Beata Kucinski-Thomson
Co-Founder and Co-Director
Conservation Biologist
Scottish born, Beata grew up in the west coast of Scotland, spending most of her childhood walking the family dog up the moorlands or down by the coast. It wasn’t long before she developed a deep rooted interest and passion for the natural world around her, learning about the birds in the garden, and the trees and flowers in the fields and moorlands around her home. She spent time with her sister’s rock pooling on the beaches and exploring the moorlands, often tracking the roe deer. By high school she was a 4 star sea kayaker and her love of the sea developed. In 2001 she went to Plymouth University to study marine biology and coastal ecology for two years before transferring to Wildlife Conservation. She finished her degree at the University of Kent, Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) in BSc (Hons) Wildlife Conservation in 2007.
After graduating she volunteered with BTCV where she became a project leader for some small conservation projects in Kent, developing practical conservation techniques and project leader skills. She then went on to do MSc Environmental Conservation at the University of Greenwich, where she is at present. Beata’s primary interest is species conservation, zoology and behavioural ecology and mammalogy. She is passionate about carnivores and did her undergraduate research on the feasibility of reintroducing wolves to Scotland. Beata believes that not only large carnivores are misunderstood or under valued, but also the smaller carnivores of the UK, she therefore aims to focus her research in this field and improve public understanding of these animals. Beata is a member of the British Ecological Society and a student member of the Istitute of Ecology and Environmental Management.