Jethro George Gauld

I am a conservation ecologist interested in environmental change, movement ecology and alleviating anthropogenic pressures. My PhD project 'Improving the detection and estimation of birds' collision risk with energy infrastructure' aims to reduce the risk posed by energy infrastructure to large birds with particular focus upon white storks Ciconia ciconia. On the Iberian peninsula this species is particularly vulnerable to collisions with power lines and other energy infrastructure; as demand for new renewable energy developments increases to help combat climate change it will become increasingly more important to understand where and when birds are at greatest risk of collision with new and existing infrastructure. Under the supervision of the White stork project team lead by Dr Aldina Franco a UEA, I will be fitting the latest GPS trackers to individual white storks; this will allow almost unprecedented understanding of the movements and behaviour of this species in relation to energy infrastructure and highlight where the collision risk hot spots are within Portugal and Southern Spain.

I also hold a Masters (MSc) in Ecosystem Services from the University of Edinburgh. A degree exploring the good and bad things nature does for us. The ecological processes providing those things. How we protect these ecosystems and who pays for it.

Previously I worked as an ecological consultant at Direct Ecology Ltd in Scotland where I specialised in ornithology, protected species survey, GIS and ecological clerk of works. Of greatest relevance to my current work is a survey project in Orkney working on behalf of SSE performing vantage point and other bird surveys to assess the impact of a powerline proposal upon birds in the Orkney archipelago. Along side this work I also ran a youth group for the RSPB as a volunteer (Edinburgh RSPB Phoenix Group) and prior to my position at Direct Ecology I worked at Scottish Water as a GIS technician.

My interests outside of work include bird watching, bird ringing, cycling and scuba diving.