About Me

My name is Emily Mensink. Born in the year 2000 in the Netherlands, my passion for nature began at a young age. My father took me out into nature on a little Shetland pony named Beauty. From those adventures, a deep fascination with nature and its inhabitants took root. My hobbies include spending time with my horses, reading, and enjoying the outdoors.

In 2016, I embarked on my academic journey by studying Wildlife Management at Yuverta. This foundation led me to pursue a Bachelor’s in Applied Ecology at HAS Green Academy in ’s-Hertogenbosch. I graduated as an ecologist in February 2025.

During my studies at HAS, I specialized in the ecology of small mustelids and large carnivores across Europe. Beyond my coursework—which featured projects in soil research and a graduation project on floodplain forests and climate change—I completed two independent research projects. My first focused on ecological pest control using polecats. The second investigated the interactions between wolves and golden jackals in northern Italy, where I monitored wolves, otters, and bears.

Since 2017, I have volunteered in mammal monitoring and currently serve on the board of the Small Mustelid Working Group of the Dutch Mammal Society. In this role, I train volunteers in wildlife camera research and regularly give lectures about small mustelids.

This blog is my way of staying current with the latest insights in ecology, research, and especially mammal monitoring. To keep my network relevant, I regularly attend conferences and symposia.

Ecology Addict originated in my aspirations to start my own ecology company. Since I graduated, another challenge has emerged and my company will have to wait. I still wanted to keep being involved in research and that is how this blog came about. Through my writing here, I hope to share my knowledge and experiences with everyone who finds these topics as fascinating as I do.