Miranda Willis
Miranda Willis is a first-year PhD student in Geography and Environmental Science at the University of Southampton researching commoning in the New Forest National Park and how people, ponies, and institutions negotiate the use and care of the protected landscape. Using a more-than-human lens, she explores how everyday practices of care, access, and stewardship are shaped by the pressures of tourism, conservation priorities, and development. Her research asks what it takes to govern protected landscapes well so they remain living, working places where ecological integrity, animal welfare, and local livelihoods can endure together.
As a Policy Associate, she is keen to learn how policy works in practice and how to translate research into clear, useful insights. She is particularly motivated by impact, ensuring research travels beyond the university and makes a meaningful difference for the people and places it speaks to.