MSc student
yasmin.trivedidave@mansfield.ox.ac.uk

Yasmin Trivedi Dave

Background

Growing up in West London as an East African Asian, nature has simultaneously been separate and an integral part of our culture. Hearing stories from my grandparents about life in Gujarat and Soroti, and the importance of respecting nature, made this connection more real, as it’s deeply interwoven into our practices and relationships with one another, which contrasted the urban nature around me. Despite such strong cultural ties to nature, I rarely saw myself or my community reflected in mainstream conservation spaces. That absence drives my motivation and passion to work towards a conservation, where diverse individuals are truly seen, heard, and valued for who they are and all the knowledge, culture and expertise that they have always held, supporting both people and nature. I am especially passionate about how conservation can centre equity and justice by recognising the rights, leadership, and lived experiences of Indigenous Peoples and local communities through rights-based and participatory approaches.

Research interests

I hold a dual degree in International Relations and East Asian Culture Studies from the School of African and Asian Studies (SOAS, University of London), with a focus on decolonial environmental politics. This sparked my interest in how culture and knowledge systems shape not only the regulation and treatment of nature but also the lives and rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Following this, I worked with Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, embedding equity, diversity and inclusion organisationally alongside Zoological Society of London, researching and developing environmental social safeguards that align with rights-based approaches within conservation programming. I am now studying a Masters of Biodiversity, Conservation and Management at the University of Oxford with my dissertation focusing on how the use of digital participatory mapping tools on traditional-scientific knowledge and impacts for collaboration in with Indigenous Peoples and local communities in conservation. This research is supervised by Helen Newing and Stephanie Brittain at the ICCS and Tom Rowley from the Forest Peoples Programme.

Current research

My dissertation is exploring the use of digital participatory mapping tools with traditional-scientific knowledge and collaboration for conservation with Indigenous Peoples and Local communities. Participatory mapping has long been recognised as a valuable method in conservation for its ability to incorporate diverse ways of knowing and centre the voices of those with place-based knowledge. As digital tools become more widely used to support these efforts, they are often framed as mechanisms to enhance collaboration. The aim of my research is to explore this relationship further and understand the broader impacts on scientific knowledge and traditional knowledge and implications for collaboration and rights with Indigenous Peoples and Local communities.

Brief CV

  • Education:
    • 2024-Present: MSc Biodiversity, Conservation and Management (University of Oxford)
    • 2023-2024: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Level 4 Qualification (Chartered Institute of Personal Development, CIPD)
    • 2019-2023: Bachelor of Arts (Hons) International Relations and East Asian Studies (SOAS University of London)
  • Professional Experience:
    • 2024-2025: Zoological Society of London (ZSL), Equity, Rights and Social Safeguarding Intern
    • 2023-2024: Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Intern
    • 2022-2023 UNIQ+ Research Intern with Professor Rob Salguero-Gomez
  • Leadership/Volunteering:

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