Lucy Archer

Curriculum Vitae

2017–Present: PhD Researcher, London NERC DTP
2016–2017: Science Communications and Fundraising Officer, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
2014–2015: MSc in Conservation Science, Imperial College London. With Distinction and awarded the Gerald Durrell Prize
2012–2014: Project Manager, Save Wild Tigers
2011–2012: Wildlife Officer, SOS Tartarugas, Cape Verde
2007–2010: BSc Wildlife Conservation, Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent. Awarded First-class honours.

Research Interests

My research interests lie across the socio-ecological interface and how we can develop stronger and more robust conservation initiatives through an interdisciplinary approach. I’m particularly interested in the human dimensions of conservation and how we can build effective conservation interventions that take into account human wellbeing and development. My MSc research was part of a wider UK government Darwin funded project exploring ‘pro – poor’ responses to wildlife crime in Uganda. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were adopted to explore the social impacts of potential future conservation policies to find policy interventions that meet conservation objectives whilst benefiting local people that live alongside protected areas.

Current Research

My current research is focussed on the Endangered Philippine pangolin, Manis culionensis, a species highly threatened due to the illegal wildlife trade. For my PhD, I aim to assess the ability of different monitoring methods to gather conservation-relevant data for the species in order to prioritise and establish new community-based conservation areas for its protection.

The Philippine pangolin is endemic to the Palawan faunal region in the Philippines and is arguably the least known of all Asian pangolin species, with limited population data available. Population declines of >50% are predicted but we have little knowledge on the local or international threats placed upon this species, or even the effectiveness of different research methods to gather baseline data to inform its conservation. A range of field techniques will therefore be used during my PhD to investigate population status, trends and drivers of decline, using research frameworks embedded in species population ecology, anthropology and psychology. The first phase of this research is currently underway, comprised of a large scale local ecological knowledge survey to understand where the species still exists and the threats it faces across its range. This PhD is funded by NERC and the Zoological Society of London.

Aside from work, I enjoy exploring new places on foot or on bike. In 2015, I was part of a two-woman expedition which saw us cycle 2,000km alongside the Mekong River to highlight positive conservation stories. Along the way we visited 11 conservation NGOs and documented their stories to raise awareness of this incredibly biodiverse region and its wildlife.