This International Women’s Day 2024 we are celebrating the women across Zulu Ecosystems. By inspiring inclusion, we aim to amplify more varied perspectives in the hope that more diverse voices at the table, tackling the same multi-variate problem, can drive holistic change. 

Inspiring inclusion in nature 

"The first law of ecology is that everything is connected to everything else” – Robert Marfarlane, introducing Nan Shepherd, ‘The Living Mountain’  

Just as nature is interconnected, all nature restoration projects must inspire inclusion and promote diversity from their co-design right down to their co-benefits. With a challenge as complex and multi-variate as climate change and biodiversity loss, we need holistic solutions and multi-variate thinking to address it. 

When we interviewed Molly Biddell, the Head of Natural Capital at Knepp Estate earlier this year, Molly shared her thoughts on why we need more multiplicities and integrated solutions:  

“We’re moving away from siloed thinking that focuses on linear input/output spreadsheets towards holistic thinking about landscapes. More and more, land restoration needs a collaborative solution, and this requires multiplicities of opinion to drive change forward,” says Molly. 

On why diversity is crucial in the field of nature restoration, our Lead Researcher and Soil Scientist, Capucine Jacob-Chavagnac points to the diversity of lived human experience: 

“This is not limited to gender, nor is it limited to just this field. Different backgrounds, educations, nationalities, religions, languages, histories, and more bring different perspectives to the table and stop meeting rooms from becoming echo chambers of the same points. With diversity, we get insights into a different angle of the same picture. How else can we restore other than by considering all those affected by the change?” 

Access to nature and green spaces 

Despite nature being a birthright, and with its intrinsic connections to human health and wellbeing, women and minorities often face challenges in accessing nature and green spaces. In fact, research by Natural England suggests that a sense of inclusion and belonging in nature drops disproportionately amongst women between the ages of 13 and 17 – exactly at the time that teenagers are learning to define who they are. 

We asked women across Zulu Ecosystems about their stories of what led them to nature restoration, and inspiration for those looking to build a career in the field.

Inspiration for women looking to build a career in nature tech

Usha Patel, Head of Contracts, Compliance and Risk 

Why did you start a career in nature restoration? 

“I don’t believe in my heart of hearts that there is a more urgent or deserving cause [than nature restoration] to work on. I was fortunate to stumble into my role when nature markets were (and still are) nascent. The upward learning curve has reaffirmed a commitment to a career that allows me to be a positive agent of change."

“An historian by training, as I see first-hand the deleterious impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss in the world around me, and the emergence of economic models and natural capital frameworks for valuing nature in ways that can enrich both people and the planet, I can’t help but feel like we’re living through an historical inflection point. We spend so much of our adult lives working – it might as well be for a future worth living in.” 

Why do you believe diversity is important in nature restoration? 

“We know by now the objective merits of a diverse workforce and diverse leadership – we’ve all seen the stats. In nature restoration, it’s all about agency. Several studies show that women are considered one of the most vulnerable groups to the impacts of climate change and nature loss. The same systems that propagate structural inequalities are the same ones that extract and encroach on nature in ways that are unsustainable for our survival.” 

“More women at the frontline of climate action can help us to overcome the structural gender inequalities that create the conditions for this vulnerability. My ancestors experienced first-hand the expropriation of their ancestral homelands by colonial governments, resulting in frequent and devastating famine. My role in helping to develop the contractual and financing mechanisms to restore nature at scale gives me the agency (in some small part) to prevent such casualties of history.” 

Rionagh Moggach, Associate Project Manager

Why did you start a career in nature restoration? 

“I am very fortunate to have grown up in a family whose careers have all been heavily intertwined with nature and the environment. My mum’s career in forestry and land management has been a particular source of inspiration for me. Since childhood, I was encouraged to engage, respect and learn from the environment. As I grew up, I became acutely aware and interested in the changing environment, which made it feel like a natural progression for me to study geography at university. I want to actively contribute to climate change mitigation and adaption efforts, rather than passively waiting for others to take action.” 

Ylva Winsnes, Full Stack Software Engineer

Why did you start a career in nature restoration? 

“From early childhood, I spent a lot of time outdoors in nature with my family - playing, walking, camping, skiing, running, sailing. We were just outside a lot and I’m grateful for that. Today, many of our interests still revolve around outdoor sports. Nature is incredibly important to me for so many reasons and a place where I feel at peace.” 

“Learning about the climate emergency, biodiversity collapse, and how the nature around us is changing is frustrating, and can feel overwhelming at times. It’s only in the last few years that I’ve realised that I, as a software engineer, can contribute to a tangible goal to restore and recover nature and biodiversity. That is really fulfilling.” 

“The degradation of nature is a problem that affects us on a global scale. It impacts humans everywhere. To be as effective as possible with nature restoration, I believe we benefit from inclusion and diversity because it brings together different perspectives and ideas.” 

Maria Roquet Guàrdia, Product Manager 

Why did you start a career in nature restoration? 

“Nature was a huge part of my upbringing – from tending to the vegetable garden with my grandparents to wandering in the woods and fishing with my father. Living close to it, eating what we grew, seemed normal until I realised how special it was. That connection with nature fuelled my decision to go for a BSc in Environmental Sciences in Barcelona. I wanted to learn more about the intricate relationships between nature and the world and how everything is interconnected.” 

“Those four years were the most frustrating years of my life, learning so much and being able to do so little. I felt powerless and angry at the world. However, I finally managed to turn my anger into the motivation I needed to be part of the solution, and like alchemy, it worked. I hope that by inspiring others, they too can pull out that ‘alchemy trick’ and convert their frustrations and anger into great catalysts for change.” 

Capucine Jacob-Chavagnac, Lead Researcher 

Why did you start a career in nature restoration? 

“I always cared about plants. When I was an undergraduate studying medicine, my dream was to work in drug discovery studying ancient manuscripts to replicate concoctions – this would then lead to me playing in the lab to identify active ingredients for pharmaceutical replication and distribution. My jobs following graduation, however, fell short."

"Long-term potentiation experiments (animal testing) lay heavy on my soul and the harder it got, the more plants I started growing at home. In 2019, when jobs in my country were dwindling, my house had so many plants it was once labelled ‘inhospitable to humans’."

“Faced with dwindling prospects in a dying country, I decided to focus on my hobby and go back to school for soil science. The aim was to go home and take care of more plants, maybe open a nursery. Instead, I found out I could now take care of all the plants, leading me to shift to a bigger dream – restoring nature." 

"At Zulu Ecosystems, we have identified which plants belong on which soils and mapped entire ecosystems to the UK landscape. Along the way, this new dream grew bigger; subsoil communication through fungal pathways is now included, alongside a deep love for the microscopic plants and delight at termites and beetles.” 

Georgia Lane Fox, Research Analyst 

"Growing up with parents passionate about gardening and grandparents whose lifelong careers were in landscape design and horticulture respectively, I feel lucky to have learnt to appreciate the natural beauty that surround us. I was often unsure about what profession I wanted to be in." 

"I chose to study Geography and Business at University as it seemed like a natural fit, and have since learnt just how significant safeguarding our natural environment is to me – how crucial it feels to embrace the responsibility we have to preserve it. So, when it came to entering the workplace, all the paths that I had taken and the lessons I had learnt from my family and studies, seemed to lead me towards a career in trying to do just that.” 

“I think in nature restoration, having different perspectives looking at the same issue is so important in helping us understand the complexity of its impacts. Climate change disproportionately affects individuals and communities around the world, and yet those most affected often do not have a say in the decision-making conversations around its mitigation."

"Including these different voices within this field will only strengthen our impact. Though I have worked in this space a short while, I feel very grateful to have already worked with several woman who I can confidently say make me want to work harder. I feel very inspired by them to continue to work and grow within this field, and encourage more young women to do the same.” 

Natalie Upton, People Partner 

Why did you start a career in nature restoration? 

“I grew up in rural Dorset, running around in fields and living in green wellies covered in mud. Now a mother of three young children, there is nothing that motivates me more than ensuring my children have the same opportunity to grow up surrounded by beautiful nature. Extensive research has proven that woods and trees can improve health and wellbeing in many ways, including reducing stress, improving mood, and boosting the immune system."

“In my role as People Partner at Zulu, I am extremely motivated to ensure we build a diverse and high-performing, happy team. We have all seen the data and have experienced first-hand the benefits that diversity can bring, both at a leadership level but also across the organisation."

“When I first started building talent teams in nature, I thought that recruiting diverse teams in forestry would be a challenge. However, I was delighted that so many roles, from field foresters to ecologists and communications opportunities, are carried out by amazing women. We are starting to see the results of going into schools and universities to share the opportunities that industries like forestry might hold. But, we still have further to go."

"Today, a career in nature restoration might span roles in policy, data analysis, fieldwork, project finance, and biodiversity mapping to sustainability, communications and asset management. This work must include everyone.” 

Dr. Jessica Boucher, Regeneration Programme Manager (Scotland) 

Why did you start a career in nature restoration? 

“I grew up in the Gatineau Park in Canada – over 36,000 hectares of rich and diverse habitats and species. This environment instilled in me a love for wild places and a passion for learning about the ecosystems that we live within and depend upon for our water, food, clean air, raw materials, and wellbeing. This passion for learning led me to study environmental science (BSc), physical geography (MSc), and environmental change and sustainability (PhD).” 

“We need to be tackling the loss of biodiversity, and slowing anthropogenic climate change, from all angles and scales. All perspectives, world views, approaches, and voices. All hands on deck! I have personally tried to contribute to this by applying my skills and experiences at the global, national, and local scales and across/between a multitude of sectors.” 

Zulu Ecosystems: Using technology to enable nature restoration at scale 

At Zulu Ecosystems, we’re committed to take action to restore degraded habitats at scale. Combining the latest science, econometric models and land data with in-house land management and a diverse team with multi-disciplinary expertise, we help landowners evaluate, finance and deliver regeneration projects at the landscape or estate level. 

Contact us 

To find out more and join our growing team, please visit our open roles here. If you’d like to find out more or can’t find what you’re looking for, please contact hello@zuluecosystems.com.