Celebrating Ladybirds: Developing Our Knowledge Through Citizen Science
Ladybirds are much-loved insects. Our understanding of the ecology of these beautiful beetles has been in part from the contributions of many citizen scientists. Helen will provide some insights into the diverse and intriguing life histories of ladybirds.
Professor Helen Roy MBE is an ecologist at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. She is fascinated by the ways in which environmental change effects the interactions between insects and other species. Biological invasions have been the focus of much of her research. Helen leads many collaborative national and international research projects. She is leading research for the EC on enhancing understanding and awareness of invasive alien species. Helen leads a Defra-funded project to produce a comprehensive information portal on non-native species in Great Britain which also includes annual reports on status and trends of invasive alien species and the development of an alert system for people to report sightings of concern.
Over the last few years she has had the privilege of working with the UK Overseas Territories to predict and prioritise invasive non-native species. Her research on invasive non-native species has received international recognition and she is currently leading a global assessment on invasive non-native species for the Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Helen also enjoys science communication and public engagement with research which led to her interest in citizen science. She has a passion for ladybirds and has led the UK Ladybird Survey, including tracking the spread of the invasive alien ladybird, Harmonia axyridis, alongside Peter Brown (Anglia Ruskin University) for more than 15 years. Helen is delighted to be the current President of the Royal Entomological Society. Helen was awarded an MBE in 2018 in recognition of her contributions to biodiversity science.
Time: 19:00 BST
