Dr Lawrence Ball

Lawrence is a conservation scientist and practitioner specialising in socioecological systems, GIS and remote sensing, and biodiversity monitoring, with a strong track record in international research and project leadership. He is Monitoring and Evidence Manager at Kent Wildlife Trust and Co-founder at the Dhofar Centre for Wildlife Research.
He was project manager for the Bugs Matter citizen science survey between 2022 and 2025, is a qualified GVC drone pilot, and British Exploring Society expedition leader, and an advocate for Conservation Standards and Conservation Evidence. He also supported development of Wilder Carbon in UK carbon/nature market. He is involved with the Royal Geographical Society and British-Omani Society and has undertaken overseas research expeditions in Africa, South America, Europe and the Middle East, and featured in the conservation documentary 'Madagascar: Life on the Edge'. 

Lawrence’s research has primarily focused on biodiversity conservation in the Dhofar region of Oman, where has documented the status of the endemic Dhofarian cloud forest, and the challenges surrounding modern pastoralism and environmental sustainability.
More recently he has applied his expertise in spatial science and ecological modelling to conservation practice in the UK. Projects include habitat suitability and connectivity modelling for Pine Marten reintroduction in the South East of England, developing systems for monitoring stocking rates of conservation grazers, systematic conservation planning, developing NDVI time series workflows to detect habitat damage in protected areas in Kent, implementing stacked sensor monitoring protocols and Bayesian occupancy modelling, and developing workflows for drone remote sensing of ecological change and hydrological and terrain modelling to support conservation planning.  

Lawrence has led science programs on youth development expeditions in remote locations in Oman, mentored undergraduate and postgraduate student projects and taught GIS and agent-based modelling in secondary and higher education.