Rory Canavan
About Rory Canavan
Rory Canavan is the Biodiversity & Natural Capital Leader for UK North at Arup, with extensive experience in landscape ecology, ecosystem restoration, and land management.
Title
Rory Canavan is the Biodiversity & Natural Capital Leader for the UK North at Arup, based in Leeds, England, United Kingdom.
Education and Expertise
Rory Canavan holds a Master of Science in Landscape Ecology, Design & Management from Imperial College London, obtained in 2000. Prior to this, he earned a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Wildlife & Landscape Conservation from Anglia Ruskin University in 1996. He also holds a National Diploma in Botany/Horticulture from the National Botanic Gardens, completed in 1992. His expertise includes landscape ecology, ecosystem restoration, land management, soil regeneration, and Nature-based Solutions.
Professional Background
Rory Canavan has extensive experience in the field of ecology and environmental management. He served as a Senior Landscape Ecologist at Jacobs (Babtie) in Maidstone, Kent from 2001 to 2004, and then as a Senior Ecologist at Tetra Tech Europe (WYG) in Leeds, United Kingdom from 2004 to 2005. Since 2006, he has been with Arup, holding various roles including his current position as Biodiversity & Natural Capital Leader - UK North.
Previous Roles at Arup
Rory Canavan’s tenure at Arup includes serving as a board member for Yorkshire West Local Nature Partnership (LNP) from 2012 to 2017. He was an appointed member of the Land Trust’s Biodiversity, Ecology & Environment Advisory Group from 2020 to 2021. From 2009 to 2011, he focused on delivering design quality for the Transform South Yorkshire project.
Professional Affiliations and Contributions
Rory Canavan is an elected member of the Infrastructure and Ecology Network Europe (IENE) Scientific and Expert Committee. He supports working groups for the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) on Environmental Net Gain and developing standards for biodiversity offsets. His involvement in these organizations underscores his commitment to advancing ecological science and policy.