Dan has a range of experience from policy to practical delivery, working as Solving Sapien and in previous roles.

Solving Sapien

• Expert advisor to the Swansea Bay Native Oyster Restoration Project which is developing a plan for oyster restoration for biodiversity and natural processes, and to restore the oyster fishing industry for local communities.

• Conducted an analysis of the Welsh Government Beyond Waste strategy and how the circular economy interacts with the foundational economy.

• Project providing expert advice for an R&D project with LittleBird Films exploring how the media industry in Wales could become more sustainable through decarbonisation, waste reduction etc, and the economics and best business model to deliver that.

Previous Roles

Natural Resources Wales SMNR (sustainable management of natural resources) Policy Advisor in ecosystem resilience and Senior Policy Advisor ecosystem resilience in development planning;

• A key strength was my ability to bring together disparate policy areas, and their respective legislation and policy frameworks, and identify effective delivery mechanisms that met both policy and on the ground requirements. For example bringing together air quality permitting, water quality permitting, development planning, ecosystem resilience and biodiversity to develop an effective and actionable solution for joint application of these policy areas in planning policy and planning decision making.
• Played a significant role in developing ecosystem resilience policy thinking and frameworks for ecosystem resilience assessment and practical application in Wales, including interaction with ecosystem services.
• Delivered in house training and internal advocacy for NRW colleagues, helping them understand areas such as ecosystem services/natural capital, rewilding and technology impacts in agriculture, and helping understand how these might issues might be considered and likely outcomes or scenarios. 
• Played a key role in development of Section 7 policy and guidance.
• Played a key role in developing Green Infrastructure guidance for PPW10 (Planning Policy Wales 10).
• Active in the development of Area Statements, including the relationship of Area Statements with PPW10, what ecosystem resilience means for Area Statements, stakeholder engagement, workshop facilitation and Area Statement strategic development.

The Institute for Welsh Affairs:

• Conducting research and developing evidence bases and suggestions for policy innovations around the environment and sustainability. 

Natural Resources Wales freshwater fisheries assessment;

• Conducted fisheries electrofishing surveys and habitat appraisals across South and West Wales as a contractor for Natural Resources Wales.

Adapting Torfaens Natural Resources Management Strategy to meet the Well Being and Future Generations Act needs;

• Freelance working with the BRO Partnership to advise Torfaen County Council on adaptation of their natural resources management strategy (waste, energy, green infrastructure and flood risk) to meet the Welsh Governments Well Being and Future Generations Act guidelines.

Landscape Scale Conservation delivery as the RSPB Futurescapes Nothern England Project officer and Programme Manager for the Midlands:

• Landscape conservation programme Coordinator and responsible for EU LIFE reporting, effective strategy, work plan and opportunity mapping for the six Futurescape areas across the Midlands.
• Partnership development, strategy and work planning and project development.
• Organised and delivered multi partner climate change workshops in Northern England and the Midlands to assess positive and negative impacts against current conservation targets.
• Played a key role in developing and delivering the two day ‘Future of Landscape Scale Conservation Nature Summit’ in Bristol

River Catchment Restoration as the Project Assistant for the Dee Catchment Partnership:

• Working on stakeholder engagement, awareness raising and communications on projects relating to integrated river catchment management involving project management,  collaborative and partnership working.
• Think TANK engagement project encouraging rural residents to adopt better septic tank management to improve water quality.
• Yellow Fish project in urban Aberdeen engaging local community groups and schools about the impacts to reduce surface water drain pollution.
• Involved in app design for citizen science app iDee for recording river information and prototype testing with potential user groups. 

Tayside beaver populations and the differences in opinions between local stakeholders and the media: Due to my interest in Rewilding, reintroductions and ecosystem restoration I conducted my masters thesis on the attitudes of stakeholders towards European Beaver in the River Tay catchment vs local and national media. Identifying differences between on the ground stakeholder opinions and media portrayals of beaver populations, and issues with lack of a stakeholder voice in broader river catchment management.

Ecological survey and mitigation work

• Protected species survey, translocation and mitigation for bats(multi detector use and roost surveys), Great Crested Newts (all survey methods), Reptiles, water voles, doormice, birds and other mammals,  invasive species clearance (Himalayan balsam), overseeing of contractors as an environmental clerk of works.  

Assessing biodiversity responses to reintroductions and ecosystem restoration with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy:

• Monitoring changes in species assemblages in reaction to the reintroduction of indigenous mammal species. Conducted ecological surveys (transects, pitfall, funnel and cage trapping) of biodiversity.