Research Interests
My research interests include urban wildlife, invasive species as well as rewilding and human-animal-interactions.
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I am interested to understand human-animal-preceptions to create a less-conflicted coexistence of humans and wild animals - in urban areas and natural areas a like.
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From my academic education I am a Geographer. I studied Geography and German Studies at the University of Bonn, Natural Sciences at the Haskoli Island and Environmental Protection and Management at the University of Edinburgh (see CV here).
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In my Bachelor Thesis, I investigated the changing image of wilderness in Iceland (click to read more). In my Master thesis project, I interviewed different stakeholders in Scotland to find solutions for the management of the conflicted rewilded as well as illegal reintroduced beavers (Castor fiber) in the River Tay and Knapdale area (click to read more).
Research interests
Wilderness
Wilderness is seen as the oppostite of urban areas and human settlements. They are the last places of untouched natural areas - if they even still exist as such. However, recently a debate has been started to make our natural areas and urban green spaces more wilderness-alike for conservation benefits and human health alike (click to read more).
Urban Wildlife
The word itself is an oxymoron as wild and urban are oppsoites. Urban wildlife can cause negative encounters, e.g. damage, fear, as well as positive interactions, e.g. ecosystem services, mental health, human-nature-relationship (click to read more)
Restoration and rewilding
These are conservation methods e.g. bringing back extinct species due to their positive impacts on ecosystems as keystone species (click to read more)
Invasive species
Invasive species establish and spread in non-native ecosystems and outcompete or prey upon resident species. The spread of species in non-native ecosystems started in the age of exploration where humans crossed the ocean for trading and colonialization, where they either accidentally or intendedly carried plants and animals with them (click to read more)
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Human-Wildlife-Interactions
Positive and negative encounters with wild animals occur daily in urban and natrual areas alike.