Welcome

Julie Koch Sheard, ph.d.
PostDoc at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig

I am an ecologist in pursuit of the smallest game (ants, beetles, spiders and other invertebrates). I’m particularly interested in understanding how anthropogenic pressures are affecting species communities and seeking the answers by enlisting children (schools and family) in citizen science projects.

I am currently a postdoc at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig. Here, I am investigating how urbanisation and climate change are affecting invertebrate communities through a citizen science project for schools called MikroSafari, funded by the Carlsberg Foundation.

I did my PhD at the Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate at University of Copenhagen, where I worked on another citizen science project called Myrejagten (the Ant Hunt).

When I’m not doing research I like to pretend I have an artistic streak by painting, playing the piano and writing non-science (nonsense). I like to attempt to make things grow and spend time outside.