My research concerns relations between society and nature, particularly the choices and conflicts between development and conservation. I am particularly interested in the history of nature conservation in the context of wider environmental concern, particularly about sustainability.
I hold the Moran Chair in Conservation and Development in the Department of Geography. I convene the Political Ecology group in geography, whose members work on political and social issues in biodiversity conservation and natural resource governance. I am closely involved in the development of the Cambridge Conservation Initiative.