Menu Close
PhD Candidate, Forest Ecology, Resilience and Biodiversity Conservation, University of Stirling

I’m a forest ecologist with a background in conservation, having worked across a range of projects both in the UK and abroad.

I have previously worked as an intelligence analyst in the UK and as a bio-security ranger for the Department of Conservation (DOC) in New Zealand. More recently I returned to the UK and my conservation career led me to an island nature reserve off the west coast of Scotland (Handa Island), which I ran for two years. I then spent a brief period working in the forest industry having completed my MSc in Environmental Forestry at Bangor University, Wales.

I have an interest in reintroduction biology, with my recent work focusing on improving the reintroduction success of large carnivores. Specifically, I recently published a paper in the journal Biological Conservation, where we modelled the reintroduction of the Eurasian lynx to Scotland using innovative new modelling tools. It's hoped that our approach can be more widely implemented for the conservation of large carnivores and species reintroductions globally.

I'm currently studying for my PhD at Stirling University in collaboration with Forest Research. My research aims to synthesise existing knowledge on the resilience of forests to extreme climatic events such as drought, and how different species and communities respond to stressful events and why, in the hope that we can harness this knowledge and deliver it in a UK context. The core of my work will focus on investigating the legacy and impact of historic drought events using tree ring chronologies and identifying ways in which we can incorporate greater resilience and adaptive capacity into our forests to enable them to continue to meet the needs of people and wildlife in the face of climatic change.

Experience

  • –present
    PhD candidate - Forest Ecology & Resilience, University of Stirling
  • 2018–2018
    Assistant Forester Manager, Scottish Woodlands Ltd
  • 2017–2018
    Reserves Officer West Central Scotland, Scottish Wildlife Trust
  • 2016–2017
    Handa Island Ranger , Scottish Wildlife Trust
  • 2014–2015
    Bio-security Ranger, Department of Conservation (New Zealand)

Education

  • 2017 
    Bangor University, MSc Environmental Forestry

Publications

  • 2020
    The prevalence and source of plastic incorporated into nests of five seabird species on a small offshore island,
  • 2019
    Improving reintroduction success in large carnivores through individual-based modelling: How to reintroduce Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) to Scotland,

Professional Memberships

  • The Institute of Chartered Foresters