During her BSc at the University of Sheffield, Catherine undertook fieldwork in the Norfolk Broads, where she developed an interest in freshwater ecology, and in Abisko, Swedish Lapland, where she gained an understanding of Arctic ecosystems.
After completing her BSc, she spent the next 3 years living in Spain. She spent just short of a year as a reserve warden with a European Voluntary Service grant on a SEO/BirdLife nature reserve in the Ebro Delta, Catalonia. Her work involved water quality monitoring and involvement in the eradication campaign of the invasive species the apple snail (Pomacea insularum) along with other tasks.
This was followed by undertaking her Masters in Madrid, which allowed her to develop skills in cartography and GIS and to develop her knowledge of freshwater ecosystems in the Iberian Peninsula and in Latin America.
Upon completing her Masters, Catherine went on to spend 6 months on a placement funded by a Leonardo Da Vinci grant at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia organizing a 2 week Erasmus Intensive seminar for Masters and PhD level students and professors from Europe, Asia and North Africa.
She has also spent time in Latin America. This includes a 6 week period volunteering for an NGO that works alongside fishing cooperatives for the sustainable use of river and wetland resources in Northeast Argentina, and a 2 week period volunteering at an animal sanctuary in the Ecuadorian Andes.