Laura Braunholtz (she/her) is a biodiversity researcher whose work spans remote fieldwork, working with communities, capacity building, and translating science into practice and policy. She uses tools like camera traps, acoustic recorders, and remote sensing to understand how species and communities respond to pressures such as habitat loss and hunting, and how they recover in regenerating and restored habitats.
Her fieldwork experience began 14 years ago in the tropical forests of Peru, and since then she has led research expeditions and fieldwork campaigns across South America, Southeast Asia, Central Africa, as well as in the UK. She became a National Geographic Explorer during her PhD, with a grant supporting her investigation of the impacts of roads and associated human activities on the mammals of Brunei’s forests.
Laura is committed to improving the ethics, accessibility and inclusivity of field-based research. Her work in this area includes safety during fieldwork, inclusion and justice in research, and the importance of more equitable research partnerships. Most recently, her work with the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology explored barriers and opportunities to the uptake of biodiversity monitoring technologies in low- and middle-income countries.
Sessions at Explore Weekend
Sunday
11.30am-12.30pm: Ethical Expedition Practice
