Jonny is an environmental social scientist, award-winning social entrepreneur, snow leopard conservationist and former community farmer.He is currently a research fellow at Queen's University Belfast with ARK, the Northern Ireland social policy hub. Here, he works on environmental peacebuilding, as well as on the social aspects of conservation and agriculture.Through his nature edutainment start-up, Jonny brings the world to life through stories, drinks and places. His in-development stories include a rewilding book and a snow leopard film, while premium brand Malawi Mountain® Gin arrives in 2025, and an exciting Irish rewilding destination is at the scoping stage.Jonny grew up in Monaghan, Ireland, and Malawi, Africa, before studying medieval history and archaeology at Queen’s University Belfast, followed by business management and sustainability at Queen’s University Management School. After working in nature education and fundraising, he completed a PhD in snow leopard conservation at the University of Cambridge.From 2022-4, Jonny co-delivered the Cultivating Community Farming project, a Co-op Foundation-funded accelerator program for 10 diverse, early-stage community farming projects across Northern Ireland. Jonny is also a 2023 Nuffield Farming Scholar, a program of study and travel for future farming leaders about the future of farming. Sponsored by the Thomas Henry Foundation, his research topic, on which he is neutral, is ‘Large carnivore reintroductions to Britain and Ireland: farmers’ perspectives and management options.’ He is also writing a popular book on the topic, published by Pelagic in early 2025.Beyond his day-to-day work, Jonny is also the Founder of Jubilee Community Benefit Society, a social enterprise which owns and operates Jubilee Farm, Northern Ireland’s first community-owned farm. He established and led the organisation 2014 – 2022. Jonny is also an Associate of the Snow Leopard Conservancy, a leading international snow leopard conservation NGO, and was a Trustee of the Nyika-Vwaza Trust, a UK conservation charity active in Northern Malawi, 2017-22.In 2019 he was awarded Social Enterprise Northern Ireland’s inaugural Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year award, and is a frequent media commentator on a range of environmental and agricultural issues. An emerging presenter and broadcaster, Jonny has written, directed, produced and presented several live shows and documentary ‘shorts’ for the Northern Ireland Science Festival, as well as a series of reports for sustainable agriculture podcast, Farmerama Radio.