Academic Research
My research is multidisciplinary, drawing from behavioural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. It explores two particular strands of the themes above:
- What do caring relationships with non-domesticated animals in sanctuaries teach us about caring across species boundaries? What are the roles of the human-animal relationship in this context, and why does that matter?
- How do we understand and manage our relationship with risks to our safety and wellbeing posed by ‘natural hazards’?
Anaïs Nin
I am in my final year of a PhD entitled ‘Caring Wildly’, funded by the Open University. In this research I explore human-animal relationships with rescued wild animals in a sanctuary context. In particular I examine specific roles within the caring relationships, why they matter, and what we can learn – in new knowledge and in improved practice – by better understanding them.
Core drivers for this are my own work in the rehabilitation and care of wild animals. I run a small, private sanctuary from my home. I have experience across a wide range of species but my focus has become corvids (the crow family) and grey squirrels, for which I hold a licence from Natural England.
To learn more about my work in wildlife rehabilitation and care you can check out my sanctuary page.
I am in my final year of a PhD entitled ‘Caring Wildly’, funded by the Open University. In this research I explore human-animal relationships with rescued wild animals in a sanctuary context. In particular I examine specific roles within the caring relationships, why they matter, and what we can learn – in new knowledge and in improved practice – by better understanding them.
Core drivers for this are my own work in the rehabilitation and care of wild animals. I run a small, private sanctuary from my home. I have experience across a wide range of species but my focus has become corvids (the crow family) and grey squirrels, for which I hold a licence from Natural England.
To learn more about my work in wildlife rehabilitation and care you can check out my sanctuary page.
Werner Heisenberg
Volcán Galeras, Pasto, Colombia during a steam fumarole. Taken by José Camilo Martínez S. Licensed under Creative Commons, the image has been cropped.
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Humans & Natural Hazards
My early research career focused on risks posed to humans by natural hazards, including extreme weather, climate change, and volcanic risks. I worked across cultures to seek a better understanding of how risks are communicated by scientists and received by communities at risk, and how decisions are made and acted upon to manage those risks.
I explored a number of themes including different ways of knowing, the psychology of risk and resilience, human-environment relationships across cultures, and behaviour change; drawing primarily on health, environmental and social psychology.
“I’ve worked with Jacqui Wilmshurst on a series of documentaries for NBC and The Weather Channel about community and individual psychological response to severe weather, specifically tornados. She was extremely dedicated, passionate, and knowledgeable about the project and was an absolute asset to the films. I give her my highest recommendation and hope I will be able to work with her again in the future.”
Brent E. Huffman, Professor at Northwestern University & Documentary Filmmaker.
Selected Publications
Would Some Rescued Animals Be Better Off Dead?
Doctor opens sanctuary because she’s totally nuts about squirrels
Living with extreme weather events : an exploratory study of psychological factors in at-risk communities in the UK and Belize
“There’s no Plastic in Our Volcano”: A Story About Losing and Finding a Path to Participatory Volcanic Risk Management in Colombia
Natural Hazards and Risk: The Human Perspective
Natural hazards and risk: the human perspective. In Risk and Uncertainty Assessment for Natural Hazards
See my Media & Speaking page for more publications
Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes