Emma Cary

Personal statement:

I am a social scientist and interdisciplinary researcher with an interest in the societal and political perspectives of land use decision-making for biodiversity. My expertise lie in using qualitative methodologies to assess types of knowledge used by decision-makers, and how values factor into decision-making contexts.

I have extensive experience in research and conservation practice across multiple disciplines relating to nature recovery, land use change and ecological knowledge, including working with policy practitioners and external stakeholders on environmental issues, and in a research environment. I previously worked as a Nuffield Parliamentary Fellow, working at the interface of scientific research and decision-making.

Key topic areas of research or interest:

My research interests centre on the social impacts of biodiversity conservation and interdisciplinary collaborations to improve conservation outcomes for people and nature. More broadly I am interested in knowledge-policy-society interactions and processes for incoporating a diversity of knowledge sources, and values, into environmental policy / decision-making. I am interested in blending qualitative and quantitative social science methodologies to develop richer insights into how people interact with nature.

Keywords: rewilding, restoration, nature recovery, policy, decision-making, social justice, social impacts, values

Collaboration opportunities:

I am open to projects aiming to investigate and improve the social justice aspects of nature-based decision-making, and in collaborating with researchers, practitioners and wider stakeholders from a diversity of backgrounds. I am an experienced environmental consultant and undertake commissions and consultancy across a broad range of topics.

Publications:

Cary, E,. Jones, K., Thomas, V., Brieghel, S., Payo Payo, A., & Wartmann, F.M (2025). Five questions we should ask of rewilding projects – and that social science can help us answer, People and Nature, http://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.70100

Trebo, S., Cary, E., & Wartmann, F.M (2025). Attitudes on wolf conservation management in the Italian Alps European Journal of Wildlife Research, 71(16):7, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-024-01885-1

Cary, E., & Wartmann, F. M. (2024). Rewilding in the British policy landscape. A qualitative analysis of policy documents related to rewilding. Scottish Geographical Journal, 141(1-2): 113-138, https://doi.org/10.1080/14702541.2024.2322653

Glentworth, J., Cary, E., Gilchrist, A., & Thornhill, I., (2025), Can we learn from the UK’s Guerilla rewilding movement?, Oryx

Webb, L & Cary, E., (2025), ‘Housing: demographic and environmental trends’, Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, Horizon Scan, 10.58248/hs129

Cary, E., & Webb, L., (2025), ‘Children’s wellbeing in schools’, Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, POSTnote 739, 10.58248/pn739

Fenn, T., Salado, R., Padda, G., Daly, E., Clarke, C., Miller, J., Cary, E., Anastasi, G., Lochner, L., Chandler, W., Shapland, I., and Johnson, M., (2020): ‘The Value of Restored UK Seas’. Sky Ocean Rescue WWF Report. Available online: https://www.wwf.org.uk/sites/default/files/2021-01/WWF2009-01%20Value%20of%20restored%20UK%20seas%20report%20v6%20%28002%29.pdf

Miller, J., Daly, E., Cary, E., et al (2020). ‘International Approaches to Japanese Knotweed in the Context of Property Sales’, Final Report for Defra. https://randd.defra.gov.uk/ProjectDetails?ProjectID=20526&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=Knotweed&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10%23Description

Fenn, T., Daly, E., Cary, E., et al. (2018) ‘Evaluation of the implementation and early impact of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund in the UK’. Final Report for Defra. https://sciencesearch.defra.gov.uk/ProjectDetails?ProjectId=20201

Fenn, T., Daly, E., Cary, E., & Orr, S. (2019). ‘Heritage, natural capital and ecosystem services: Trent Valley case study’, Final Report for Historic England. https://historicengland.org.uk/research/results/reports/redirect/16416

Barnsley, S., Cary, E., Pienkowski, M & Wensink, C., (2016), ‘A review of performance of UK Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies in implementing the 2001 Environment Charters’, UKOTCF. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.ukotcf.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/UKOTCD_EnvCharterAichiReviewReport140427summaryonly.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjq0PTrtJqHAxXaWUEAHYN_DTkQFnoECBgQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2tAD40HhdRGfUW5GChtJnC