Dr Veronica Edmonds-Brown was elected at the 2011 AGM to Chair the Society until November 2013.

Ronni is an expert in freshwater ecosystems and is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire.

Key areas of interest include urban river systems, rearing aquatic invertebrates and the implications of a national decline in taxonomic skills

Ronni?s research interests include:

Recovery potential of urban rivers, urban river pollution and rearing of aquatic invertebrates for life history tables. In addition, Dr Edmonds-Brown has been running a captive breeding programme for the native British crayfish.

Teaching specialisms

Ecology and Environmental Quality, conservation, biodiversity, habitat management, water quality and water pollution control

Collaborations and Projects

University Collage London and CEFAS Norfolk Farm Ponds Project
With Environment Agency (Breeding of Native British Crayfish)
With University of Bournemouth and CEFAS. Ashdown Forest streams ? impacts of pumpkin seed fish on aquatic food
WebsIdentification key to the larvae of the British Hydroptilidae (Trichoptera)
Identification of misconnection hotspots in urban catchments using coliforms

Ronni is Chair of the HNHS Hertfordshire Biological Recorders Committee; and county recorder for Trichoptera and Plecoptera (caddisflies and stoneflies)

She is also:
Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees, Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust; 
Chair of the Education, Careers and training sub-committee  of the Taxonomy & Systematics Committee, Linnaean Society, London. 
Member of the Freshwater Biological Association;
Member of the British Ecological Society and jiscmail manager of the BES Aquatic Ecology Group;
Member of the ?Better Thames Network' ? advisory group

Research Interests

At the University her management responsibilities include Level 5 tutor (second year undergraduates); Placements tutor and the ecological management of the University?s Bayfordbury campus.
She is supervising post-graduate students studying 
The spread and impact of the virile crayfish (Orconectes virilis Hagen) on the native British crayfish. Principle supervisor. 
Identification key for the Hydroptilidae (Trichoptera). 

Her scientific publications include:

Edmonds-Brown V.R. (2009). Jill Lancaster and Robert A. Briers, Eds., Aquatic insects. Challenges to populations. Book Review. Journal of Insect Conservation. Vol. 14. No. 1.99-100.

Hildrew, A.G., Raffaelli, D.G. & Edmonds-Brown, R.  Eds. (2007). Body size: the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems. Cambridge University Press.

Edmonds-Brown, R. (2004) Review of the Keys to the case bearing caddis larvae of Britain and Ireland. Freshwater Biology.Vol. 49. Issue 4. 503.

Faukner, H. Edmonds-Brown, V.R and Green, A. (2000). Problems of quality designation in diffusely polluted urban streams - the case of Pymme's Brook, north London. Environmental Pollution. 09(1):91-107

Copp, G.H., V.R. Edmonds Brown and R. Cottey. 1998. Behavioural interactions and microhabitat use of stream-dwelling sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculateus and Pungitius pungitius in the laboratory and field. Folia Zoologica, 47(4): 275-286.

Edmonds-Brown, V. and Faulkner, H. (1995) Causes and impacts of serious foul water contamination: Pymmes' Brook, north London. International Journal of Environmental Studies. 47: 235-255.