Sarah Beynon: Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION
Doctorate: Ecology
Research Group, Jesus College, University of Oxford
Funded by the Oxford
University Professor Sir
Richard Southwood Scholarship in Insect Ecology & BBSRC.
Title: Decomposer diversity and decomposition processes: the functional consequences of conventional anthelmintics and cattle feed supplements.
BA Biological Sciences: Wadham College, University of Oxford
2:1, specialising in Animal and Environmental Biology.
Coursework assignments: ‘GM as insect pest management'
and ‘The role of memes in cultural evolution'
Dissertation project "The difference in insect
community structure between organic and conventional arable sites: with
particular emphasis on the Coleoptera: Carabidae".
Ysgol Dewi Sant, St Davids
A-levels:
Biology A; Geography A; History A.
GCSEs:
Double
Science A*A*; Geography A*; English Language A*; English Literature A; Welsh A;
Mathematics A; History A*; German A*; Design and Technology A*.
QUALIFICATIONS
AND AWARDS
2009-2010: Darwin Initiative Project Funding (scoping trip to Zambia).
2008: Professor Sir Richard Southwood scholarship in Insect Ecology (DPhil).
2008: Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society Student Bursary (DPhil).
2008: Duke of Edinburgh Silver award.
2007: Young Farmers Club After Dinner Speaking county winner.
2005: Oxford
University Varley
Gradwell Travelling Fellowship in Insect Ecology (Zambia).
2004:
PADI Open Water, PADI Advanced Open Water diver, and Coral Reef Ecology PADI
Qualification (Indonesia).
2004:
Jungle Training, Indonesia.
2004:
The Wynford Davies Travelling Scholarship (Indonesia).
2003/2004: Royal Welsh Agricultural Society: Marks and Spencer
Beef Cattle Young Handler runner-up and Pembrokeshire
Agricultural Society Cattle Young Handler winner.
2002:
Ysgol Dewi Sant ‘Best A-level results', ‘Best science pupil', and ‘Pupil shown
most contribution to agriculture' awards.
2001-2002:
Head Girl of Ysgol Dewi Sant.
2000:
Engineering Education Scheme Wales - National ‘Teamwork Prize' winner for
designing a jig for an electronics factory.
2000:
Ysgol Dewi Sant ‘Best GCSE results in the school' award
1999:
Young Farmers Club ‘Brains Trust' and Round Table Public Speaking - county
winner and National runner-up.
1999:
Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award.
EMPLOYMENT,
WORK EXPERIENCE AND VOLUNTARY WORK
Freelance
Ecological and Entomological Consultant
Current
Contracts:
Agri-environmental project: 1) The effect
of cattle worming regimes on dung insect assemblages. 2) The advantages
of non-ivermectin-based wormers 3) Monitoring Carabidae (Ground Beetles) on
specified study sites under agri-environment scheme management.
Biodiversity
Survey: Assessing no tillage as a land use practice to
benefit slug-eating invertebrates, especially Carabidae.
Pembrokeshire County Coleoptera Recorder
Coleopteran
Contact to WWBIC
Farming
and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG): ‘Pichwach' consultant ecologist and entomologist: Biodiversity Survey and Advisor.
Past
contracts:
2006-2009: Editor
and Writer: West Wales Biodiversity Centre (WWBIC) monthly
newsletter.
2008: Natural
Capital Audit of Pembrokeshire: Head of Farming section of the
project, creating and carrying out questionnaires about how farmers perceive
ecologists and how they could make more out of the natural assets on their
land (WWBIC).
2008: Deepford Brook Catchment Sensitive Farming (FWAG).
2006: Wildlife on Your Farm Biodiversity Assessments on farms participating
in the ‘Tir Gofal' agri-environment scheme: specimen identification, and report
formulation (FWAG).
2006: Informing farmers of the
Grazing Animals Project (GAP) local grazing scheme (FWAG).
Volunteering
2004-2007: Oxford University Hope Entomological
Collections: Entomological sample sorting, mounting and
identification.
2001-2002: Press and publicity officer of the Young Members Welsh
Black Cattle Society.
1999-2000:
Western Telegraph Newspaper Work Experience & Fenton Veterinary Practice Voluntary Work
CURRENT RESEARCH (IN ADDITION TO DPHIL)
Carabidae community structure on a farm undergoing
organic conversion: continuation from dissertation project
The effect of Set Aside on Carabidae assemblages.
Creation of a reference collection of British
Carabidae and Scarabaeidae, and a general collection of Coleoptera in
Pembrokeshire.
Culturing Aphodius, Geotrupes and Nicrophorus in the laboratory.
Zambia
Scarabaeidae: Experiments include: optimum bait size, optimum bait type,
effect of farming intensification and recovery time after burning on
Scarabaeinae assemblages.
South- and
Central America
Bait preference of dung beetles from the Cusuco
National Park, Honduras.
Data
mobilisation of hand collected insects: Wales,
Zambia, Bolivia, Peru,
Ecuador, Panama Costa Rica,
Honduras, Cuba.
PUBLICATIONS
Beynon, S.A. & Mann, D.J. (2006) Amara apricaria (Pakyll) (Coleoptera:
Carabidae): recent records from Pembrokeshire (VC 45). Entomologist's Monthly Magazine
Beynon, S.A. & Mann, D.J. (2006) Trechoblemus micros (Herbst)
(Carabidae): first record for Pembrokeshire (VC 45). The Coleopterist 15(1): 43-48.
COLLABORATIONS
Professor
Helen West, University of Nottingham: Large scale impact of
anthelmintics on dung invertebrates; creation of an advice system for
farmers on anthelmintic use
Dr Christina Marley, IBERS: Chicory as an anthelmintic and its impact on non-target invertebrates
Professor
Richard Wall, University of Bristol: Sustainable parasite control for
cattle in Zambia and its impact on non-target invertebrates (Darwin
Initiative)
TALKS & PRESENTATIONS
'Alternative appraoches to parasite control in cattle: Are they less environmentally harmful?' Presentation at the Dung Ecology Conference, University of Oxford (December 2009)
'Endoparasite control in cattle: Do conventional treatments and alternative feed supplements affect invertebrate diversity and rates of dung decomposition?' Poster Presentation, University of Oxford Department of Zoology (October 2009)
'The impact of conventional anthelmintics and alternative cattle feed supplements on dung invertebrates and dung decomposition' Presentation at the Royal Entomological Society Postgraduate Conference, York (February 2009)
'My work with insects' St Davids Cathedral Womens Fellowship (September 2008)
'Dung beetles and other beneficial insects' FWAG South Wales meeting (September 2008)
'All about insects' Display at the Really Wild Festival (August 2008)
'From cocktails to cockroaches' Private function (August 2008)
'Adventures in South- and Central America 2007' St Davids Cathedral Men's Society (April 2008)
'Adventures in the Jungle' WWBIC Event (December 2007)
TELEVISION & RADIO
Sky Nature: Entomologist on television and press Sky advert for the 'Knowledge' package (April -December 2009)
BBC Radio Wales Farming: Radio interview speaking about how my work with insects can have beneficial outcomes for farmers (December 2008).
BBC Wales: Entomologist on Not In My Nature, a series following a group of nature rookies taking part in different wildlife activities around Wales (June 2008).
BBC Radio Wales: Guest on Jamie Owen's morning programme talking about my involvement with Not in My Nature as well as my work with insects (June 2008).
TRAVEL
EXPEDITIONS
2007:
6 month expedition to South and Central America: I worked with a Bolivian
entomologist, mobilising data and gaining experience on South American dung
beetle species identifications. After
travelling through Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador,
the Galapagos Islands, Panama
and Costa Rica, I worked for
2 months as an Invertebrate Scientist for Operation Wallacea in Honduras. I
worked as one of 6 scientists on an insect biodiversity project. I used
dung-baited pitfall traps to survey dung beetle distributions, and carried out
nightly light traps to survey 3 moth groups and jewel scarab beetles. As well
as teaching university and school students the importance of insects in the
forest ecosystem, I also implemented my own project looking at dung beetle bait
preferences, and hand collected insect specimens in order to look for species
of interest that have not been previously recorded by quantitative trapping
methods. I am currently mobilising this data, and giving a series of talks on
my work in the jungle, and the experiences from my travels.
2005:
3 month entomological fieldwork expedition to Zambia, funded by the Varley
Gradwell Travelling Fellowship in Insect Ecology: I designed and implemented my own research (as
afore mentioned in ‘Current Research Topics') working closely with Zambian
farmers, and employing 6 Zambians to assist with fieldwork. I also worked with schoolchildren, teaching
them the fundamental issues underlying the importance of conservation in Africa. I had no
professional assistance while in Zambia, but am now working closely
with the Hope Entomological Collections (Oxford University Museum of Natural
History) in identifying specimens and writing up the research. I am also co-ordinating my work with
ScarabNet - providing them with baseline data for their handbook of standard
methods to be published in 2009.
2004:
Operation Wallacea Conservation Expedition, Indonesia, funded by the Wynford
Davies Travelling Scholarship:
I
spent 2 weeks in the rainforest where I completed a ‘Forest Acclimatisation'
course, and researched various projects including macaque behaviour and
herpetafauna distributions. I then spent
2 weeks completing the PADI Open Water and Advanced Open Water training, a
Coral Reef Ecology course, and assisted on a number of projects looking at human
impact on the reef system.
INTERESTS
Environment/nature: Sustainable agriculture/habitat restoration, wildlife photography, nature-writing, nature conservation, wildlife-watching/recording.
Music: Pianoforte (grade 8), clarinet (grade 6), flute, Pembrokeshire County
Orchestra and Pembrokeshire County Wind-band (1998-2002).
Art: Amateur
abstract-landscape artist. Exhibitions: St Davids Cathedral Refectory Gallery joint exhibition (2007 & 2008), Oriel-y-Felin Gallery (2008-2009), St Davids Annual Art Exhibition (2000-2010).
Languages: Spanish, Welsh (basic), German (basic).
Sport/travel: horseriding, hiking, scuba diving, snorkelling, travelling to remote places, exploring.