CSF began working with International Consultant and Environmental Economist Rhona Barr in late 2012. Rhona brings to CSF a diverse set of practical and research experiences in tropical settings, including Latin America, Asia and Africa. Born in North Wales, Rhona grew up on the island of Anglesey. From an early age, island life made her fascinated ("nearly obsessed!") with the outdoors and biology, particularly the watery ecosystems around her.

After completion of her undergraduate degree in zoology at the University of Edinburgh in 2002, she worked on a number of conservation and sustainability projects overseas, including in northern Mozambique and on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It was at this time that the human aspects of conservation sparked her interest. She wanted to focus in particular on the need to understand better the economics surrounding environmental protection. In 2007, she returned to school to complete her Master's degree in Environmental Economics & Policy at Imperial College London. This developed into a PhD at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Rhona's research focused on the possible role that payments for environmental services could play in coastal marine conservation and development, and the feasibility of applying this economic tool to marine settings such as fishing communities in the Mtwara region of southern Tanzania. She continues to be interested in developing and analyzing equitable approaches to balance conservation, development and sustainable financing of environmental protection. She is very excited to tackle the challenges of working with CSF head-on and contribute to a field that hits so close to home.