I recently worked on a joint initiative led by Imperial College London and UCL, which comprised a large collaborative, trans-disciplinary research team incorporating London’s major biodiversity institutions and NGOs. Amongst others, the team includes: University College London, Imperial College London, GiGL (Greenspace information for London) Kew Gardens, London Wildlife Trust, Natural History Museum, Open University, Surrey Wildlife Trust, and the Zoological Society of London.

As more people concentrate in mega-cities there is worldwide recognition of the substantial potential benefits of making cities more environmentally sustainable. There are a number of initiatives to increase the liveability of cities using new technologies, however, these initiatives tend to have limited input from biodiversity scientists and focus on built infrastructure, leaving a clear research gap.

The Making London Nature-Smart group has identified the opportunity to partner with existing London-based initiatives to research how best to develop London’s green infrastructure, enhance biodiversity, increase the ecosystem services and wellbeing benefits offered by the city and to make it more sustainable. We also aim to engage Londoners with their environment through new tools and approaches for monitoring or interpretation of nature around them. This will ensure development is more participatory, improving wellbeing and health of individual residents and communities, promoting sustainable behavioural change and a better understanding of biodiversity change, and increasing London’s attractiveness for investors.

I am interested in understanding how sustainable livelihoods approaches can help mitigate human-wildlife conflict, and have worked on implementing alternative livelihood projects for marginalised coastal communities in Costa Rica. At present I am developing a sustainable alternative livelihood project in central Asia which combines empowerment of women and traditional skills in the conservation of a critically endangered species.

2015-

present         Research Coordinator Oxford University

2014              Research Coordinator. Imperial College London

2012              Present Saiga Conservation Alliance: Programme Manager

2013              Research Assistant. Imperial College London. Grand Challenges in Ecosystems and the Environment

2012              Research Assistant. Valuing Nature Network: ‘Capturing differentiated experience of change to ensure

                          pro-poor ecosystem service interventions are fit for purpose’.

2012             Research Assistant. Widecast: Leatherback sea turtle conservation and alternative livelihoods project.

                         Costa Rica

2012             Research Assistant. Costa Rica Wildlife Sanctuary: Endangered animal rescue and education project.

                         Costa Rica.

2010 –

2011              MSc. Conservation Science. Imperial College London. UK

2009             Assistant.  Tropical animal rehabilitation and enrichment project – Inti Wara Yassi. Bolivia.

1995 –

2010             Public Relations Account Director,  The Bespoke Agency. UK

1994             BA (hons) Communication Studies.