George Holmes

Professor George Holmes is a leading academic in Conservation and Society at the University of Leeds' Faculty of Environment. His work bridges human geography, political ecology, and biodiversity conservation, focusing on protected areas, rewilding, and community impacts. He holds a PhD examining the Dominican Republic's protected areas and led a Leverhulme-funded fellowship on Patagonian private reserves. Holmes is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and active in organizations like the Society for Conservation Biology. His research emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, blending ecology, anthropology, and policy analysis to address conservation challenges. He teaches across undergraduate and graduate levels, advocating interactive, critical pedagogy. Notable contributions include studies on illicit reintroductions, private conservation initiatives, and human-wildlife coexistence. Holmes collaborates with global networks like the Poverty and Conservation Learning Group and supervises students (e.g., Sicily Fiennes) on topics like the Indonesian songbird trade.