About me

Qui suis-je? Who am I? Wer bin Ich?

Trained as a biologist & ecologist, with experience in horticulture, I am fascinated by the natural world in all its forms. I have a soft spot for plants, from the tiniest orchid at the top of a Vietnamese mountain, to the blousiest iris in a 18th century garden.

I currently work freelance in the UK, Luxembourg and France, as an ecological consultant, science writer, public speaker, DE/EN > FR science translator and wildlife tour leader.

My BSc research focused on pollens of Psychotria (a fascinating genus with ethnobotanical uses), and my MSc on systematics of a genus of African orchids. I have worked in the Rubiaceae (think coffee) team at Meise Botanic Garden (Belgium), and in the UK NGO Plant Heritage developing a network of living libraries in order to preserve the dwindling diversity of cultivated plants. I have also played a role in a number of conservation projects in the UK and abroad, doing bat surveys, insect recording, botanical monitoring or invasive species control.

I am interested in urban ecology, and particularly how to reconcile the needs of humans and those of wildlife through biophilic architecture and landscaping. In 2019, I created the project “More Than Weeds“, aimed at raising awareness on wild plants in cities.

I am a Fellow of the Linnean Society , and a Secretary of Hortax (the Horticultural Taxonomy Group).

In my spare time, I enjoy gardening, travelling to see plants both in gardens and in the wild (cover image: Mount Fansipan in Northern Vietnam), collecting antique science books, making and tasting drinks (cider, beer and wine) and listening to 1970s rock records.

To contact me, please use this page.
Or if you’d like to find out more about me, visit my Linkedin, Twitter, or Flickr pages.

Sophie Leguil BSc MSc FLS