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Professional

Consultancy

 

For the last ten years I have worked as a freelance ecological consultant specialising in the survey and assessment of terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates. During this time I have worked for a wide range of conservation organisations and statutory bodies including Natural England, The Environemnt Agency, The Wildlife Trusts, The National Trust, Buglife, Froglife and The Langdyke Trust. This work has included general invertebrate surveys, site monitoring, targeted data collection to guide management or answer specific ecological questions, autecological work on priority species and SSSI condition assessments.

 

In addition I have worked for a number of clients in the development and mineral extraction industries, carrying out baseline invertebrate surveys and site assessment, collecting data for use in Ecological Impact Assessments, Public Inquiries and monitoring, and providing management and mitigation advice.

 

During this period I have gained extensive experience of dataset management as well as the application and interpretation of a range of data analysis methods, including Pantheon, the Saproxylic Quality Index, Index of Ecological Continuity, Species Quality Indices, the aquatic Community Conservation Index and many more. I am also competent in the use of the GIS software QGIS. I have experience dealing with landowners and project stakeholders and have worked on a number of large-scale projects.

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For any enquiries related to entomological survey work or advice please feel free to contact me.

Entomological expertise

 

I have fifteen years of experience conducting entomological field and laboratory work, both in a professional and amateur capacity. During this time I have become familiar with the collection, identification and ecological requirements of a broad range of invertebrate taxa.

 

My expertise includes; most Coleoptera (excluding Aleocharine staphylinids and some other particularly challenging taxa); aculeate Hymenoptera and Symphyta; Heteropteran and auchenorrhynchan Hemiptera; Aranaea, Opiliones and Pseudoscorpions; Syrphidae, larger Brachycera, Tephritidae, Ulidiidae, Pipunculidae, Sciomyzidae, Dolichopodidae, Sepsidae, Pallopteridae, Tipuloidea and selected Empididae and other fly families; Neuroptera and allies; Orthoptera and allies; Lepidoptera (excluding some micro-moths); Odonata; Trichoptera; Ephemeroptera; Plecoptera; Psocoptera; Molluscs, Myriapods and Isopods and Hirudinea (leeches).

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I aim to learn a new group or two a year so watch this space!

General background

 

I hold a Masters Degree (MbiolSci) in Ecology from the University of Sheffield. My independent project work at university focused on freshwater invertebrate community ecology and my Masters Project was an analysis of the importance of ditch characteristics on the Humberhead Levels NIA for supporting diverse aquatic invertebrate assemblages.

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In 2012 and 2013 I worked as a field assistant for the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) collecting data on vegetation composition as part of a long-term climate change study in the Swedish Arctic. This work provided me with valuable experience of scientific fieldwork. The data I collected during this period was used in a paper published in the scientific journal Global Change Biology: Climatic and biotic extreme events moderate long-term responses of above- and belowground sub-Arctic heathland communities to climate change.

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