I joined the ConFooBio group at the 我要吃瓜 in August 2020. Prior to this I completed a PhD on behaviour change for demand reduction in the wildlife trade at the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent. I have also worked as a social science consultant for various international NGOs, and my work in public engagement has earned multiple awards.
My research has focussed on applying psychological insights into human behaviour to help tackle some of conservation’s most pressing problems. I have studied the design and evaluation of behaviour change interventions, drawing upon work across multiple disciplines and methodologies. Currently I am exploring experimental video games as a research and behaviour change tool.
Article
Nature documentaries as catalysts for change: Mapping out the 'Blackfish Effect'
Boissat L, Thomas-Walters L & Veríssimo D (2021) Nature documentaries as catalysts for change: Mapping out the 'Blackfish Effect'. People and Nature, 3 (6), pp. 1179-1192. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10221
Preprint / Working Paper
Models as games: a novel approach for ‘gamesourcing’ parameter data and communicating complex models
Minderman J, Duthie AB, Jones IL, Thomas-Walters L, Bach A, Nuttall M & Bunnefeld N (2021) Models as games: a novel approach for ‘gamesourcing’ parameter data and communicating complex models. BioRxiv. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.23.461497v1
Article
An optimistic outlook on the use of evidence syntheses to inform environmental decision-making
Nyboer EA, Jacob AL, Lane JF, Browne D, Smith PA, Bennett JR, Rytwinski T, Prior K, Nguyen VM, Harron N, Young N, Thomas‐Walters L, Taylor JJ, Aitken SM & Auld G (2021) An optimistic outlook on the use of evidence syntheses to inform environmental decision-making. Conservation Science and Practice, 3 (6), Art. No.: e426. https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.426
Newspaper / Magazine
Blackfish: how captive killer whale documentary ended SeaWorld's orca breeding programme
Thomas-Walters L & Veríssimo D (2021) Blackfish: how captive killer whale documentary ended SeaWorld's orca breeding programme. The Conversation. 21.06.2021.
Newspaper / Magazine
Five reasons people buy illegal wildlife products – and how to stop them
Thomas-Walters L, Hinsley A & Veríssimo D (2020) Five reasons people buy illegal wildlife products – and how to stop them. The Conversation. 03.09.2020.