Life and work

Peay is an alumna of Edinburgh University and Hull University. She is a Member of the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management

Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management

The Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management is the professional body which represents and supports ecologists and environmental managers, mainly in the United Kingdom but increasingly in Ireland and Europe, and the rest of the world....

 and a Chartered Environmentalist

Chartered Environmentalist

The status of Chartered Environmentalist is a professional qualification that is awarded by the Society for the Environment , a UK professional institution whose members are a number of well-respected and established professional institutions across the environmental sector...

.

In her early professional career, in 1984, she compiled the first draft of the ancient woodland inventory for West Sussex

West Sussex

West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...

.

After working for the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group she worked for Cobham Resource Consultants, later part of the Scott Wilson Group

Scott Wilson Group

Scott Wilson Group plc, with over 5,500 members of staff, is a global integrated design and engineering consultancy for the built and natural environments...

, as an ecological consultant, where her interests in the white clawed crayfish, Austropotamobius pallipes and signal crayfish

Signal crayfish

The signal crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus, is a North American species of crayfish. It was introduced to Europe in the 1960s to supplement the Scandinavian Astacus astacus fisheries, which were being damaged by crayfish plague, but the imports turned out to be a carrier of that disease...

, Pacifastacus leniusculus began.

As an independent crayfish researcher her research has concentrated on the protection of the UK native white clawed crayfish and restricting the invasion of the alien signal crayfish.

Peay is a leading proponent of crayfish conservation and management in Britain and has produced much of the guidance on crayfish used by British ecologists and managers on survey and monitoring methods, restoration of habitat, mitigation during works on waterbodies, and, latterly, on “ark sites" to safeguard white-clawed crayfish. She also provides advice and training for organisations such as the Wildlife Trusts, Environment Agency

Environment Agency

The Environment Agency is a British non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government that serves England and Wales.-Purpose:...

, Scottish Natural Heritage

Scottish Natural Heritage

Scottish Natural Heritage is a Scottish public body. It is responsible for Scotland's natural heritage, especially its natural, genetic and scenic diversity. It advises the Scottish Government and acts as a government agent in the delivery of conservation designations, i.e...

, BBC

BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

 and others.

As invading signal crayfish are a major threat to native crayfish, both in Britain and in Europe, Peay has studied the effects of signal crayfish on white clawed crayfish and their environment, particularly on native fish stocks, and has researched control and eradication methods.

She represents the Wildlife Trusts on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan Steering Group for white clawed crayfish, is a board member of the International Association of Astacology and has contributed to the European CRAYNET programme.

In her employment with the Scott Wilson Group

Scott Wilson Group

Scott Wilson Group plc, with over 5,500 members of staff, is a global integrated design and engineering consultancy for the built and natural environments...

, Peay has considerable experience of ecological surveys, ecological assessment and management in a range of habitats in the UK on many types of projects, notably in water resources development roads and airports.

She is also a visiting lecturer and postgraduate student at Leeds University.