Overview
I am a PhD candidate with an undergraduate degree in Social Anthropology from University of Edinburgh and a Masters in Research Methods from Cardiff University. I am interested in nature-society relations and the societal and cultural responses to changes in our 'natural' spaces. In particular, my PhD research focuses on the responses to tree diseases and the UK's changing treescapes.
Research
Tree Pests and Diseases:
My ESRC-funded PhD focuses tree pests and diseases and the conservation efforts responding to disease outbreaks. In particular, my research focuses on Dutch Elm Disease (DED) and Ash Dieback (ADB) and the conservation efforts that aim to protect and restore UK's treescapes from these diseases.
Urban Orchards:
My Masters research focused on the community groups across London are reversing the loss of the city's historic orchards by planting new collections of fruit trees. It sought to understand why these sites are important, the processes by which they are made valuable, and how this could change in the future. This project questioned what plant autonomy is in these sites, and how it acts in close relation to human intention. Additionally, it investigated how fruit trees are valued as heritage objects and native species - and how these values are reworked in the face of climate change.