Institute of Continuing Education (ICE)
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Dr Bryony Tolhurst will teach unit content on ecological processes, biodiversity, behaviour, conservation action, and data collection and analysis. Bryony received a BSc (hons) in Zoology from the University of Manchester, an MSc. in Wildlife Management and Conservation from the University of Reading, and a PhD in Mammal Behavioural Ecology at the University of Sussex. She was previously a Principal Lecturer at the University of Brighton, a researcher for the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and a consultant for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Channel 4. In addition to her teaching activities at the University of Cambridge, she is currently a consultant for the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) and an honorary research fellow at the University of Brighton. She also works in Ecological Consultancy/EcIA. Bryony holds a teaching qualification in the form of a D2 fellowship from the Higher Education Academy. She has authored/co-authored >30 scientific journal articles, peer-reviewed for >15 journals and acted as Guest Editor for the journal Animals MDPI. She was a member of the British Ecological Society Review College and lead author of an impact case study on human-carnivore coexistence for the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF), returned as 3*. Her research interests centre on ecology of urban mammals, disease ecology, human-wildlife conflict, and biologging techniques. Bryony is an advocate of Research-Focussed-Experiential Learning, loves fieldwork, and has led citizen science and student initiatives, including for the Earthwatch Institute in South Africa and Ecuador, and for Hedgehog Friendly Campus in the UK. Bryony particularly enjoys teaching and mentoring adult learners and those embarking on second careers, switching sectors or otherwise learning in a “non-standard” fashion. Her teaching is highly interactive and she uses immediacy and integrated learning – i.e., includes real-world points of references and humour, to engage with students. Her teaching is designed to facilitate peer-to-peer learning, and to get students to think laterally and make their own links between topics in science and the wider world. Having worked in the Higher Education, Conservation and Ecological Consultancy sectors, Bryony has a unique overview of the employment landscape for those embarking on a career in Ecology and Conservation. This is invaluable for advising the continued professional development of others and her own ongoing learning.
