Meet the Team

T.C. is a Reader in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences. He has been working with the Danau Girang Field Centre since 2015 and has considered patterns of deforestation and their effects on the river system and erosion of riverbanks. He has expertise in soils, tree root processes, and soil erosion and is interested in understanding how these processes control and are effected by soil erosion processes.

T.C. has been part of the development of Regrow Borneo since its inception, saying about the project “Work with Regrow Borneo is very personal to me, driving to the Kinabatangan River for the first time through 100’s of km of oil palm and finding a thin strip of forest that is supposed to support some of the most important plants and animals on our planet made me want to act. Regrow Borneo is an opportunity to support these forests.”

Prof Benoit Goossens is the Founder and Director of the Danau Girang Field Centre in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary where he leads projects on biodiversity responses to habitat fragmentation and degradation. He runs long-term programs on an array of tropical forest species such as Bornean elephant, proboscis monkey, clouded leopard, sun bear, crocodile, and pangolin. He is also a Professor at Cardiff University with research interests in conservation biology and a member of the IUCN SSC’s Asian Wild Cattle, Crocodile, Asian Elephant and Primate Specialist Groups.

Alice Fresson was born in Sabah, Borneo of Kadazan and Chinese descent. She was fortunate to have spent her formative years surrounded by the incredible biodiversity and the rich indigenous heritage of her homeland.

She has lived in London for over 40 years, is a Chartered Accountant and leadership coach, with an executive career in retail, finance, fundraising and business development.

Alice is currently Chief Operating Officer for a venture capital firm, and an Ambassador for the charity Wellbeing of Women.

“I am very excited and proud to be joining Regrow Borneo at such a crucial time for climate change action. I will leverage my insights and experience to contribute to its success and growth, with the passion and dedication that being a Trustee entails.”

Professor Susan Baker, BA (Hons.), MA, PhD (EUI, Florence), PhD (h.c. Umea, Sweden), KSLA, FSA, has a background in PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economic) and is co-founder and Co-Director, Sustainable Places Research Institute, and Emerita Professor, Cardiff University. She is interested in the governance of complex, adaptative social-ecological systems and has been working with Danau Girang Field Centre since 2010, examining forest governance. She has expertise in how governance factors shape ecological restoration success, including land ownership patterns, forest and land use policy, stakeholder interests and community values, as well as regulatory and international commitments.

Susan is one of the founders of Regrow Borneo and says ‘Deforestation in Borneo has destroyed ecosystems, driven species to the edge of extinction, and brought profound social and cultural disruption to local communities. Communities along the Kinabatangan River have taken action, collecting seeds, establishing nurseries and replanting trees to restore their lost forests. Seeing their commitment and passion inspires me and working with Regrow Borneo provides the ideal opportunity to support local community actions’.

Katrina Henderson is the Environmental Safety Adviser at Cardiff University and is part of the Environmental Sustainability team leading on our Climate Emergency work.

“I feel strongly that we have an opportunity to make a real difference through the Regrow Borneo project, gaining greater understanding of the challenges of reforestation”.

Prof. Weightman is the Head of the Organisms and Envrionment Division of the School of Biosciences at Cardiff University.

Carrie Lear is a Professor in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Cardiff University researching past climate and carbon cycle interactions. She is a passionate supporter of equality, diversity and inclusion in STEM.

“I am proud to be a part of Regrow Borneo because it is so much more than just planting trees. It really is about growth – growth of ecosystems, community partnership, and biodiversity”

Prof Michael Bruford was a molecular ecologist and founding member of Regrow Borneo. Mike worked in Sabah with Benoit for over 20 years on the conservation genetics of endangered species such as the Bornean orang-utan and elephant. He was part of Cardiff University’s Rainforest Biodiversity Assessment field course since 2007, focusing his teaching on the dynamics of tree communities in the centre’s botanic plots during this period. Sadly, Mike passed away in April, 2023