As a keen conservation scientist, I am lucky to be able to combine my favourite hobby - wildlife photography - with my work. 

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I grew up in the Wiltshire countryside, where I was surrounded by vast areas of military plains. A lot of my childhood was spent walking around this beautiful British countryside and observing rare species such as chalkhill blue butterflies and stone curlews.This showed me the real value of protecting wildlife hotspots, and I was passionate to ensure that other areas in the world are to do the same.

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This led me to pursue a bachelor's degree in Environmental Science at the University of Nottingham. At the end of my degree, I received funding for an internship to publish my 3rd year research project. Realising that a career in conservation ecology was my goal, I decided that my money would be best spent on a camera which will allow me to capture the amazing wildlife that I aim to see and protect. 

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For my masters at the University of Cambridge, I researched the impacts of oil palm plantations on arthropods in Liberia​​. This included a 2-month field trip to Liberia. The experience was life-changing - it taught me the real value of doing a career in science. Learning about the culture, hearing eyeopening stories from the recent war, and seeing pristine Upper Guinean rainforest made the trip an valuable experience. I also became more confident with my recently-bought Nikon D500 camera - although of course I wish I took way more photos than I did!

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Now, I am a PhD student at the University of Liverpool, studying a new method of sampling invertebrates in the soil - using vibroacoustics. For this project, I conduct my fieldwork in Kenya. Carrying on from previous work on entomology and African landscapes, this PhD is an exciting opportunity to modernise the way in which we sample invertebrates. My first fieldwork season in Kenya was thoroughly enjoyable. The people, culture, landscapes and wildlife were all incredible. Doing my fieldwork in Kenya offered three months of free game drives in the lovely Lewa, Borana, and Lolldaiga conservancies. This provided me with the most excellent opportunities to see stunning scenery and improve my skills as a photographer.