Lauren has worked in conservation in East Africa for 20 years, always in an interdisciplinary way. Her PhD and post-doctoral research at the University of Cambridge examined the political ecology of electrified ‘elephant’ fences in Laikipia, Kenya: the politics they both represent and create. Lauren explored issues of identity and access in relation to land by pastoralists and conservationists and looked at elephants as political actors. She then directed the conservation science department for a Kenyan-based conservation NGO for six years. Increasingly, Lauren felt a drive away from the top-down, protectionist solutions she faced. So she set up Human Nature to help conservation organisations understand and connect with the people they work with, creating inclusive and lasting solutions that balance the needs of people and nature. She is an accredited conflict mediator and practitioner in NonViolent Communication and restorative dialogue.