Using eDNA to Save the Planet’s Biodiversity with Kat Bruce

Kat Bruce is the Founder and Director of NatureMetrics, one of the global pioneers in the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) for large-scale biodiversity assessment and data creation. We delve into Kat's journey from uncertainty after leaving Oxford University, to finding her purpose in contributing to a world where we no longer plunder our long term wealth for the sake of short term material wealth. 

We discuss:

• Finding your purpose.
• Challenges of solo entrepreneurship.
• The dependence of business and the economy on nature.
• The importance of nature in meeting the Paris Agreement climate targets.
• The rapid movement of emerging policies for nature.
• The lack of existing large data sets for environmental DNA and the potential to change that rapidly.
• The paradox of working with heavy impact industries and polluters for good.

Chapters:

01:18 Meet Kat Bruce — Founder of Nature Metrics and Biodiversity Trailblazer

02:38 What Drives Kat Bruce: Purpose, Passion, and Early Influences

04:12 From Studying Classics to the Amazon Rainforest: Kat’s Unlikely Path

09:46 How Nature Metrics Began — Turning Science into Scalable Impact

14:21 Building a Mission-Driven Business: Wins, Setbacks & Lessons Learned

20:53 What Is Environmental DNA — And Why Biodiversity Depends on It

26:23 How Tech Is Transforming Biodiversity Monitoring

29:01 New Tools for Tracking Nature’s Decline in Real Time

29:51 Collaborating With Stakeholders — Solving the Science-Trust Gap

31:38 Why Data Transparency Builds Trust in Conservation

33:17 Real-World Case Studies: Nature Metrics in Action

34:32 Biodiversity Credits: What They Are & Why They’re Evolving Fast

37:15 Balancing Business Growth With Environmental Responsibility

40:31 Scaling Nature Metrics: Vision, Growth, and What’s Next

46:14 The GB Row Challenge — Collecting Data While Crossing an Ocean

53:16 Advice for the Next Generation: Follow What Matters

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