Using eDNA to Save the Planet’s Biodiversity with Kat Bruce
Description
Kat Bruce is the Founder and Director of NatureMetrics, one of the global pioneers in the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) for large-scale biodiversity assessment and data creation. We delve into Kat's journey from uncertainty after leaving Oxford University, to finding her purpose in contributing to a world where we no longer plunder our long term wealth for the sake of short term material wealth.
We discuss:
- Finding your purpose.
- Challenges of solo entrepreneurship.
- The dependence of business and the economy on nature.
- The importance of nature in meeting the Paris Agreement climate targets.
- The rapid movement of emerging policies for nature.
- The lack of existing large data sets for environmental DNA and the potential to change that rapidly.
- The paradox of working with heavy impact industries and polluters for good.
Chapters:
01:18 Meet Kat Bruce — Founder of Nature Metrics and Biodiversity Trailblazer
02:38 What Drives Kat Bruce: Purpose, Passion, and Early Influences
04:12 From Studying Classics to the Amazon Rainforest: Kat’s Unlikely Path
09:46 How Nature Metrics Began — Turning Science into Scalable Impact
14:21 Building a Mission-Driven Business: Wins, Setbacks & Lessons Learned
20:53 What Is Environmental DNA — And Why Biodiversity Depends on It
26:23 How Tech Is Transforming Biodiversity Monitoring
29:01 New Tools for Tracking Nature’s Decline in Real Time
29:51 Collaborating With Stakeholders — Solving the Science-Trust Gap
31:38 Why Data Transparency Builds Trust in Conservation
33:17 Real-World Case Studies: Nature Metrics in Action
34:32 Biodiversity Credits: What They Are & Why They’re Evolving Fast
37:15 Balancing Business Growth With Environmental Responsibility
40:31 Scaling Nature Metrics: Vision, Growth, and What’s Next
46:14 The GB Row Challenge — Collecting Data While Crossing an Ocean
53:16 Advice for the Next Generation: Follow What Matters
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