About Me

Being brought up on a farm I have always had a fascination with the natural world. I was given my first ‘bug box' at the age of 5 and have never looked back! The first time I broke a toe was by dropping a large boulder on it whilst building a ladybird house on my primary school window ledge! Things have changed very little since; I am still fascinated by beetles and am still rather accident-prone!

As an undergraduate student in Oxford, my interest in insects was cemented on a tour of the Hope Entomological Collections by the superb entomologist Darren Mann.

Volunteering at the Collections gave me some of the skills I needed to actually go out into the field and study insects. It was at this time that I became aware of the diversity in form and function of beetles and the their use as indicators of habitat health, and decided to specialise in this Order.

I am lucky that I have had the opportunity to travel the world to follow my passion: I have carried out research projects in Pembrokeshire, Zambia, Bolivia and Honduras.

I am currently working on a doctorate at The University of Oxford studying the impact of agricultural intensification on non-target invertebrates and the ecosystem services they deliver. I also work as a television presenter, co-run the family farm and and have my own environmental consultancy business.