Hello.

Key Skills

• life-long nature conservationist committed to finding conservation solutions by working with people to meet their social and economic needs
• specific expertise in international development, capacity building, biodiversity conservation, natural resource management, protected areas and National Parks
• broad international experience, particularly in non-governmental sector
• people and communication skills; wide cultural experience working with local communities, non-governmental organisations, governments and decision-makers in many different countries
• strategic approach to project and programme planning and management; full project cycle from concept through design to fund raising, implementation, reporting, monitoring and evaluation
• sound research, analytical, problem solving skills; pragmatic and good at finding workable solutions; good at synthesis, report writing and meeting deadlines
• excellent team worker and communicator, able to use breadth of experience to apply to new situations and contribute to team efforts
• fluent French speaker; (English mother tongue)

Qualifications and Experience

• zoology/ ecology graduate (BSc Zoology, Dundee 1st Class Hons.; MSc Ecology and PhD, Aberdeen – PhD in animal behaviour and ecology)
• ecological research (as an individual and as a member of research teams/ expeditions) in UK, Trinidad and Tobago, France and Senegal
• 25 years practical experience in international nature conservation and rural development as employee and consultant, principally in Africa and Scotland (1987 to present)
• employed by Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, UK and BirdLife International (as Head of Africa Division), 1987 to 1995: strategic planning and management of field programme and staff in Africa including integrated conservation and rural development projects (ICDPs), negotiation and fund raising (governments, donors), development and capacity building for conservation through individual African conservationists and civil society (communities, NGOs and community based organizations)
• international and national biodiversity conservation/ natural resource management consultant (based in Angus, Scotland 1995-2008). Areas Board and Scientific Advisory Committee Member for Scottish Natural Heritage Scottish Natural Heritage (advisor to government on nature conservation), (1999-2006). Board Member Cairngorms National Park Authority Board and Planning Committee (2006-2008); Member Cairngorms National Park Local Outdoor Access Forum (2006-2008). Other clients included BirdLife International, European Union, Fauna and Flora International, IUCN, National Trust for Scotland, Plantlife, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Scottish Government, UNDP, World Bank, WWF

Current position

• Consultant in international development and capacity building; biodiversity conservation/ natural resource management/ adaptation to climate change (Logical Cobwebs Internet) based in BC, Canada since 2008. Project design and proposal preparation/ fundraising (Logical Frameworks, funding applications, UNDP/ GEF PRODOCS); policy and other research; project monitoring and evaluation. Clients include UNDP/ GEF; BirdLife International (African and other Regional Partnerships and individual Partners; Global Secretariat); Royal Roads University and others (see Examples of recent contracts below)

Examples of recent contracts

Scottish and international (full list available on request)

• (2009 & 2011): Darwin Initiative (DEFRA, UK government funding scheme) applications: Re-drafting Logical Frameworks and project proposals from developing country partners for submission to the Darwin Initiative. For: BirdLife International and in-country Partners (all World regions)
• (2010/ 11): International Protected Area and Alternative Livelihoods Specialist for PRODOC preparation: “Participatory Conservation of Biodiversity and Low Carbon Development of Pilot Ecovillages Adjacent to Protected Areas in Senegal” (see Global Ecovillage Network Senegal). Field visits (Dakar and field sites in 5 of 6 Eco-geographic zones in Senegal), participatory workshops, research, analysis, French to English translations and drafting text of full PRODOC and Annexes (UNDP/ GEF SSA)
• (2010): International Protected Areas and Capacity Building Specialist for PRODOC preparation: “Rationalization and Strengthening of the Management of the Protected Areas Network in Togo”. Field visits (Lome and field sites in Savanes and Kara regions), participatory workshops, research, analysis and drafting biodiversity and capacity building components of full PRODOC and Annexes (UNDP/ GEF SSA)
• (2007): Strategic Framework for the Management and Interpretation of the suite of Cairngorms National Nature Reserves: Preparation of Framework (as part of team led by Peter Scott Planning Ltd.); ecological and biodiversity input, consultation, workshops, drafting and editing text etc. For: Scottish Natural Heritage
• (2006/07): Evaluation of TMF (Theme-based Co-financing) Project (Dutch government: DGIS): “Small Grants to Site Support Groups” – part of programme to achieve rational natural resource use by local people at priority sites through the enhancement of an effective civil society support framework for sustainable development at local, national, regional and global levels. Evaluation of process and impacts of the Small Grants programme in Africa, Latin America and Asia (20 countries total) with site visits to projects (Uganda & Ghana). For: BirdLife International Secretariat and DGIS
• (2006/07): Review of Lessons learned from the Site Support Group and National Liaison Committee approaches. Assessment of the effectiveness and sustainability of approaches used in the GEF/ UNDP funded “African-NGO government partnerships for sustainable biodiversity action project” (10 countries in Africa) (RAF//97/G31/A/1G/31). For: UNOPS/ UNDP-GEF
• (2006): “Building Capacity for Sustainable Hunting of Migratory Birds in Mediterranean Third Countries” project. Review and analysis of national reports and documents on migratory bird hunting in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. Production of 5 synthesis reports on migratory bird hunting (practices; legislation; management; socio-economic/ religious/ cultural importance; economic alternatives to shooting). Reports used to inform decision-makers and contribute to development of best practice guidelines for sustainable hunting in the region. For: BirdLife International; Association les Amis des Oiseaux; Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon; African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement.
• (2005/06): Institutional and Log Frame expert: “Catalyzing Sustainability of Protected Areas in the Cameroon Mountain Range through Community Based Conservation and Sustainable Use”. In-Depth Review stage of Full Project proposal to UNDP/ GEF. Review & analysis, liaison with other consultants and CAMCOF staff; drafting In-Depth Review documents for Peer Review by UNDP. For: CAMCOF (Cameroon Mountains Conservation Foundation) and UNDP/ GEF
• (2005): Policy, Legislation and Sector Reviews; Institutional/ Capacity Building and Stakeholder Analyses, reviews and drafting sections of GEF (UNDP) Main Project Brief (“Mainstreaming conservation of migratory soaring birds into key productive sectors along the Rift Valley/ Red Sea flyway”.) Regional analyses, reviews and drafts covering 11 countries in the Middle East and East Africa. For: Middle East Regional Partnership/ Global Secretariat, BirdLife International
• (2005): Community involvement and benefit sharing in Protected Area management for biodiversity conservation in the Middle East. Liaison with country partners (Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine Administered Areas) and Regional BirdLife Middle East Office; drafting Narrative, Log Frame and Action Plan (proposal to EC budget line: Programme on Environment in Developing Countries). For: Middle East Regional Partnership/ Global Secretariat, BirdLife International
• (2004): Final Project Evaluation of UK Darwin Initiative-funded Project: “Action Plans for Conservation of Globally-threatened birds in Africa”. Site visits to species action planning workshops (Tunis) and Project Steering Group meeting (Kampala); interviews/ discussions with project staff and all other stakeholders; preparation final project evaluation report and recommendations for follow-up. For: RSPB (UK) and the Council of the African Partnership of BirdLife International
• (2004): Canna Seabird Conservation Project: Preparation of successful bid for LIFE-Nature funding. Liaison with project partners, site visit to island of Canna, development of project plan, preparation of funding proposal and budgets for submission to the LIFE-Nature budget of the European Union. For: The National Trust for Scotland
• (2003): “Scoping for Indicators”: Investigation of the indicators currently in use to measure social and process aspects of biodiversity conservation across a wide range of policy sectors, to inform the development of social and process indicators for the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, first published 2004. For: Scottish Executive/ Scottish Biodiversity Forum
• (2003): Uist Wader Project: Preparation of Project Plan, detailed budgets and funding proposal for project to remove introduced hedgehogs from the islands of the Outer Hebrides, to protect threatened breeding wader species. Proposal for submission to the LIFE-Nature budget of the European Commission and other donors/ partners. For: Scottish Natural Heritage
• (2002/03): “An Investigation into the Costs and Benefits of Natura 2000 (N2k) sites”: subcontractor to Jacobs: biodiversity conservation and Natura (N2k) advice to major investigation of net economic contribution of the N2k network in Scotland. For: Scottish Executive (SEERAD)
• (2002): Preparation of Logical Framework for QMM Biodiversity Conservation and Monitoring Programme (BCMP), Madagascar: collaborative work with BCMP project manager to prepare Logical Framework Analysis and Plan for the project; train project manager in use and application of Logical Frameworks; incorporate in one coherent framework and plan all the various biodiversity conservation and sustainable natural resource management initiatives in the project area. For: QIT Madagascar Minerals (subsidiary of Rio Tinto/ QIT)
• (2001-02): Review of impacts of the “African NGO-Government Partnerships for Sustainable Biodiversity Action” Project: through analysis and discussion with key stakeholders, to demonstrate the impacts of the project on biodiversity conservation and local/ national capacity for conservation action, including innovations developed. For: African Partnership, BirdLife International
and UNDP/ GEF (Global Environment Facility)
• (2001): “Flowers of the Forest: managing Scotland's woodlands for wild plant biodiversity”: Research and drafting (principal author) of popular guide on the enhancement of native ground flora in Scottish Woodlands. For: Plantlife Scotland
• (2000-02): Project concepts and proposals for Kabore-Tambi National Park and Sourou Valley Wetlands, Burkina Faso: drafting concepts/ proposals (for submission to GEF and bilateral government donors), local liaison and facilitation of workshops. For: Naturama and BirdLife International
• (2000): Stewardship Project: research and drafting biodiversity conservation component of major research report on stewardship in the contact of land reform in Scotland. For: WWF Scotland
• (1997-2000): Advisor to WWF Scotland, Wild Rivers Demonstration and Advisory Project. Project planning, management, reporting and monitoring; ecological survey and monitoring. Project aimed to demonstrate practical methods of achieving natural river management and environmental benefits alongside productive agricultural and other land use systems. Worked in partnership with farmers and landowners to establish demonstration sites using available grant aid and to provide advice and guidance on techniques and funding. For: WWF Scotland (EU/EAGGF funding via Scottish Office)

Examples of publications

(full list available on request)

• Birnie, R V & Coulthard, N D (2000) ‘Application of stewardship to land management’. Unpubd. Final Draft Chapter submitted to WWF Scotland Stewardship project. WWF Scotland, Aberfeldy.
• McKay, C R & Coulthard, N D (2000) The Kilum-Ijim Forests IBA in Cameroon: Monitoring biodiversity using birds as indicators. Procs. IXth PAOC, Accra, Ghana, December 1996. Ostrich Vol. 71 (1&2); 177-180.
• Coulthard, N D & Scott, M S (2001) Flowers of the Forest: Managing Scottish woodlands for wild plant biodiversity. Plantlife UK, London. (http://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/plantlife-saving-species-publications.html)
• Coulthard, N D (2001) Important Bird Areas in Algeria; Eritrea; Senegal: 3 book chapters In: Fishpool, LDC & Evans, ME (eds.) Important Bird Areas in Africa and associated islands: Priority sites for conservation. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK. (http://www.naturebureau.co.uk/shop/books/birdareasofafrica.html)

Other skills and interests

I'm a fluent French speaker (English is my first language). I'm a keen outdoor sports enthusiast: horse riding, (sea) kayaking, cross-country skiing, hill running and adventure racing. Scottish Kayak Slalom Team 1979, 1980 (Scottish Champion in 1979). I met my husband, Bill, through Canoe Slalom competition and have two children who are both developing their own love of nature and outdoor adventure.