As a Sheffield resident of 15 years, Dr Laird has a keen sense of nature around her. This has been enriched through conservation activities with Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust. These have included working on nature-based solutions to the climate emergency, such as the Limb Valley leaky dam project to reduce flooding in Sheffield.
Dr Laird also participates in Nature Recovery Sheffield as a representative and former director of South Yorkshire Climate Alliance, comprising a partnership of organisations addressing the climate emergency. Nature Recovery Sheffield is an initiative of the Wildlife Trust which brings together community-based groups to work jointly on protecting and restoring the natural environment.
A member of the Environmental Sustainability Sub-Committee of her University’s Executive Board, Siobhan is responsible for implementing a strategic delivery plan across four campuses and serving a community of over 50,000 students and staff. This involves oversight of a complex portfolio of operational plans to create, maintain and enhance environmental sustainability.
Apart from positions of strategic management, Dr Laird is also an approved trainer in carbon literacy and has rolled out interactive workshops to many community groups to support people to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in daily life.
Additionally, as a qualified social worker, researcher and trainer, Siobhan have expertise in safeguarding, obtaining funding and impact evaluation. She also regularly delivers training sessions on discrimination and social exclusion and will be contributing to the engagement of Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust with diverse communities.