Andrew GARDNER

Dr Andrew  (Drew) Gardner

Drew is the Associate Director of Biodiversity Conservation at Emirates Nature-WWF, the local environmental charity that works in association with WWF. He is a zoologist and ecologist with a life-long passion for conserving wild places and the species with which we share our planet. He has worked as a university teacher and researcher in the region for over 30 years and has authored over 50 research publications on its fauna, flora, and ecology, as well as the standard handbook on the amphibians and reptiles of Oman and the UAE. At Emirates Nature WWF, Drew is working on a range of projects including agroecology to build resilient mountain communities, mangrove restoration, nature-based solutions in coastal saline habitats, and the wildlife of the Hajar Mountains.

Drew holds a BSc (Honours) in zoology from Edinburgh University and a PhD from Aberdeen University for a study on the evolutionary ecology of Day Geckos in the Seychelles. He grew up in Kenya where his father and grandfather were in the forestry service. As a child he camped and visited the mountains and national parks, instilling a love of nature and wild places.