. Many of these less-charismatic species, however, continue to receive limited conservation attention and investment. These experiences have shaped my ambition to understand the social and economic forces underlying wildlife use and trade, and to translate that understanding into conservation approaches that work for both species and people. Ultimately, I hope my research can contribute to a broader shift in conservation from addressing visible threats in isolation to tackling the systems that drive them, creating interventions that are ecologically effective, socially equitable, and capable of lasting beyond individual projects. In doing so, I hope to contribute practical solutions for the communities who have long lived alongside and cared for our natural heritage.

Current Research

Studies of global wildlife trade often overlook how the behaviour and decisionmaking of small-scale harvesters and local traders shape wider supply-chain dynamics and trade management. Wildlife supply chains involve diverse and overlapping actors, with substantial differences in influence, incentives, and agency. Some actors shape decisions about species, harvest quantities, prices, and trade, while others, particularly harvesters in rural and remote communities, have limited influence despite being central to the chain. Importantly, these actors and their roles are not confined to a single supply chain: the same individuals may participate in multiple wildlife trade or livelihood systems, creating interconnected and overlapping chains. Despite their importance, the behaviours and interactions of local harvesters and traders, and their implications for interconnected supply chains, remain under studied. My research will address this gap by examining actor behaviours and interactions across wildlife value chains, generating evidence on how changes at one point in a chain can influence wider trade dynamics and inform more targeted and adaptive management.

Brief CV

Education

  • DPhil in Biology. The University of Oxford (ongoing)
  • MSc Conservation and International Wildlife Trade. Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent, UK. (2019-20)
  • MSc Environmental Science. Tribhuvan University, Nepal (2010-2012)

 

Professional experience

  • Research and Program Lead, Greenhood Nepal (October 2024-present)
  • Research Fellow, Greenhood Nepal (July 2018-October 2024)
  • Capacity Development Officer, United Nations Development Programme (Jan 1017-July 2018)
  • Environmentalist, MoFALD, Government of Nepal (Mar 2015-Dec 2015)

 

Scholarships and awards

  • Clarendon Fund Scholarship in partnership with an Oxford-Oxitec Graduate Scholarship
  • Whitley Fund for Nature Award (2025), UK
  • Inclusivity Accelerator Award (2023) “Himalayan Plants for People”. WildCRU, University of Oxford, UK
  • Chevening Scholarship (2019-20) supported by the British Embassy Nepal

Publications

Bashyal, R.*, Paudel, K., Ticktin, T., Phelps, J., 2026. Understanding the medicinal orchid trade through harvest monitoring. Economic Botany

Gupta, T.*, Bashyal, R., Anagnostou, M.,…Challender, D.W.S., 2025. Resolving uncertainties in the legality of wildlife trade to support better outcomes for wildlife and people. Conservation Letters.

Pringle, S., Dallimer, M.,….., Bashyal, R.,……Davies, Z.G., 2025. Identifying the opportunities and challenges for monitoring terrestrial biodiversity in the robotics age. Nature Ecology & Evolution.

Arias, M., Sackey, N.K.H., Bashyal, R., 2024. Local impact, global challenge: the role of domestic markets in the illegal wildlife trade. Editorial for Oryx The International Journal of Conservation.

Bashyal R.*, Roberts D.L., 2024. A systematic survey of online trade in the caterpillar fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis. Oryx The International Journal of Conservation.

Bashyal *and Roberts D.L, 2023. Assessing the identification uncertainty in plant products traded as traditional Asian medicines. Journal for Nature Conservation.

Bashyal, *,…, Phelps, J. 2023. Making sense of domestic wildlife and CITES legislation: The example of Nepal’s orchids, Biological Conservation.

Links

Greenhood Nepal