Tom discovered a passion for the natural world initially as a place of peace and mental well-being, before being captivated by the complexity of the ecosystems that exist around us and the need to reverse their declines. From this passion, Tom completed a BSc in Ecology and Wildlife Conservation at Bournemouth University, with his major project focusing on behaviour and conflict surrounding re-introduced African wild dogs in fenced game reserves. Following a year working on Red List assessments at the IUCN Small Mammal Specialist Group (SMSG), Tom completed an MRes in Conservation Biology at University of Sussex, where his research was based at the Knepp estate, looking at herbivore driven landscape development in the context of rewilding. After a year leading on key species fundraising for the IUCN Small Mammal Specialist Group, in 2019 Tom began a PhD at the University of Exeter, funded by Vincent Wildlife Trust and Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, seeking to understand the social and ecological feasibility and practicalities of re-introducing European wildcats (felis silvestris) into England and Wales.