Daryl Hughes

Daryl Hughes has a diverse and extensive work experience. Daryl started in 2011 as a Scientific Copy Editor, where they copy edited and proofread manuscripts at the Department of Agronomy, Göttingen University. Daryl then worked as a Research Assistant at the same university, focusing on the effects of forest management and soil disturbance on ectomycorrhizal fungi in beech woodland.

In 2012, Daryl took on the role of Forestry Intern at Niedersächsische Landesforsten, where they gained practical understanding of multi-purpose continuous cover forestry. Daryl also worked as a Senior Peer Guide & Facilitator at Bangor University, where they trained new Peer Guides and ran focus groups to improve the Peer Guiding scheme.

Daryl's experience also includes working as a Horticulturist at Treborth Botanic Garden, a Forest Manager at The Crown Estate, and a Bat Surveyor at Helix Ecology. Daryl completed a STREAM Engineering Doctorate within the STREAM Industrial Doctoral Centre for the Water Sector as a Research Engineer at United Utilities, where they led interdisciplinary research into simulating and visualizing the environmental impacts on water, landscape, and biodiversity.

In 2022, Daryl joined Heriot-Watt University as a Research Associate, leading the development of a hydrological model of the Essequibo river basin. Daryl'swork aimed to predict future water resources, flooding, and droughts while contributing to better projections of future climate.

Most recently, Daryl worked as a UK Research and Innovation Policy Intern at the Northern Ireland Assembly, informing infrastructure and environment policy. Daryl wrote research papers, blog articles, and provided oral evidence to the Committee for Infrastructure.

Currently, Daryl is working as a Team Lead in Environmental Land Management Natural Science at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Daryl Hughes completed a B.Sc. degree in Conservation & Forest Ecosystems from Bangor University from 2009 to 2013. Daryl later pursued a degree in Hydrology and Climate Change in Civil Engineering from Newcastle University from 2016 to 2017. Additionally, they obtained a certification in Professional Tree Inspection from LANTRA AWARDS LIMITED in 2015.