Introducing a New Resource for Community-Based Biodiversity Monitoring

Research Fellow
Stephanie.brittain@biology.ox.ac.uk https://x.com/StephBrittain

Stephanie Brittain

Background

My career has spanned the third sector, advocacy and policy and academic sectors, from establishing an environmental and skills-based training programme for vulnerable 16-25-year olds in a grass-roots NGO in London; to researching and advocating for sustainable and equitable agricultural practices across sub-Saharan Africa; to exploring the impacts of protected area creation on rural livelihoods in Cambodia; to drawing on local ecological knowledge to monitor species populations and their threats in Cameroon; and, most recently, to co-designing locally-managed natural resource monitoring programmes with indigenous peoples and local communities in Kenya and Vietnam.

I’ve long been fascinated by the inextricable link between people and nature, and believed that the voices and knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities should play a central role in developing conservation policy and practice. I enjoy researching and developing robust, cost-effective and ethical approaches to monitoring biodiversity in challenging environments, and for engaging with indigenous peoples and local communities. I love drawing on interdisciplinary methods to research socio-ecological systems, and translating research into outputs that inform conservation practice and policy.

Research Interests

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My research spans both the theoretical and practical aspects of conservation science. I use interdisciplinary approaches to explore complex conservation challenges, with a focus on developing community-led approaches for monitoring species hunted for wild meat and their threats, and building an evidence-base for the role of community-led conservation on ecological outcomes.

I also work on improving the practice and ethics of conservation research using social research methods, with particular recent emphasis on participatory approaches.

Current Research

Transformative Pathways

Biodiversity and ecosystem services on lands governed by indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) are declining less rapidly than elsewhere. These lands constitute at least a quarter of the total global land area (IPBES, 2019) and overlap significantly with biodiversity-rich areas. They are therefore crucial to fulfilment of the CBD objectives. They also provide significant carbon stores. However, IPLC contributions to management, conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and to global climate change mitigation are largely unsupported and invisible in the CBD’s national and global reporting processes. Likewise, mechanisms for IPLC participation in the CBD are weak.

My current research, in collaboration with the Forest Peoples Programme, UNEP WCMC and Life Mosaic, seeks to embed and scale-up the contributions of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, in all aspects of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. This will be achieved through work in partner countries including Kenya and Vietnam to (i) support IPLCs to undertake local initiatives for self-determined land and resource governance for biodiversity conservation, sustainable use and benefit-sharing; (ii) develop new national partnerships and enabling measures to support the above; (iii) develop effective partnerships and accessible mechanisms for full and equitable participation of IPLCs in national and global policy, and (iv) document, exchange, and disseminate lessons learned at local, national and global levels.

Afroalpine conservation through sustainable livelihoods and institutions inspired by tradition

This project, funded by the Darwin Initiative, aims to preserve the unique Afroalpine ecosystems by integrating traditional ecological knowledge with contemporary conservation strategies. This initiative focuses on supporting traditional sustainable livelihoods among local communities, ensuring that conservation efforts are both ecologically effective and socio-economically beneficial. By strengthening community-led institutions and drawing upon local practices, the project seeks to create resilient frameworks for environmental stewardship and biodiversity preservation.

In this project I provide support to the in-country team for the social research component of the project, emphasizing the importance of community engagement and participatory approaches. This research helps to inform the development of culturally appropriate conservation strategies that align with the needs and values of the communities involved, fostering local ownership and long-term sustainability of conservation efforts.

Visit my PhD programme page here

Learn about my Postdoctoral research here

Brief CV

Education:

2015-2019 | University of Oxford | DPhil candidate

Thesis: “Incorporating Local Ecological Knowledge into Wildlife Population Monitoring“

2012-2013 | Imperial College London | MSc Conservation Science | Grade: distinction

Thesis: “Rapid assessment of the status and distribution of the Forest Elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) in South East Cameroon”.

 

Work experience:

2023-Present – Honorary Member, ICCA Consortium

2023- Present – President of SCB Social Science Working Group (SSWG)

2022-2023 – Board member, Society for Conservation Biology Social Science Working Group

2022- 2026 EPA Cephalosporin Junior Research Fellow (Linacre College), University of Oxford

2022- Present      Research Associate, University of Oxford. “Embedding and scaling up the contributions of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity: towards transformative change”. Funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI).

2021-2022            Postdoctoral researcher, Biodiversity & Society programme, Oxford Martin School. “Towards development of evidence-based policy on fostering enabling conditions for successful conservation outcomes in the lands and territories of indigenous peoples and forest communities”.

2020- present.  Member, Conservation Social Science (ConSoSci) partnership.

2019-2021            Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Oxford. “Why Eat Wild Meat? Developing effective alternatives to wildmeat consumption”. Funded by The Darwin Initiative.

2014- 2015            Project & Communications Officer, Agriculture for Impact. Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London.

2013- 2019            Freelance Ecology Fieldwork Assistant (Various across the UK).

2012                         Research Assistant, Frontier Cambodia. “Livelihoods and sustainable resource use in Kulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary”.

2009- 2012            Project Executive, London Community Resource Network.

Awards & Funding

Funding:

  • 2024. The Darwin Initiative, “Afroalpine conservation through sustainable livelihoods and institutions inspired by tradition”, £591,000.
  • 2024. International Science Partnerships Fund, Official Development Assistance (ODA). Top up funding for Transformative Pathways Project, £94,365.
  • 2020. Oxford University XR Allocation Fund- £24,401 for research on the enabling conditions for IPLC led conservation.
  • 2015-2017: Funding from small grants for my PhD research, equating to £10,000 (Rufford Small Grant, Jana Robyst Trust Fund, The Slawson Award, Royal Geographic Society, Ann Ward Fund and the British Ecological Society (BES)).
  • 2013:  Funding from small grants for my MSc research, equating to £4,000 (Erasmus Darwin Barlow Expeditions (EDBE), Chester Zoo Researh Grant, Imperial College Bursary).
  • 2010.  Trust for London – £50,000 to fund a two-year training programme for 16–25-year-olds from BAME backgrounds.

Awards:

  • 2013 The Gerald Durrell Prize for the best thesis, MSc in Conservation Science, Imperial College London.
  • 2012. Rectors studentship from Imperial College London- £4000 studentship awarded based on previous experience, achievements and dedication to conservation. This enabled me to participate in the MSc, for which I am eternally grateful.

 

Papers

Featured publications (for a full list, see Steph’s Google Scholar or ResearchGate profile)

 

  • Brittain, S., Alatorre, A., Bullough, LA., Newing, H (2025). The enabling conditions for conservation on indigenous and community lands: a systematic map. Conservation Biology.
  • Ghoddousi, A., Brittain, S., Buchadas, A., Grasham, C., Kulkarni, A., Nash, F., Khanyari, M., Newing, H (2024). ‘Participatory’ conservation research in conservation involving Indigenous peoples and local communities: fourteen principles for good practice. Biological Conservation.
  • Newing, H., Fisher, M., Brittain, S., Kenrick, J., Milner-Gulland, EJ (2023). How can we advance equitable, rights-based conservation? Oryx. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605323000418
  • Brittain, S., Rowcliffe, J.M., Earle, S., et al. (2022). Power to the people: analysis of occupancy models informed by local knowledge. Conservation Science and Practice.
  • Kamogne Tagne, C.T, Brittain, S., Coad, L (2022). The impact of Covid-19 on wildmeat hunting and local livelihoods in communities surrounding the Dja reserve. African Journal of Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.12995
  • Brittain, S., Kamogne-Tagne, C. T., Roe D., et al.  (2022). Using scenarios to better design protein alternative projects in Cameroon. Conservation Science & Practice.  https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.12777
  • Brittain, S., Kamogne-Tagne, C.T., Roe D., et al. (2022). The drivers of wild meat consumption in rural Cameroon: Insights for wild meat alternative project design. Conservation Science & Practice https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.12700
  • Brittain, S., Rowcliffe, J.M., Kentatchime, F., Tudge, S., Kamogne Tagne, C.T., Milner-Gulland, E.J. (2022). Comparing interview methods with camera trap data to inform occupancy models of hunted mammals in forest habitats. Conservation Science and Practice. https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.12637
  • Brittain, S., Tugendhat, H., Newing, H.S., Milner-Gulland, E.J. (2021). Conservation and the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities: looking forwards. Oryx. 10.1017/S0030605321000946
  • Brittain, S et al. (2020) Ethical considerations when conservation research involves people. Conservation Biology. 10.1111/cobi.13464
  • Ibbett, H., Brittain, S. (2018) Conservation publications and their provisions to protect research participants. Conservation Biology. 10.1111/cobi.13337
  • Brittain, S., Milner-Gulland,E.J., Ngo Bata, M., Rowcliffe, M. (2018) Combining local knowledge and occupancy analysis for a rapid assessment of forest elephants in Cameroon’s timber production forests. Oryx. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605317001569

 

Other selected publications and reports

  • Brittain, S., Newing, H., Milner-Gulland, EJ., Rowley, T., Tugendhat,H., Kenrick,  J., Carino, J., Farhan Ferrari, M., Hargey, A., Bengoa, C., Faustino, C., Radford, L (2025). Ensuring the sustainability of customary use on Indigenous and community-held lands. Transformative Pathways Project Link
  • Brittain, S, Newing, H., Cornejo Cardich, A., Fahran Ferrari, M, Gomez Fernandez, N.Y., Huamancayo, B., Kenrick, J., Kibelio, F., Kitelo, P., Kitelo, E., Lopez Cruz, M., Ndiema, P., Mera Mejía, A.P., Ojeda del Arco, M.P., Rowley, T., Milner-Gulland, EJ.  (2024). Introduction to community-based environmental monitoring: practical guidelines for natural resource monitoring by indigenous peoples and local communities. Transformative Pathways Project. Link
  • Newing, H., Arreguin Prado, A., Brittain, S., Doyle, C., Kenrick, J., Koné, L., Long, C., Lunn, A., Perram, A., Radford, L., Rowley, T., Tugendhat, H. (2024). Conservation & Human Rights: An Introduction. Transformative Pathways Project Link
  • Brittain, S., Booker, F., Kamoge Tagne, C.T., Maddison, N., Milner-Gulland, EJ., Moumafon, M., Roe, D. (2020). Wild Meat Alternative Projects: Practical guidance for project design. Toolkit, IIIED https://pubs.iied.org/17661iied