Dr Gesche Kindermann

My main area of interest is the interrelationship between the environment, its conservation, and human use.
Current research looks at the interconnectedness of human and environmental health, which uses a crosscutting approach to assess values, perceptions, motivations and barriers to using nature for health and wellbeing. The Nature and Environment to Attain and Restore Health (NEAR Health) project combines multidisciplinary expertise to engage communities in the natural environment to benefit their health and wellbeing. Health professionals, ecologists and marketing, innovation and social policy specialists have come together to develop a framework for integrating health promotion and environmental awareness in Ireland. The main objective of the NEAR Health project is to apply a combination of tools to appraise values, motivations and barriers of stakeholders to engage with their environment throughout their lifecourse. The team collaborates with policymakers, practitioners and communities and other stakeholders to explore the types and qualities of public spaces that can be used in the design and implementation of inclusive nature-based solutions to assist communities to attain, maintain and restore health, while also encouraging sustainable use and conservation of the environment. The Sheer Wellbeing Project that I am involved in aims to explore the key forces and patterns at work in relation to access to blue/green spaces in Ireland and possible impacts in national, regional and local contexts through data analytics, visualisation and mapping.
Other work further looks at ecosystem services and researching Irish ecosystems with an emphasis on their conservation management and managing human activities within them, with a focus on Leave no Trace principles and engaging stakeholders in relevant management approaches.
Previous research assessed the management of recreational activities with in coastal SACs containing such dune systems and to establish how SACs can be managed for conservation while allowing for other activities such as recreation to take place. This involved assessing the direct impacts of recreation on the habitats in coastal conservation areas, recording and comparing the current ground level management practices and stakeholdersÂ’ opinions on the current situation, with the aim to compile a list of good practice management methods for use in other sites. 

I am the director of the MSc in Environmental Leadership and I coordinate the MSc in Biodiversity and Land Use Planning. I teach on both courses and contribute to further UG and PG courses in the School of Natural Sciences, including the new Introduction to Sustainability module.

Subjects include:

• Ecosystem Sciences
• Biodiversity Legislation and Policy
• Habitat Identification and Assessment
• Habitat Management and Restoration
• Environmental Impact Assessment
• Strategic Impact Assessment
• Appropriate Assessment
• Environmental Leadership
• Communicating Science and Research