Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology - DICE

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Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology - DICE

The Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology is an internationally renowned teaching and research institute based in the UK.

The Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), carries out world-class training and research with a focus on biodiversity conservation that benefits people. It forms part of the School of Natural Sciences at the University of Kent.

01/10/2026

Our third year undergraduate students are currently in Costa Rica on their tropical field course. 🇨🇷

Here are just a handful of the photos we have received from them!

This field trip allows students to directly engage with environments studied by our world-leading researchers. It is designed to teach survey skills used in tropical environments, give first-hand experience of tropical forest ecology, as well as active efforts to protect endangered marine turtles.

25/09/2026

Missed this month's ? 🗣️🐆

September's DICE Talk was presented yesterday evening by postgraduate student, Tina Hiller, who recently passed her viva.

'Why Conservation Conflict Persists: An interdisciplinary approach to understanding leopard-related conflict' is now available to watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lr58LykbEk

23/09/2026

In this featured blog post, Dr Mohammad Farhadinia reflects on the International Conservation Translocation Conference, which he recently attended and presented at, in Edinburgh. Read an excerpt below and the full post on DICE Writes 👇

"Choosing whether to undertake a translocation is rarely straightforward. It requires a transparent process, careful consideration of risks and benefits, and meaningful engagement with communities, landowners, policymakers, conservation organisations and other stakeholders.

"Good science is essential, but it is not enough on its own. Conservation translocations also depend on trust, communication and long-term commitment."

https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/dice/2026/09/23/reflections-on-the-international-conservation-translocation-conference-2026/

21/09/2026

"Ask a vineyard manager what worries them about wildlife, and birds often top the list. Starlings stripping a row overnight; pheasants pecking ripening bunches; even green woodpeckers apparently developing a taste for grapes. It is an understandable concern.

"But how much fruit are birds actually taking – and does it reduce yield?"

Research Fellow, Dr Natalia Zielonka, set out to answer this question in her latest publication. She sheds light on this topic in a featured research post for DICE Writes 👇

https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/dice/2026/09/21/are-birds-really-eating-our-wine-what-three-years-in-english-vineyards-taught-me/

17/09/2026

Join us next week for September's DICE Talk!

'Why Conservation Conflict Persists: An interdisciplinary approach to understanding leopard-related conflict' 🐆

This month's is presented by Tina Hiller. Tina is a research postgraduate with DICE who has recently passed her viva and will be presenting on her thesis topic.

Thursday, 24th September, 6-7pm 🗓️
Templeman Lecture Theatre, University of Kent 📍

As usual, after the talk, please join us in K-bar Keynes College for a social gathering and catch up with the DICE community!

15/09/2026

How does coconut farming affect biodiversity? 🥥

A recent paper from DICE examines different kinds of coconut farming in North Sulawesi, Indonesia and their effects on bird biodiversity.

"Using sound recordings as a proxy for biodiversity, we found that natural forest is irreplaceable, but coconut farming does not have to be equally harmful everywhere", says lead author Robby Butarbutar. "Coconut farms that mix in other crops and retain more structure appear to support more wildlife than monocultures, especially when they sit in forested landscapes. If coconut production is going to expand, agroforestry and forest retention are much better for biodiversity than coconut monoculture alone."

Read the full study in Environmental Research: Ecology: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2752-664X/ae7605

📸 T. R. Shankar Raman CC SA-3.0

10/09/2026

The Space Race Here On Earth 🌍

On 8th October, DICE will be hosting a Nature, Farming and Planning Conference, bringing together stakeholders to discuss recent changes in legislation and policy approach in England, and implementation challenges and solutions in Kent.

While the conference itself is invite-only, we are inviting the public to a FREE open lecture in the evening, presented by Tom Heap (Countryfile, BBC Radio 4).

8th October, 6pm, Gulbenkian Theatre 🗓️

Tom has toured the British countryside meeting farmers, scientists, conservationists and even warehouse managers who are finding solutions to this geographical crunch. His talk, 'The Space Race Here On Earth' looks at how we can use land to give both people and nature the space to thrive.

Get your free ticket on the Gulbenkian website: https://thegulbenkian.co.uk/events/the-space-race-here-on-earth/

08/09/2026

How can we better support ranger mental health? 💡

Research Fellow, Dr Mahmood Soofi, shares more about his recent publication in this featured blog post. Read an excerpt below and view the full post on DICE Writes: https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/dice/2026/09/04/how-can-we-better-support-ranger-mental-health/

"Rangers can face risks ranging from difficult verbal encounters to physical violence. In areas affected by armed conflict, these risks may be higher. Rangers may be injured or killed when conservation work intersects with wider insecurity.

"Such experiences can affect rangers, communities and conservation work itself. Rangers work within these difficult circumstances... [and] may be expected to manage these tensions even though they did not create the underlying conditions. Ranger wellbeing therefore deserves more attention in conservation policy and practice."

03/09/2026

Today, on National Pine Marten Day, we are excited to share that a new study supported by DICE, "Is Britain still great for pine marten? A Habitat Suitability Assessment," has been published in Landscape Ecology.

The research maps areas of land across Britain suitable as habitat for pine martens — a once widespread native species now Critically Endangered in England and Wales. For the first time, it draws on pine marten records from across the whole of Europe and found that areas with extensive woodland cover offer the best conditions, including South East England, and parts of South West England, Gloucestershire, East Yorkshire, East Anglia, South West Scotland, and sections of Britain's western coast.

This work forms a key part of our South East Pine Marten Restoration Project, led by Kent Wildlife Trust and Wildwood Kent with Sussex Wildlife Trust, The Conservators of Ashdown Forest and Forestry England - supported by the Durrell Institute of Conservation Ecology.

Congratulations to Dave Seaman (DICE), and thank you to everyone involved, including Ella Lewis, Kirsty Swinnerton and Lawrence Ball at Kent Wildlife Trust; Rachel Gardener, Neal Armour-Chelu and Amy Fitzmaurice at Forestry England; Suzanne Kynaston of Wildwood Trust - and to People's Trust for Endangered Species and Forestry England, who funded this work.

Read the full paper: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10980-026-02389-w

Address

Marlowe Building
Canterbury
CT27NR

Website

https://www.kent.ac.uk/durrell-institute-conservation-ecology

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