Lucy Brown specialises in using creative methods to engage and listen to groups in underserved and underrepresented communities.
This creates meaningful experiences “on the ground” and also provides information to that can be used to advocate for and with these groups for policy change. This has ranged from art-science exhibitions, public workshop programmes, citizen assemblies, app development, volunteer programming, facilitation, and latterly participatory research. Lucy also trains researchers in science communication, public engagement, evaluation and equity and inclusion, to support researchers to make their science accessible. Engaging with wildlife and environment issues are a privilege not many have.
Taking action to protect wildlife and the environment is an intersectional issue (the many ways in which systems of inequality such as gender, race etc interact), a fact that is easily forgotten.
Knowing that environmental and justice are intrinsically linked, Lucy works to lessen and remove barriers to engagement to create long term impact, and supports researchers to do the same.
What does impact look like for Lucy?
If her programming and events can make a small change in how people perceive the human-induced climate crisis, that’s an achievement. Of course, it’s always thrill to be able to take people on their next step to acquiring the skills to question, challenge, and act to advocate for wildlife and the environment. But embedded throughout she wants people to be free to play, express themselves and feel valued.