Dr Roger Auster

Roger is an interdisciplinary environmental social scientist, critically exploring environmental transitions for socio-ecological resilience.

First, his research has explored how humans relate to and coexist with reintroduced wildlife in socio-ecological systems. Building on a suite of research looking at reintroductions of beaver, pine marten, and wildcat, he has led research into how people perceive and relate to reintroduced species, and on processes of meaningful involvement in reintroduction projects. In 2026, he conceptualised and established ‘Renewed Coexistence’ as a branch of human-wildlife interaction understanding. This pertains to coexistence with reintroduced animals and emphasises the meaningful involvement of people as the animal transitions from an absent species, through reintroduction into a landscape shared with humans. The concept advances the field with a futures-oriented reframing of reintroductions, toward fostering future sustainable human-wildlife relationships. This draws particular emphasis upon the period of Transition between reintroduction and coexistence with the species as local fauna.

His portfolio is now expanding within the field of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in the water environment - a CREWW area of expertise - with emphasis on nature-led approaches. Furthering ideas developed from work exploring perspectives on beavers in natural flood management, he joint-lead-authored a text in 2025 that conceptualises a spectrum of NbS between those newly defined as 'Human-' and 'Nature-led', the latter being those in which space is given for natural processes to function and self-maintain. Roger is now leading a social research package for a NERC-funded project looking into the role of large wood in rivers. He has also led an EU Interreg project work package to develop a framework for the engagement of publics and interest-holders in landscape-scale Nature-led NbS for climate adaptation, learning from twinned coastal adaptation projects in the UK and France.

Roger was contributing member on the Science & Evidence Forum for the nationally significant River Otter Beaver Trial, as the lead on social science and co-author of the Science & Evidence Report. He participates in the People and Conservation Translocation Network of academics and practitioners.

Roger enjoys outdoor swimming.