Claire Louise Stewart

Email: cls215@kent.ac.uk  & clairestewart2803@gmail.com

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Profile

I completed my undergraduate degree BSc. Zoology at the University of St Andrews in 2014.  Following this I travelled around Australia and worked as a Research Assistant with the Large Marine Vertebrate Project (LAMAVE) in the Philippines before starting an MSc in Conservation Science at the University of Queensland, Australia. I graduated with high distinction and was awarded the School of Biological Sciences International Scholarship in Conservation Biology. After my Masters I worked as a Research Assistant at the Centre for Biodiversity & Conservation Science (CBCS) at the University of Queensland until I returned to the UK in December 2016. I then worked as a Community Officer with GiGL (Greenspace Information for Greater London) and the London Wildlife Trust until beginning a PhD with the Durrell Institute of Conservation & Ecology (DICE) at the University of Kent in September. I am also on the Advisory Panel for GIGL.

Current Research

'Modelling future scenarios for conservation land-use in England'

This research will help inform future conservation and agriculture policy by answering the following questions:

1)    Where are the priority areas in England for meeting biodiversity targets while minimising opportunity costs, and how will these change under climate change?

2)    How does the optimal conservation approach for developing ecological networks on private land depend on the traits of the focal species being considered?

3)    In which circumstances would new conservation strategies, based on longer-term stewardship agreements and/or improving landowner support, provide greater benefits?

Publications

Watson, J.E.M., Evans, T., Venter, O., Williams, B., Tulloch, A., Stewart, C., Thompson, I., Ray, J.C., Murray, K., Salazar, A., McAlpine, C., Potapov, P., Walston, J., Robinson, J.G., Painter, M., Wilkie, D., Filardi, C., Laurance, W.F., Houghton, R.A., Maxwell, S., Grantham, H., Samper, C., Wang, S., Laestadius, L., Runting, R.K., Silva-Chávez, G.A., Ervin, J., & Lindenmayer, D. (2018) The exceptional value of intact forest ecosystems, Nature Ecology & Evolution​ 2, pages 599-610.

De Jesus-Villanuev, C., Stewart, C.L. (2017) 18th Cambridge Student Conference on Conservation Science. Oryx. 51(03):398-399. PDF.

Awards

3rd prize for my poster at the Student Conference for Conservation Science at the University of Cambridge, March 2017

Dean’s Commendation for Academic Excellence, 2015 & 2016

Grants

$AUD 8000 School of Biological Sciences International Scholarship in Conservation Biology, University of Queensland, July 2015

Conferences

Poster presented at the Student Conference on Conservation Science (SCCS) in Cambridge, March 2017

Attended Society of Conservation Biology Oceania SCBO Conference in Brisbane, July 2016

Supervisory Team

Dr Robert Smith (DICE)
Dr Nicholas Macgregor (Natural England)
Dr Zoe Davies (DICE)
Dr Humphrey Crick (Natural England)

Other relevant activities

Advisory Panel member for GiGL