(she/her)
My background spans across disciplines within geography, environmental science and ecology. Most recently, I completed my MSc research at the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery in Oxford exploring eco-acoustics for monitoring soil ecosystem health and macrofauna presence across a grassland management gradient. I also have experience in social research, particularly in my study of the socio-economic motivations of conventional farmers in agri-environmental scheme uptake. Practically, I am interested in how to best align existing policy and funding frameworks with local socio-ecological needs and priorities. Conceptually, I am interested in how environmental governance manifests ecologically, and how to monitor and interpret the ecological implications of policy and management decisions at a local level.
The potential for private investment in Biodiversity Net Gain and its ability to deliver on Local Nature Recovery Strategies
Durham University with Professor Stephen Willis
PhD aim:
Exploring BNGs potential, as a nationally-implemented policy, for delivering on locally specific conservation goals in County Durham.
PhD objectives:
- Assess the economic viability for local landowners to manage land for conservation under BNG schemes, identifying barriers to participation and upkeep.
- Use automated acoustic, camera and drone technologies on sites newly designated for BNG, alongside longer term proxies, to document changes in vegetation structure and species assemblages beyond BNGs basic habitat metrics.
- Consider Durham’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy as a guiding framework to identify barriers and assess plausibility of mandatory net gain and nature offsetting markets in supporting local nature recovery and conservation.
Contact details:
email: [email protected]