Rachael has 30 years' expertise in coastal zone management, marine spatial planning, Marine Protected Areas, and National Parks in the UK. She has designed and implemented strategies, plans and activities with a focus to sustainably and effectively balance economic and social activity against the need to safeguard the environment. Rachael has a background of facilitating engagement between a wide range of stakeholders including local government, regulators, private companies, academics, government agencies, NGOs, user groups and communities in order to develop knowledge and understanding, capacity, policy and action. 

With a BSc Geographical Sciences degree and an MSc in Marine Resource Development and Protection, Rachael has led and managed numerous successful complex projects with multiple partners and stakeholder groups. Rachael has previously held positions with UK government agencies (NE) and local government (LA’s and NPA) through which she has gained a wealth of experience, including the designation of the Solent European Marine Sites (SEMS), the development of the SEMS Management Scheme and developing and delivering a £4million Heritage Lottery funded Landscape Partnership Scheme in the New Forest. 

Since joining ERC in 2020, Rachael has worked on various UK and global contracts, excelling in project management, outreach and interpretation, stakeholder engagement, evaluation, behaviour change, and data analysis. Rachael has a particular interest in how behaviour change theory can be used to help reduce impacts on both the marine and terrestrial environment.

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