Anna McWilliam
PhD Researcher
Anna is a Hydro Nation Scholar, carrying out her PhD on ‘Innovative brash management to enhance water quality following peatland restoration and forestry operations’ at the Environmental Research Institute. Through this research, Anna’s project will produce guidance to help inform forestry policy. Anna’s PhD combines her interests in ecology, water quality, peatland restoration and forestry, allowing her to improve degraded habitats at the local and landscape scale.
Anna has a background in ecology and forestry, with a broad range of multidisciplinary research interests. These include:
Upland and lowground ecology and conservation.
Tree harvesting and peatland restoration.
Water quality and biochar-based water filters.
Influencing policy and putting policy into practice.
Prior to starting her PhD, Anna completed an MSc in Wildlife Management and Conservation and a BSc (Hons) in Science. Since then, she has worked as an Ecologist on a variety of research projects in association with The Golden Eagle Trust, RSPB, GWCT, Scottish Natural Heritage, and The James Hutton Institute. Anna has also worked as an Environment Ranger and Harvesting and Marketing Forester for Forestry and Land Scotland.
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2021 – Present: PhD Researcher & Hydro Nation Scholar, Environmental Research Institute, UHI
2020 – 2021: Environment Ranger, Forestry and Land Scotland
2018 – 2020: Harvesting Supervisor/Forester, Forestry and Land Scotland
2017 – 2018: Deer Management Supervisor, Forestry Commission
2017: Research and Development, Russwood Sawmill Ltd.
2015 – 2017: Research Assistant, Scottish Grey Partridge Recovery Project, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust
2014 – 2015: Research Assistant, Uplands, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust
2014: Skydancer Project Officer, RSPB
2014: Senior Research Assistant, Langholm Moor Demonstration Project, RSPB
2013 – 2014: Community Engagement Ranger, the National Trust for Scotland
2013: Volunteer, BBOWT & RSPB
2010 – 2013: Sailmaker, McWilliam Sailmakers, Ireland
2011 – 2012: Research Assistant & White-Tailed Eagle Warden, Golden Eagle Trust Ireland
2008 – 2009: MSc in Wildlife Management and Conservation. University of Reading, UK
2004 – 2008: BSc 2.1 (Hons) Science: Zoology, Physiology & Genetics. National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
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Hydro Nation Scholar: The source of our water can be negatively impacted by felling trees and peatland restoration. My research uses innovative felling methods and biochar, a by-product from these processes, to help clean the impacted water.
EU INTERREG PARTRIDGE: Transnational partnership (researchers, farm advisors, conservationists, hunters, civil servants and farmers) showcasing best practice models at 10 farmland demonstration sites in four nations, to show how new management solutions can improve biodiversity and ecosystem services by a minimum 30% by 2023, and how these can be transferred across all regions of the North Sea Region and the EU.
SNH Research Report number 1022: Developing a counting methodology for mountain hares in Scotland.
Skydancer: Heritage Lottery Fund of £300,000 to help secure the future of the hen harrier as a breeding bird in England from 2011 - 2014.
Langholm moor demonstration project: The Langholm Moor Demonstration Project ran from 2008 to 2018. It was a partnership between Buccleuch Estates, Scottish Natural Heritage, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and Natural England. Its final report reflects on some of the successes and challenges faced in managing moorland for game and wildlife conservation.
White tailed eagle reintroduction – Golden Eagle Trust Ireland: Estimation of wind farm fatality, carrion and scavenging rates on white-tailed eagles. Monitoring and protection of Ireland’s first breeding pair of white-tailed eagles in over 100 years.
