Background

Esme is a third year PhD student in the Insect Ecology Group. Her research focuses on the effects of temperature on butterflies, with a particular emphasis on the larval life stage. This is because previous research has focused on the adult life stage, however we cannot accurately predict how butterflies will respond to climate change without understanding all stages of the life cycle. Her research takes place in Wildlife Trust managed nature reserves in Bedfordshire, and works in close collaboration with the Wildlife Trust. This collaboration allows her research to be used for evidence-based action to conserve species in the UK.