I am a long-standing professional ecologist with over 25 years' experience working with farmers and growers in the agri-environment, primarily delivering benefits for biodiversity through agricultural landscapes.  I achieved my doctorate from the University of Sheffield in 2001 having investigated the creation and restoration of species-rich grassland with an emphasis on the use of yellow rattle (Rhinanthus minor). In recent years my research has focussed on the sustainable production of fruit, including apples, cherries, oranges, and grapes.  I have published numerous peer-reviewed journal papers and conference proceedings on such topics (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7094-0362).

From 2002 to 2011 I was an academic in the School of Agriculture, Policy and Development at the University of Reading, specialising primarily on arable and grassland systems.  I joined the School of Science and the Environment at the University of Worcester in 2011 where I was a Principal Lecturer in Ecology and Environmental Management.  In September 2023, I joined the Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester, as the Dean of Land & Property Management, and a Professor of Sustainable Agriculture.