About
Heathland Advisory is an independent consultancy specializing in technical advisory for nature-based climate and biodiversity projects. We support organizations seeking clear, evidence-based insight into carbon integrity, ecological outcomes, and community impact across a range of land-based interventions.
Our work focuses primarily on terrestrial and forestry systems, including conservation, reforestation and afforestation, agroforestry, and landscape restoration. We advise across key dimensions of quality and risk, including additionality, baseline setting, permanence, leakage, governance, biodiversity outcomes, and the credibility of community benefit frameworks. Our approach recognises that nature-based solutions are complex, context-specific systems, and that credible outcomes depend on robust design, transparent assumptions, and long-term stewardship.
Heathland Advisory undertakes dedicated biodiversity assessments to evaluate the credibility, additionality, and long-term viability of biodiversity outcomes. Our work focuses on habitat condition, species relevance, landscape context, and the robustness of biodiversity monitoring and management plans. We assess whether biodiversity objectives are clearly defined, ecologically appropriate, and supported by fit-for-purpose indicators, baselines, and monitoring frameworks, with attention to how outcomes are maintained over time and integrated into project governance.
While our work is grounded first and foremost in ecology and land-use science, our analytical approach is informed by experience working with quantitative environmental data and laboratory-based evidence, including exposure to geochemical and isotope-based methods used to interrogate carbon systems and material provenance.
At Heathland Advisory, independence and scientific integrity are central to our work. We prioritise clarity over complexity, evidence over assumptions, and long-term ecological realism over optimistic projections. Our role is to support informed decision-making by providing defensible, standards-aware assessments that reflect how nature-based projects perform in practice.
Who We Are
Hello!
Heathland Advisory is led by Dr. Maren Burrows, a natural scientist with expertise in forest ecology, climatology, and the technical assessment of nature-based climate and biodiversity projects.
Maren’s work focuses on terrestrial and forestry systems, including conservation, reforestation and afforestation, agroforestry, and landscape restoration. She brings particular depth in evaluating biodiversity integrity and community considerations alongside carbon outcomes, including habitat relevance, monitoring frameworks, and the practical implementation of community engagement and benefit-sharing mechanisms.
Her advisory experience spans multiple geographies and standards frameworks, with a focus on examining project design, ecological assumptions, monitoring systems, and long-term performance. She emphasises ecological realism, transparency of assumptions, and alignment between stated objectives and on-the-ground outcomes.
Alongside her ecological and climate expertise, Maren has professional experience working with ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratory environments. This background informs a disciplined, evidence-based approach to project evaluation, with attention to data quality, traceability, and uncertainty.
Through Heathland Advisory, Maren provides independent, science-driven advisory support that integrates climate science, ecology, biodiversity, and community considerations to inform responsible decision-making in nature-based projects.
Contact us
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