Overview

Having grown up in the Devon countryside I have always had a keen interest in wildlife and conservation, with much of my interest involved in the outdoors. After completing a BEng in Materials Science and Engineering and a PGCE in primary teaching in 2007, I began pursuing a career in ecology. I initially worked for a wildlife consultancy specialising in bat ecology. During this time I gained a wealth of experience in bat conservation and research; undertaking numerous building and habitat surveys to inform development, with particular focus on conserving bats and their roost sites. I also spent the summer of 2011 researching the interaction of a large lesser horseshoe roost and the surrounding habitat using various survey techniques including an extensive period of radio-tracking. In 2012 I joined The Vincent Wildlife Trust to work on a joint project with the University of Exeter, researching the impact of artificial lighting on bats in Southwest England and Wales.

Broad research specialism

• Bat ecology
• Wildlife surveying techniques

Qualifications

2001 BEng Materials Sciences and Engineering, University of Wales
2006 PGCE in primary teaching, University of Exeter

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Research

Research projects

Project Titles: The ecological impacts of artificial night lighting on biodiversity. The national bats and wind turbine project

Supervisors: Dr Fiona Mathews and Professor Kevin Gaston

Funding Body: Defra

Project Descriptions: I am involved with the PhD research investigating how light sensitive species of bat might be affected by street lighting. I am assisting the PhD student, Julie Day, conducting the field work collecting acoustic data at light and dark sites during the summer and at hibernacula sites during winter.

I am also working as part of a team of field assistants for the national bats and wind turbine project with the PhD student Suzanne Richardson. This project involves using trained search dogs to find bat carcasses at wind farm sites across the UK.

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