Erik Karits @Pixabay
Meet the UrbanBEE Team
CHEVONNE REYNOLDS
School of Animal, Plant, and Environmental Sciences | University of the Witwatersrand | Johannesburg | South Africa
I am an Associate Professor at Wits, passionate about doing science with and for society. My research focuses on socio-ecological questions, using citizen science and big data to understand how people and nature interact across landscapes. I led the Johannesburg Bee Hotel Project (JBHP) and now lead UrbanBEE, working with communities to explore how small interventions, like bee hotels, can contribute to urban biodiversity and more liveable cities.
DAN CHAMBERLAIN
Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology | Universitá di Torino | Turin | Italy
I am a Professor in Ecology at the University of Turin, Italy. In a career of over 30 years, I have produced a large body of work on the ecology of birds in a range of habitats. My current research has two main branches: assessing the impacts of environmental change on birds in alpine habitats; and, identifying drivers of urban animal communities, with a particular focus on the link between human socioeconomic status and biodiversity.
MARTA DELL'OVO
Department of Architecture and Urban Studies | Politecnico di Milano | Milan | Italy
I’m an Assistant professor in Real Estate Appraisal And Project Evaluation at the Department of Architecture and Urban Studies (DAStU), Politecnico di Milano. My research focuses on economic, environmental, and social evaluation of plans, projects, and resources from a multidisciplinary approach and a research perspective. I led - together with my colleague Silvia Ronchi - the Polimi team involved in UrbanBee, by supporting the analysis of project from a multi-value and multi-actor perspective.
RIHO MARJA
"Lendület" Landscape and Conservation Ecology | Institute of Ecology and Biology | HUN-REN Center for Ecological Research| Budapest | Hungary
I am a landscape ecologist, primarily focusing on habitat studies of birds and pollinators. Over the past 20 years, my passion, work, and hobby has been dedicated to studying farmland biodiversity. In my current post-doc position, I aim to conduct a meta-analyse to investigate agri-environment schemes and landscape gradient effect for cropland arthropods concurrently. Additionally I analyse bumblebees and plants foodwebs relationships with seasonality effect.
LINDE MORAWETZ
AGES - Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety | Department for Apiculture and Bee Protection | Vienna | Austria
I am a senior expert for honey bee health in a state owned agency in Austria (AGES - Austrian Agency for Health and Food Security). My work mainly focuses on practical issues of honeybee health, such as preparing measures for the arrival of the invasive Asian hornet or investigating the impact of bee viruses on colony losses. Within UrbanBEE I aim to understand the health problems of wild bees in the city: which are the diseases they are struggling with, and how can we humans help them to stay thriving and healthy?
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JUSTICE MUVENGWI
School of Animal, Plant, and Environmental Sciences | University of the Witwatersrand | Johannesburg | South Africa
I am a Senior Lecturer in the School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand. My research focuses on plant community ecology in savannas and the impact of urban landscapes on biodiversity across socio-economic gradients. My work on urban ecology has revealed the "luxury effect," where wealthier neighbourhoods support higher species richness, and has highlighted the role of non-native species in urban ecosystem services. As part of the UrbanBEE project, I explore urban biodiversity patterns across cities in the Global North and South to inform conservation and urban planning strategies.
I am a senior expert for honey bee health in a state owned agency in Austria (AGES - Austrian Agency for Health and Food Security). My work mainly focuses on practical issues of honeybee health, such as preparing measures for the arrival of the invasive Asian hornet or investigating the impact of bee viruses on colony losses. Within UrbanBEE I aim to understand the health problems of wild bees in the city: which are the diseases they are struggling with, and how can we humans help them to stay thriving and healthy?
PATRICK O'FARRELL
Faculty of Natural Sciences/Biodiversity and Conservation | University of the Western Cape | Cape Town | South Africa
I work at the interface of people and nature, with over 25 years of applied research and project experience focused on the role of nature in development. My work has supported local to international decision-makers and included leadership of large, multidisciplinary projects, including five IPBES assessments. I am a Senior Lecturer in Conservation and Biodiversity at the University of the Western Cape and an adjunct researcher with UNU-FLORES, focusing on Resource Nexus issues. My publications span ecosystem services (especially water), nature-based solutions, ecological infrastructure, and plural valuation.
SILVIA RONCHI
Department of Architecture and Urban Studies | Politecnico di Milano | Milan | Italy
I am an Assistant professor in Urban planning at the Department of Architecture and Urban Studies (DAStU), Politecnico di Milano (Polimi). My research focuses on ecosystem services mapping, landscape and urban planning, environmental assessment, green and blue infrastructure design. I led - together with my colleague Marta Dell'Ovo - the Polimi team involved in UrbanBee, which aimed to integrate urban biodiversity considerations into policy and planning tools for protection and conservation strategies.
PETRA SUMASGUTNER
Kondrad Lorez Research Center | University of Vienna | Vienna | Austria
I am a Professor of Behavioural Ecology specialising in urban biodiversity and animal movement in human-altered landscapes. My research examines how urbanisation and global change—particularly urban heat islands and habitat transformation—shape the behaviour, movement, and ecology of wildlife in cities. I integrate citizen science initiatives to assess biodiversity patterns and explore the interactions between animals and the anthropogenic environment. By combining movement ecology with conservation, I aim to better understand the resilience of urban wildlife and inform sustainable urban planning.
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EDINA TÖRÖK
Landscape and Conservation Ecology Group | Institute of Ecology and Botany | HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research | Budapest | Hungary
I began my work in Diptera taxonomy, focusing on families such as Ptychopteridae, Tipulidae, Culicidae, and Syrphidae, using both traditional and integrative methods. My interest in taxonomy has always been rooted in improving species conservation, which led me to shift toward conservation ecology after my PhD, with a focus on pollinators. Since 2019, I’ve been passionate about insect hotels, using them both as a research tool and a way to engage the public in conservation. I also study the impacts of urbanization on biodiversity.
AMY CHEN
School of Animal, Plant, and Environmental Sciences | University of the Witwatersrand | Johannesburg | South Africa
I have completed my Master of Science in Zoology and I am currently pursuing my PhD. My research primarily focuses on the realms of urban ecology, applied entomology, biodiversity assessments and the role of citizen science. Using UrbanBEE as a collaborative platform, I am hoping to develop nuanced approaches towards understanding the effects of urbanisation on the diversity of solitary bees.
FRANCESCA COCHIS
Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology | Universitá di Torino | Turin | Italy
I graduated in Environmental Biology in Turin and I am now pursuing a PhD, aiming to bridge academia and the public through citizen engagement in urban ecology. My research covers different animal groups, from butterflies to birds, and I am also passionate about science communication. The UrbanBEE project is the perfect opportunity to combine these interests, raising public awareness while advancing scientific research!
ELHAM FIROUZI
Department of Architecture and Urban Studies | Politecnico di Milano | Milan | Italy
I completed a Master of Science in Sustainable Architecture and Landscape Design from Politecnico di Milano. My master’s thesis focused on redefining Milan’s rooftops as new urban landscapes to address climate change challenges and enhance urban resilience. In addition, I am the founder of The Simple Urbanist, a social media platform that explains urbanism concepts and theories in a simple, visual, and engaging way.
KISHA AVRIL LANGEVELD
Faculty of Natural Sciences/Biodiversity and Conservation | University of the Western Cape | Cape Town | South Africa
I am currently completing my Masters at the University of the Western Cape. My research interests include societies interaction with their environment, and different ways to improve biodiversity within urban environments. The UrbanBEE project allows me to use citizen science and the bee hotels to understand how different societies interact with and view their environment.
SAGE K. NAIDOO
School of Animal, Plant, and Environmental Sciences | University of the Witwatersrand | Johannesburg | South Africa
I am pursuing my PhD at the University of the Witwatersrand. My research interests lie in the understanding the links between humans and nature within an urban and socio-economic context. Through UrbanBEE, I am hoping to better understand human-nature interactions and the manner in which people perceive and form a connection to their surrounding natural environments.
