Meet The Committee

Chair

Henrike Schulte to Bühne

Henrike is a postdoctoral research associate at the Institute of Zoology (Zoological Society of London). She works with satellite remote sensing data and other spatial data to map and understand the combined effects of climate change and land use change on European forest ecosystems.

Deputy Chair

Kate Hand

Kate is a Forest Data Scientist at Forest Research, UK, where she works on modelling carbon stocks in trees for use in the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory. She recently completed her PhD at the Open University, which trialled new methods, including citizen science approaches, to estimate the ecosystem service provision of urban trees.​

Treasurer

Rachel Findlay-Robinson

Rachel is broadly interested in how environmental change affects the life-history and behaviour of organisms, and what the longer-term impacts of these changes might be. She is particularly interested in how habitats can help to mitigate the impacts of environmental change through the provision and modification of microclimates.  She completed her PhD on the effects of climate on life-history in hazel dormice, a threatened UK woodland dweller, at the University of Cumbria, and is now a teaching fellow at the University of Glasgow.

General Member

Flora Passfield

Flora is interested in citizen science and completed her masters project at the University of Birmingham focusing on using citizen science to collect data for conservation projects. She works in ecosystem management in tropical forests and hopes to branch out into European forest ecosystems.

General Member

Gareth Thomas

Gareth is a postdoctoral research scientist at Rothamsted Research, where his work involves studying the chemical ecology of pests and diseases of trees. With a keen interest in science policy, Gareth aims to bridge the gap between scientific research and practical implementation to enhance forest health and resilience.

General Member

Sabrina Dookie

Dr. Sabrina Dookie is an ecologist, research scientist, and published author in mangrove ecology and coastline management. She holds a Master of Science Degree in Forest Biology and a PhD in Biodiversity. Her research interests include mangrove ecology and ecosystem dynamics, ecological landscapes, ecophysiology, climate change mitigation, and sustainable forestry management. She currently serves as a lecturer within the Department of Biology in the Faculty of Natural Sciences (University of Guyana – Turkeyen Campus). 

Student Representative

Claire Teakle

Claire Teakle is a PhD student at University of Liverpool studying trees across Amazonia. She is working on a modern approach to aid the identification of tree species, whilst also modelling tree species distribution across the Amazon. 

Early Career Representative

Rosemary Egodi Ubaekwe

Rosemary Egodi Ubaekwe is a Lecturer in the Department of Forestry and Wildlife Technology, Federal University of Technology Owerri, Nigeria. She holds a PhD in Forest Ecology, with expertise in conservation, data science, and geospatial technologies. Her research focuses on land use and land cover change, carbon dynamics, ecological modelling, and the climate resilience of tropical forest ecosystems. She integrates field data, remote sensing, GIS, and artificial intelligence to develop predictive models, monitor carbon stocks, assess biodiversity, and evaluate the impacts of environmental change on tropical forest ecosystems. Rosemary is also the founder of Ecostars & Geospatial Innovation Foundation, an initiative advancing digital forest monitoring and applying geospatial technologies to address environmental challenges across the Global South. As Early Career Representative, she is committed to empowering emerging researchers and fostering inclusive global collaboration in sustainable forest management.

General Member

Joe Beesley

Joe Beesley is a landscape ecologist with multidisciplinary interests spanning woodland ecology, forest management and spatial modelling. He works at Forest Research on a wide range of projects, from investigating how temperate rainforest lichens colonise secondary woodlands to employing LiDAR to understand how woodland structure influences biodiversity. Joe is also involved in long-term field experiments to study woodland creation and has developed spatial models to quantify public access to woodlands in England.

Communications Representative

Rosemary Wool

I'm Rosemary (or Rosie to most!). My background spans biophysical modelling and movement ecology, and I’m currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Sheffield, where I study the impacts of tropical rainforest restoration on biodiversity in Borneo. Specifically, I focus on a type of restoration called climber cutting, and I explore how this method affects tree performance as well as ecoacoustics. Beyond research, I’m passionate about outreach and science communication, so I’m thrilled to be part of the Forest SIG committee as the Communications Representative. 

General Member

Sunandani Chandel

Sunandani Chandel is a Ph.D. Research Scholar in Forestry at Kerala Agricultural University, India. Her research examines how forest resources can be sustainably managed, and their ecology with a particular focus on tropical systems. She is broadly interested in the ecology of forests, including biodiversity conservation, traditional ecological knowledge, and the role of forests in climate mitigation. She is passionate about connecting ecological research with sustainable management and community practices to enhance forest resilience and long-term sustainability. 

General Member

Ben Lee

I am a forest ecologist interested in how climate change affects forest communities, particularly in regards to demography and biodiversity. I am especially interested in how environmental conditions influence plant phenology and then how shifts in phenology influence intra- and interspecific interactions. For more info on my research, please see https://peacchlab.com/ 

Events Officer

Avantika Adhruj

I am a Ph.D. scholar with a research focus on Biodiversity and Urbanization, working on the dissertation titled “Biodiversity in Urban Green Spaces of Bhopal: Assessment of Pattern, Societal Perception, and Governance.” My expertise lies in geospatial analysis, policy studies, and sustainability practices for strengthening urban ecosystems. Alongside my academic research, I bring over two years of professional experience, having worked on projects related to the City Biodiversity Index, urban heat island effect, green accounting, and invasion biology.

General Member

Andrés Acosta

Andrés is an ecologist and MSc student in Biodiversity, Wildlife, and Ecosystem Health at The University of Edinburgh. His interests focus on tropical ecosystems, biodiversity conservation, and nature-based solutions, with particular experience in dryland regeneration, water management for climate adaptation and community engagement. He serves as a Section Editor for the Open Journal of Biodiversity & Ecosystems from Edinburgh Diamond -The University of Edinburgh (https://open.journals.ed.ac.uk/ojbe) and Commission Member of the IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management.  Andrés is also Co-founder and Project Lead of JOI Project (https://joyofimpermanence.in/). 

General Member

Aloka Hettiarachchi

Aloka completed her MSc in Global Environmental Change at the University of Greenwich, UK, after her bachelors and masters studies in Sri Lanka. Her research focused on sustainable solutions, including biopesticides and biofertilisers for agriculture and ecosystem management. Alongside her academics, Aloka is enjoying volunteering at the Natural History Museum in London as well as with the University
of Greenwich Green Ambassador Programme. With an interdisciplinary background in soil and environmental sciences, agriculture, and nanotechnology, she is keenly interested in exploring how ecosystems respond to global change.

General Member

Shreyansh Singh

Shreyansh Singh did his M.Sc in Environment Management from the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, India. His academic and research interests span environmental microbiology, soil science, and the role of forest ecosystems in carbon-neutral development. He has undertaken field studies on forest–community interactions, livelihood vulnerability assessments, and wastewater bioremediation, and gained international exposure through the 8th International Forestry Summer Course on Tropical Forest Development Towards Carbon Neutrality and SDGs at Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia. Shreyansh is an active member of the British Society of Soil Science and the British Ecological Society, with a strong commitment to advancing ecological solutions at the intersection of soil, forests, and climate change.