Andrew S. Pullin is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Biosciences at the University of Birmingham, where he has been teaching Environmental Biology, Ecology and Conservation Biology for a number of years. His research interests include the ecology and conservation of invertebrates, the assessment of biodiversity at species and genetic levels, and the relationship between conservation science and practice. His work has taken him to many exotic locations, including the tropics and the Antarctic, where he has obtained first hand experience of a wide range of conservation problems. In addition to his academic work, he is also involved in the practical aspects of conservation, and serves on the council of several non-governmental conservation organisations. He is involved in the implementation of several species and habitat actions plans, placing him in an excellent position to consider the relationship between conservation problems, conservation science and conservation action. Andrew is the editor of Ecology and Conservation of Butterflies (1994) and the Journal of Insect Conservation.