
Dr Caroline Nash
Green Infrastructure Senior Knowledge Exchange Fellow
, Sustainability Research Institute
Research Fellow specialising in biodiversity conservation and developing urban green infrastructure and nature-based solutions using the process of ecomimicry. Caroline has extensive experience in ecological consultancy and biodiversity monitoring, and holds a Natural England Class 2 bat survey licence.
Qualifications
- PhD (Brownfield-inspired green infrastructure: a new approach to urban biodiversity conservation)
- BSc (Hons) Animal Biology and Nature Conservation
Areas Of Interest
A broad range of interests related to ecology and wildlife conservation with a focus on urban biodiversity and innovative design, monitoring and stewardship of nature-based solutions.
OVERVIEW
A UEL graduate, Caroline was awarded a PhD for research at UEL developing and monitoring innovative urban green infrastructure (UGI) designed to benefit nationally important brownfield biodiversity that is threatened by new development. The research generated state-of-the-art green roofs and ground level urban landscaping, designed using the novel process of ecomimicry, to emulate some of the ecologically valuable niches found in 'Open Mosaic Habitat' (a Priority Habitat that supports important declining invertebrate communities). The study was part of the EU FP7 project TURAS and was supported by Natural England and Buglife - The Invertebrate Conservation Trust. The research had real-world impact, being co-created with a developer to provide targeted UGI measures to meet biodiversity mitigation targets for their major new development in East London.
Caroline is currently working on the Connecting Nature EU Horizon 2020 project, helping to support cities across Europe and beyond in delivering nature-based solutions. Within the project, her role is focused on upscaling technical design and developing and delivering evaluation indicators for nature-based solutions. Caroline is also helping to deliver the ERDF funded project ARENA, and so far has been providing research and development support to SMEs and nature-based enterprises on monitoring whether their products are delivering for biodiversity, and helping them develop environmentally and ecologically-sensitive solutions that support biodiversity net-gain.
Caroline has over ten years professional experience as an ecological consultant, with an emphasis on protected species surveys; primarily bats and birds. She holds a Class 2 Natural England bat survey licence and has worked on large and small scale development projects, providing surveys and planning reports. Caroline is also an experienced ornithologist, carrying out breeding and winter bird surveys for a variety of commercial and nature conservation projects. She has experience in Preliminary Ecological Appraisals and a range of other protected species work.
CURRENT RESEARCH
Currently working on the EU Horizon 2020 funded project Connecting Nature and the ERDF funded project ARENA. Also delivering research through consultancy projects associated with nature-based solutions, biodiversity net-gain and bat, bird and invertebrate conservation.
PUBLICATIONS
- An ecomimicry design approach for extensive green roofs. Journal of Living Architecture, 6(1), 62-81.
Nash, C., Ciupala, M.A., Gedge, D., Lindsay, R. and Connop, S. (2019) . - Initial insights on the biodiversity potential of biosolar roofs: a London Olympic Park green roof case study.
Nash, C., Clough, J., Gedge, D., Lindsay, R., Newport, D., Ciupala, M.A. & Connop, S.. 2015. Israel Journal of Ecology and Evolution. 1-14.
MODULES
Guest lecturer for Architecture and Engineering Masters module; co-supervision of architecture student projects; co-supervision of undergraduate interns; currently supervising PhD student Stephanie Skipp on research on veteran tree ecology.