Who are the Conservation Evidence team?

The following have been actively involved in the work of Conservation Evidence. This does not include the group involved with the online journal Conservation Evidence.

Contact us at: info@conservationevidence.com

Core team

William Sutherland, Miriam Rothschild Professor of Conservation Biology, University of Cambridge, established the idea and site and has been heavily involved since.

Dr Rebecca Smith, Conservation Evidence Manager, University of Cambridge, has worked both as an ecologist and an academic, providing useful experience. She initially worked with us on systematic reviews but since 2011 has worked on the Farmland synopsis, was the lead author of the Amphibian Synopsis and has been the key person on many aspects of this work, including ‘What Works in Conservation’.

Dr Lynn Dicks, University of East Anglia. With a useful background in both ecology and journalism, Lynn has played a key role in establishing many of the main methods such as the synopses and What Works in Conservation. She was the lead author of the Bee Synopsis and the Farmland Synopsis. She is now an independent researcher who amongst other work gets Conservation Evidence used in policy making.

Dr Philip Martin, University of Cambridge, is working on writing new Conservation Evidence synopses of evidence. He is currently collecting evidence relating to conservation of heathlands and shrublands.

Dr Nancy Ockendon, University of Cambridge, has been working with us since 2014 participating in many aspects of the projects and played a key role in the creation of What Works in Conservation. Nancy is currently working on the Cambridge Conservation Initiative's Landscape Restoration Project, and is summarising the evidence relating to the restoration of grasslands.

Dr Silviu Petrovan, University of Cambridge, joined the Conservation Evidence project in December 2016. He is working on updating synopses, assessing evidence for interventions, and the production of What Works in Conservation. Before this Silviu worked as the Conservation Coordinator for Froglife.

Dr Ricardo Rocha, University of Cambridge, joined the Conservation Evidence team in June 2017 and has been summarizing the evidence relating to the control of aquatic invasive plants. Prior to this Ricardo lectured Zoology at the University of Madeira.

Dr Claire Wordley, University of Cambridge, works to spread the word about Conservation Evidence and increase its use. She previously worked on bats in India.

Team members working on specific projects

Dr Min Chen, East China Normal University, extracted all the papers that tested interventions from 70 conservation and ecology journals up until 2014.

Alec Christie, University of Cambridge, joined the Conservation Evidence project as a PhD student in September 2017. Alec is investigating how we can rigorously weight studies that test conservation interventions based on their quality and relevance to practitioners and policy-makers. He also wants to help create decision-support tools that enhance the impact of the Conservation Evidence project.

Jessica Junker, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, is the lead author of the primate synopsis.

Dr Laura Pettit, JNCC and University of Cambridge, is working on a synopsis of the effectiveness of conservation interventions in benthic habitats.

Professor Stuart Pimm, Duke University, is overseeing and organising the Carnivore Synopsis.

Dr Guy Rotem, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, is one of two main authors currently writing the Reptile Synopsis.

Rebecca Schoonover, Duke University, is working on the Carnivore Synopsis.

Dr Gorm Shackelford, University of Cambridge, is working on a synopsis of the effectiveness of conservation practices in Mediterranean-type agricultural landscapes.

Nigel Taylor, Tour du Valat, is working on a synopsis of the effectiveness of conservation practices for wetlands.

Dr Maggie Watson, Charles Sturt University, is one of two main authors currently writing the Reptile Synopsis.

Past members who worked on specific projects

Dr Har’el Agra, Israel Institute of Technology, is the lead author of the Forest Synopsis.

Dr David Aldridge, University of Cambridge, is the lead author of the Freshwater Invasives Synopsis and coordinated the assessment of chapters for ‘What Works in Conservation’.

Stephanie Aldridge is a Director of Cambridge Environmental Consulting, UK and contributed to the Freshwater Invasives synopsis.

Professor John Altringham, University of Leeds, an international expert on bats oversaw the production of the Bat Synopsis and the chapter in ‘What Works in Conservation’.

Joscelyne Ashpole, University of Cambridge, edited the Farmland Synopsis before publication. She then moved to the RSPB.

Professor Melanie Austen, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, oversaw the production of the Sustainable Aquaculture Synopsis.

Professor Richard Bardgett, University of Manchester, oversaw the production of the Soil Fertility Synopsis.

Dr Anna Berthinussen, University of Leeds, is one of two main authors of the Bat Synopsis. She also coordinated the assessment of the bat synopsis for the chapter in ‘What Works in Conservation’.

Professor Yohay Carmel, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, oversaw and organised the Forest Synopsis.

Matt Child, University of Cambridge, wrote summaries for the Bird Synopsis.

Dr Juliana Danhardt, Lund University, wrote summaries for the Farmland Synopsis.

James Hutchison, University of Cambridge, played a significant role in the production of the Natural Pest Control Synopsis. He then moved to the Joint Nature Conservation Committee.

Katy James, Harper Adams University, created the systematic map for the Farmland Synopsis.

Aisla Jones, University of Bangor, was the lead author of the Sustainable Aquaculture Synopsis.

Annelie Jönsson, Lund University, wrote summaries for the Farmland Synopsis.

Professor Michel Kaiser, University of Bangor, oversaw the production of the Sustainable Aquaculture Synopsis.

Dr Georgina Key, University of Manchester, was the lead author of the Soil Fertility Synopsis. She also coordinated the assessment of the synopsis for the chapter in ‘What Works in Conservation’.

Sarah Lockhart, Duke University, started the Carnivore Synopsis.

Caitlin McCormack, University of Cambridge, coordinated the assessment of the Natural Pest Control Synopsis and played a role in developing ‘What Works in Conservation’.

Dr Angela Mead contributed to the Freshwater Invasives and Sustainable Aquaculture Synopsis.

Helen Meredith, Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, coordinated the assessment of the Amphibian Synopsis for the chapter in ‘What Works in Conservation’.

Dr Nibedita Mukherjee, University of Cambridge, has been involved in promoting Conservation Evidence and researching means of making it more widely used.

Lisa Orth, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, wrote summaries for the Primate Synopsis.

Dr Rob Pople, University of Cambridge, started the Bird Synopsis. He then moved to Birdlife International.

Dr Stephanie Prior, University of Cambridge, extracted all the papers that tested interventions from the main conservation and ecology journals up until 2012. She moved in 2013 to Kettle’s Yard Gallery.

Dr Nicola Randall, Harper Adams University, created the systematic map for the Farmland Synopsis.

Olivia Richardson, University of Leeds, is one of two main authors of the Bat Synopsis.

Helen Scales is an aquatic ecologist, author and researcher for Cambridge Environmental Consulting, UK and contributed to the Freshwater Invasives synopsis.

David Showler, University of East Anglia, was involved with Conservation Evidence from the start until 2008. He is now an ecological consultant.

Susan Turpie, Natural Heritage Management Team, Scottish Government, wrote summaries for the Farmland Synopsis.

Dr Jessica Walsh, Simon Fraser University, Canada, was a PhD student at the University of Cambridge who studied how evidence is used in practice, helped teach the Conservation Evidence training course, conducted the preliminary assessment of the Bird Synopsis, and has provided useful advice on implementing evidence-based practice.

Dr Mike Whitfield, University of Lancaster, helped to develop the Soil Fertility Synopsis.

Dave Williams, University of Cambridge, wrote the lions share of the Bird Synopsis and brought it to completion. He went on to do a PhD in the University of Cambridge.

Elspeth Wilman, Duke University, worked on the Carnivore Synopsis.

Dr Hugh Wright, University of Cambridge, was the lead author of the Natural Pest Control Synopsis. He then moved to the Joint Nature Conservation Committee.

Alexandra Zieritz is a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Nottingham, Malaysia Campus, Malaysia and contributed to the Freshwater Invasives synopsis.

Erasmus zu Ermgassen, University of Cambridge, volunteered by writing summaries for the Bird Synopsis. He is now doing a PhD in the University of Cambridge.