We would like to say a big thank you and goodbye to the 2022/2023 editors Aedín McAdams and Luke Quill. Throughout the year they have provided a wide variety of posts including saying goodbye to Prof. Celia Holland and the annual 2023 Botany-Zoology Postgraduate Symposium. They were also responsible for the revival of the annual Photo Competition, which we will continue next year! We want to wish them both the best of luck and hopefully they will keep us updated with their works in future blog posts.
But now it’s time to introduce ourselves to you – hello, it’s Josua and Niamh here – the new editorial team for 2023/2024! We are super excited to be a part of this blog and we are looking forward to bringing you the latest research, ideas, opinions, and advice from Trinity’s EcoEvo contributors and to keep making this blog a centre of science and innovation.
Niamh
Hi there, I’m Niamh Mc Cartan a Dublin native, and a 3rd year PhD student in the Sick Water Flea Lab led by Dr. Pepijn Luijckx. I graduated from Zoology here in Trinity in 2019 (went to Queen’s University Belfast for a 1-year MSc in parasitology and pathogen biology) and then returned to Zoology where I have been studying disease and climate change since 2021. I am particularly interested in looking at how extreme temperature variation (heatwaves and cold snaps) affect disease using the model organism Daphnia magna and its parasite Ordospora colligata. In my free time I love reading and knitting, and the pub with friends!
Josua
Hi everyone, I am Josua (he/him). I started my PhD in the Botany Department, TCD in January 2023. I work with Prof. Silvia Caldararu on modelling carbon dynamics in grasslands within QUINCY, a land surface model. Before coming to Ireland, I did a Master’s at Umeå University, Sweden where I studied Earth Sciences with a focus on biogeochemistry. In my free time I love hiking and camping!
If you have any questions or ideas about a blog, please feel free to get onto us via Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or email (ecoevoblog@gmail.com).
After another year, the wait for the 2023 Postgraduate Symposium was finally over and this one most definitely lived up to its expectations! As always, these two days provided us with fascinating insight into the PhD projects across Botany and Zoology. The range of captivating topics really drove home how we are a school of explorers; with projects working on the microscopic scale right up to climate systems, from the colonisation of land to novel taxonomic discoveries and everything in between. It was a pleasure to sit back and enjoy the amazing work being done by our PhDs.
The symposium kicked off with a bang, or rather a talk on the explosion of plant diversity in the Devonian, from our first plenary speaker, Dr. Sandy Hetherington. Visiting from the University of Edinburgh, Sandy is an evolutionary palaeobotanist. His research team, the Molecular Palaeobotany and Evolution Group, is taking an interdisciplinary approach to characterising the origin and evolution of key land plant innovations.
Our first plenary speaker, Dr. Sandy Hetherington, kicks off the 2023 Postgraduate Symposium with his talk about plant evolution and recent advancements in the palaeobotanical world.
Dr. Hetherington gave us insight into the prehistoric botanical world, providing an overview of the colonisation of land and dynamic radiation of plants. He also describes the recent work by his team that looked at primitive rooting systems in the Rhynie chert, a sedimentary deposit that preserved Devonian plants in extraordinary detail. Using successive cross-sectional slides of the rhizoids of Asteroxylon mackiei, his team were able to produce a 3D model of the subterranean axes of this plant, providing an accurate visualisation of an early rooting system.
I was thoroughly impressed with the level of detail and the presenting skills of the cohort, but four talks in particular stood out above the rest:
Charlotte Morgan grabbed the prize for the best five minute presentation. Her talk on herbicide resistance in critical grass species was succinct and well organised. It was clear that Charlotte had hit the ground running, having generated and processed a wealth of data despite having started her PhD in Teagasc a mere six months ago. Charlotte’s work focuses on determining the genetic and biochemical basis of herbicide resistance, in particular for black-grass, through a range of resistance surveys as well as greenhouse and laboratory analyses with the aim of designing robust weed management strategies to combat herbicide resistance in Irish agriculture. Definitely one to watch out for in years to come!
Charlotte Morgan’s presentation on herbicide resistance in grasslands.
Clinton Haarlem was voted by the audience for the best presentation for his engaging and interesting talk on variation in visual temporal processing. Clinton is investigating how and if people experience the world differently as a result of variation in visual perception speed. Using staff and students as his study group, the data from this research has already produced interesting and surprising results. Clinton is still accepting applicants if you would like to get involved in this study!
Clinton Haarlem’s talk on the differences in visual perception speed among people.
Aedín McAdams took home the prize for the best 10 minute talk for her excellent presentation of habitat rehabilitation for the introduction of Vertigo geyeri. Proficiently organised and delivered, Aedín showed us that she knew this project inside out. Her research documents a hydrologically sensitive relic snail species that is under threat due to human impact. The project looks at the efficacy of the mitigation measure that has been put in place by Uisce Éireann to restore the fen habitat in Lough Talt, Co. Sligo.
Aedín McAdams presenting her research on the the rehabilitation of Lough Talt for Vertigo geyeri.
Last but not least, the prize for the best overall presentation went to the first year PhD student, Ian Clancy. An outstanding and informative talk, one of the only complaints Ian received was his timing, technically going overtime by about 40 minutes as a consequence of both technical issues and an ensuing fire alarm! Ian’s research investigates the carbon and GHG dynamics of organic soils under grassland management and its impact on CO2 and CH4 emissions. This work aims to help understand the drivers of carbon losses, their relative impacts and will quantify how rewetting changes in water table and management can reduce carbon losses. Despite the obstacles facing him, Ian delivered a phenomenal presentation that deserved to take home the top prize.
Ian Clancy getting started on his presentation after an array of technical difficulties and fire alarms.
The symposium drew to a close with our final plenary speaker, Dr. Aidan O’Hanlon, a curator of the Natural History Museum of Ireland. Aidan is an entomologist that is currently performing a taxonomic investigation of Ireland’s endemic subspecies, mapping the distribution of multiple insect groups and working towards IUCN Red Lists and risk assessments for economically and medically important insects. His talk gave us a fascinating insight into the inner workings of the Natural History Museum, the rich scientific heritage of Ireland and the collection that can be found there.
Our final plenary speaker, Dr. Aidan O’Hanlon’s presenting his talk on the collections at the Natural History Museum.
This Postgraduate Symposium was undeniably a huge success, and I learned so much over the course of the two days. It also gave us the opportunity to catch up with (nearly) everyone in Botany and Zoology, which so rarely happens with how busy we all are! The future is definitely bright for this group, with such interesting projects being driven by clearly passionate and engaging researchers. The confidence that everyone showed was impressive, as we all know how nerve-wracking but rewarding it can be to give a talk on your project.
On that note, we would like to give our thanks and congratulations to all of the presenters and also to our wonderful plenary speakers that made this year’s Postgraduate Symposium truly special. I for one, cannot wait to see what the future holds for these projects. Last, but most certainly not least we would like to give a massive thank you to the organising committee who, despite a host of technical difficulties and fire alarms, did an excellent job of provided us with an amazing Symposium.
The committee that did an great job of organising this year’s Postgraduate Symposium. Pictured from left to right; Bea Jackson, (Plenary speakers Dr. Sandy Hetherington & Dr. Aidan O’Hanlon), Grace Morris, Whitney Parker, Jie Huang, Thibault Durieux & Frank Spellman.
If you have any news or research that you’d like to write about, don’t hesitate to reach out to us via email, Twitter, Instagram or Facebook!
As we welcome in the New Year, we want to take the time to bid farewell to Prof. Celia Holland who retired in October 2022 from the Zoology Department. I believe I speak for everyone in Zoology and Trinity who’ve had the great pleasure of meeting Celia, that she will be a huge loss to the department. She has acted as Head of School, Head of Discipline, Director of Research, and Chair of the School of Natural Sciences Athena Swan Self-Assessment Team to name a few.
Celia on fieldwork collecting specimens
Celia started her teaching journey in the Zoology Department in 1985, following an exuberating Post-Doc in Panama, where her passion for the epidemiology of globally significant but neglected helminths, such as Ascaris, developed. Although she was one of the “new kids on the block” and one of very few females in a male dominated department, she was quick to make her mark and let the world know her presence. Celia was quick to fix the muddled teaching schedule, by rightly advocating for herself to be lecturer of parasitology and pre-med, which was previously taught by a limnologist. Not only did this strengthen the parasitology course, it was also the start of a long and fruitful relationship with the medical department in TCD, starting Celia’s so called “double life”. Her work on an astonishing diversity of parasites and their hosts crossing multiple disciplines, has improved human health and increased our understanding of parasites and their effects.
Anyone who has had the great pleasure to interact or work with Celia will know her as a calm, reassuring presence. Her delightful demeanor and passion could draw you into the world of parasites, making you question whether you should continue to eat pork or spaghetti, while simultaneously spurring up a profound desire to delve deeper into parasitology, converting (or even infecting) many students. This impact, her vast knowledge and expertise, along with her belief that “you are only as good as your last lecture”, unsurprisingly granted Celia with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Provost’s Teaching Award 2018 – 2019.
Celia, center, receiving the Provost’s Teaching Award. Other recipients, from left to right: Prof’s Conor McGinn, Helen Sheridan, Celia Holland, Tara Mitchell and Provost Prendergast
Celia has not only had a huge impact on the college community and the people she met, but has also significantly impacted the global community with her research, which took place around the globe. Celia has worked on a multitude of parasites and their hosts over the years. She has studied parasites affecting Irish school children, raising awareness of the symptoms and impacts of toxocaral eye disease, a treatable and preventable disease caused by Toxocara. Toxocariasis, a zoonotic infection, has huge impacts on human health around the globe. She also highlighted the importance of targeting Trichuris trichiura, a whipworm that can infect over 90% of children in the tropics and subtropics, causing major impacts on health and quality of life. Celia demonstrated the importance of treating children and girls in particular, as adolescent girls have higher iron requirements due to menstruation, pregnancy & breast feeding. Most notably, Celia worked on one of the most prevalent and simultaneously under-researched Neglected Tropical Diseases Ascaris, a helminth parasite of humans and animals. She worked on both Ascaris lumbricoides (human parasite) and Ascaris suum (pig parasite). Ascaris lumbricoides has been described as the ultimate Neglected Tropical Disease, both because of its impact on child health and the general lack of awareness around it. This work culminated when Celia published “Ascaris: the neglected parasite” in 2014. The book “provides a blueprint of how a single parasite can stimulate interest in basic biology, clinical science, veterinary science, public health and epidemiology”. Her dedication to understanding and investigating parasites and their impacts, has led to her being an Invited Expert on the WHO Advisory Panel on Parasitic Diseases and a member of the WHO Guideline Development Group (GDG) – deworming, in 2016, a Member of the WHO Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Expert Elicitation in 2014 and an Editor of the Cambridge Journal Parasitology 2011-2019. Celia has a remarkable repertoire of awards, recognitions and representations, befitting a woman of her caliber and dedication.
There are very few retiring researchers who get a glowing endorsement of their contribution to this world from a Nobel Laureate, however, Celia is no ordinary person. Professor William C. Campbell writes:
“I write to congratulate you and to wish you all the best on your retirement. You have had an outstanding career. Your classroom listeners, your research students, your academic colleagues and your research collaborators have benefited enormously from your knowledge of zoology, and especially from your expertise and insights in the field of parasitology. Indeed the broader field of epidemiology has benefited from your pioneering field-work… Countless students and other readers of your papers and books have similarly been beneficiaries. Your ability to assess, extract and organize mountains of facts, and to synthesize coherent conclusions, has been extraordinary. (When you were in AmericaI I was fortunate to hear one of your lectures on ascariasis.) Your magnificent contribution to science will endure. Again, congratulations — and best wishes for a rewarding and happy retirement.”
Celia with Prof. William C. Campbell
Once again, we would like to wish Celia all the very best in her retirement as she travels the world, sharing her light to everyone fortunate enough to meet her. I also want to thank all her colleagues and friends for their wonderful stories during Celia’s retirement party and contributions to this post.
We can’t thank our editors from the 2021/2022 year enough for their fantastic contribution to the EcoEvo Blog – Lucy Harding, Grace McNicholas and Richa Marwaha. We wish them all the best of luck in their research and hope to hear from them again soon!
The team produced a series of excellent blog posts, including an insight into the evolutionary divergence of Wallacea’s monarch flycatchers, restoration of biodiversity in Irish farmlands and a plethora of scientific podcasts that can be enjoyed by all. While we say goodbye to these three fabulous editors, we would also like to take the time to bid farewell to Prof. Celia Holland who retired this year from the Zoology Department. I believe I speak for everyone in Zoology and Trinity who’ve had the great pleasure of meeting Celia, that she will be a huge loss to the department. She has acted as Head of School, Head of Discipline, Director of Research, Chair of the School of Natural Sciences Athena Swan Self-Assessment Team and received the Provost’s Teaching Award for LIfetime Achievement in 2019. Celia has not only had a huge impact on the college community and the people she met, but has also significantly impacted the global community with her research on the parasitic worm ascaris – one of the major Neglected Tropical Diseases – which infects over a million people world-wide. Her dedication to understanding and investigating this disease has led to her being elected to Membership of the Royal Irish Academy and Fellowship of Trinity, an Invited Expert on the WHO Advisory Panel on Parasitic Diseases and a member of the WHO Guideline Development Group. We would like to wish Celia all the very best in her retirement as she travels the world, sharing her light to everyone fortunate enough to meet her.
We once again give Lucy, Grace and Richa our best and without further ado, let us introduce ourselves as the editorial team for the 2022/2023 year – Luke Quill and Aedín Mc Adams. We’re both thrilled to be a part of this project and are looking forward to bringing you new and exciting content each month from students and researchers alike. So, let’s get started on the introductions!
Luke
Hi everyone, my name is Luke (he/him). I recently started a PhD here in the Botany Department in TCD. A few of you may recognise me as I haven’t ventured too far from this place, having completed my undergrad in Botany last year! My main research interests are fungi and sustainable agriculture. I’m currently working with Professor Carla Harper on the use of mycorrhizal fungi and their associated plants to recover and recycle nutrient runoff from farms. This project is part of the NuReCycle Program which aims to protect the water quality of our vulnerable waterways here in Ireland.
As you might guess, I love hiking and foraging for all kinds of mushrooms so if you’re ever thinking of going for a stroll in the Dublin or Wicklow mountains give me a shout!
Aedín
Hello everyone, my name is Aedín (she/her). I am a first year research masters student in the Buckley Lab. I am currently investigating the efficacy of irrigation on the restoration of fen habitats for the reintroduction of the rare Geyer’s whorl snail Vertigo geyeri. This project is the first IROPI (Imperative Reasons of Overriding Public Interest) project approved in Ireland granted under the Habitats Directive. I completed my undergraduate here in the Zoology Department after first completing a year on the Trinity Access Foundation Course. My passions, which not only lie in conservation and nature, but also in access to education, lead me to volunteering in the mountains of Mexico for 3 months on an ethnobiological farm, rehabilitating the land, an opossum and building upon relationships with the community. I love to experience and learn new things, so I’m very excited to develop my blogging skills and learning about your ideas and research further!
Updates:
Along with the new editors, the EcoEvo blog is in need of a fresh makeover. Do you know what this means?….
The annual EcoEvo photo competition is back!! Some of you may know what this entails, but to our new readers, this is a time for you to show off your photography skills. The photo competition is where you can submit a photo you’ve taken, which will then be voted upon by our readers and will replace the current image on our banner and social media. More information and details will be in our November post, so keep your eyes peeled.
Until then, keep your cameras at the ready, and as always, keep an eye out for each other. With the days getting shorter and darker, we need to remind ourselves to be kind to ourselves and to reach out for support should we need it.
If you have any questions or ideas about a blog, please feel free to get onto us via Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or email (ecoevoblog@gmail.com).
We’re back with the last instalment of our two-part series showcasing the wonderful world of science podcasts. If the below list isn’t enough for you, don’t forget to check out Part 1 if you missed it!
General Science
This one is pretty self-explanatory! If you want to widen your knowledge of science to new topics, whether to argue with your uncle at Christmas dinner or to ace those pub quizzes you go to every week with your mates, these podcasts are for you!
The Science Hour is a podcast by the BBC World service and is filled with recent science news as well as segments that explore topics asked by listeners that are then dissected by the team. This is a great one for keeping on top of scientific news around the world, but also feels more like a radio show than a podcast. Perfect for long drives or times when you might want something a bit more formal and easy to listen to.
Eons: Mysteries of Deep Time– This podcast is produced by PBS as a compliment to their popular Youtube series “PBS Eons” and delves into everything palaeontology and deep-time. From the history of famous fossils, to questions like “what was the first dinosaur?”. This podcast has only recently started up but is well made with beautiful and immersive audioscapes and is ideal for dinosaur kids who never grew up and those of us who marvel at the sheer breadth of geological time and how we can peer back through it via some old, dusty chunks of rock.
Unexplainableis a science show about everything we don’t know. Host Noam Hassenfeld is joined by an array of experts and Vox reporters each week to look at the most fascinating unanswered questions in science and the mind-bending ways scientists are trying to answer them.
Rethink talks – From pandemics to production supply chains: how do we make sense of the complex world we live in? Every month, Rethink Talks brings together the best thinkers and practitioners within resilience thinking and sustainability science, to discuss how we can achieve a sustainable planet that enables well-being for all, and provides you with the latest science on global development.
Further Research needed– A podcast on science from scientists where they ask those seemingly straight forward questions that don’t have such straight forward answers. Each episode takes a tongue in cheek look at current research and research practises whilst lifting the veil on what is scientific truth.
This Week in Virology is a weekly netcast about viruses – the kind that make you sick. Professors Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler and science writer Alan Dove and guests deconstruct viruses, how they cause illness, and dissect the latest research.
Climate crisis, climate justice and climate solutions
The climate crisis is scary and overwhelming, but it need not be hopeless! Here are a few podcasts that have left us feeling motivated and engaged in the search for solutions and understanding of the biggest challenge our planet faces today.
Outrage + Optimism– Face the climate crisis head on, but understand that we have the power to solve this. From former UN Chief Christiana Figueres and the team who brought you the Paris Agreement, this podcast about issues and politics will inform you, inspire you and help you realise that this is the most exciting time in history to be alive.
Hot Take is a holistic, irreverent, honest look at the climate crisis and all the ways media and society are talking—and not talking—about it. Hosted by real-life friends Mary Annaïse Heglar and Amy Westervelt—an essayist and a journalist— Hot Take offers a unique perspective on the issue of climate change.
How to Save The Planet – This podcast series by Friends of the Earth brings you inspiring stories from the frontlines of the climate movement, frank discussion of the issues and solutions at play and takes a look at how anyone can have an impact.
A Matter of Degrees– Join Dr. Leah Stokes and Dr. Katharine Wilkinson as they tell stories about the powerful forces behind climate change — and the tools we have to fix it. This show is for the climate curious people who know climate change is a problem, but are trying to figure out how to tackle it.
People in Science
Science isn’t just diverse in the topics in covers but also in the people who study them. Here are some podcasts that aim to increase representation and visibility of all scientists or help you find the right career in science.
Sidenote by AsapSCIENCE– From their Youtube channel with 10 Million+ subscribers, each week Greg and Mitch discuss a different science topic and give fun facts they learned while researching for their Youtube videos. Filled with tangents and anecdotes and interspersed with queer references and commentary on the what its like to be a queer person in STEM and Science communication, this casual podcast is great for winding down and relaxing while also geeking out about science in an LGBTQ+ friendly space.
Working Scientist is the Nature Careers podcast and is a regular show featuring advice and information from global industry experts with a strong focus on supporting early career researchers working in academia and other sectors.
Zoology
These podcasts are for those who want to learn more about the wonderful world of animals. Fill your brain with facts from land and sea creatures, big and small.
This Podcast Will Kill You– Erin Welsh and Erin Allmann Updyke are disease ecologists and epidemiologists that host this podcast. Each episode they feature a disease or illness, cover its history, biology, and current status. They provide an insight into the complex placement of disease within our ecosystems and why “One Health” approaches that intersect our often overlapping social, economical, and ecological interests can provide for better health outcomes. From the history of vaccines, antibiotic resistance, complex parasite life-cycles, virus evolution, and historical outbreaks that changed the course of human history, this podcast gives a good all rounded view of the role disease plays in the story of life on earth.
The Whole Tooth – Hosted by Dr Isla Hodgson, every episode takes a deep dive into a question sent in by a listener with the help of shark scientists and conservationists from all over the world. How do sharks take naps? Why do sharks glow in the dark? Can great whites REALLY smell blood from miles away? How do I become a marine scientist? This podcast is on a mission to communicate facts, debunk myths, and give you the tooth – and nothing but the truth! – on sharks, rays and everything ocean.
Botany
On the Ledge – Jane Perrone hosts this House plant podcast, and her dulcet tones are perfect for those stressed out because their ficus is dropping its leaves or their peace lily is wilting. While still very accessible, Jane will dip her toes into the plant science behind our favourite house plants, as well as troubleshoot issues from listeners, and interview various plant influencers, botanic garden curators, and plant society presidents. This is a great podcast for those who would like to green their life but feel intimidated by the jungles they see on instagram.
Plant Daddy Podcast – Stephen and Matthew get together to highlight a houseplant, discuss a plant trend, or interview experts on anything and everything related to keeping houseplants. With great attention to detail and accuracy, and highlighting niche plants that may often be overlooked, this podcast is great for those who might already have a bit of experience with keeping a few plants and are ready to delve a little deeper. With each host having their own style and preference for plant care, it is a great listen for those who want to branch out a little and find some cool new planty recommendations!
Completely Arbortrary – Every week on this slightly rambly podcast, two friends chat about a different tree species and what makes it interesting or special. With one host tree-obsessed, and the other coming in without much tree knowledge, this podcast is great for anyone interested in learning more about trees in a fun and casual fashion!
The world is full of really great and educational podcasts, this is by no means a complete list but hopefully you’ll find something you enjoy! Think we’re missing an unmissable podcast or want to let us know what you thought of our recommendations? Drop us a comment on social media! What recommendations would you like to get next?
Thanks again to 4th Year Zoology PhD student Jenny Bortoluzzi & 2nd Year Zoology PhD student Simon Bensonfor putting this list together!
The start of term is here and with it you may be back from field work and starting to commute to campus again, or perhaps you are looking for an escape from those busy term-time work days, or maybe you are already a veteran podcast listener? Either way we’ve got you covered. We asked our PhD researchers what podcasts they like to listen to to stay informed on all topics science, zoology, botany, climate and more! Check their recommendations out below and before you go saying we don’t have a life outside of work, they also gave us their guilty pleasures at the bottom of the post.
This is the first of a two-part series, so be sure to come back next week for even more recommendations!
General Science
This one is pretty self-explanatory! If you want to widen your knowledge of science to new topics, whether to argue with your uncle at Christmas dinner or to ace those pub quizzes you go to every week with your mates, these podcasts are for you!
Stuff you should know is a podcast which educates listeners on a wide variety of topics, often using popular culture as a reference, giving the podcast comedic value. It covers scientific topics from supernovae to rewilding but also history, politics, true crime and more. No need to worry about listening in order, each episode is a standalone!
Science Vs is a pod which takes on fads, trends, and the opinionated mob to find out what’s fact, what’s not, and what’s somewhere in between. Wondering whether you should drink detox teas like an insta-celeb, or believe your drunk uncle’s rant about gun control? Science Vs has an ep for that. Episode highlight: “SHARKS!!! Sink Your Teeth in Again” and “Climate Change… the Apocalypse?”
Ologies is a weekly science podcast hosted by Alie Ward. Each week, Ward talks with a different “ologist” from various scientific fields. The show’s tagline is “Ask smart people stupid questions”.
SciShow Tangentsis the lightly competitive knowledge showcase from the geniuses behind the YouTube series SciShow. Every Tuesday, join Hank Green, Ceri Riley, and Sam Schultz as they try to one-up and amaze each other with weird and funny scientific research… while not getting distracted. There will be tangents about video games, music, weird smells, surprisingly deep insights about life, and of course, poop, but it always comes back to the science.
Genetics Unzipped is produced in association with The Genetics Society, and each week they bring you a new episode relating to genomics, genes, and everything related to DNA and/or RNA. Does genetics influence your personality? How can we test sewage for COVID DNA? How can we use ancient DNA to tell us more about modern species (including us)? Covering a broad range of topics and their intersection with genetics, this podcast is great for anyone who thinks genetics is cool, but might not be ready to delve into the nitty-gritty details and dusty old textbooks.
Climate crisis, climate justice and climate solutions
The climate crisis is scary and overwhelming, but it need not be hopeless! Here are a few podcasts that have left us feeling motivated and engaged in the search for solutions and understanding of the biggest challenge our planet faces today.
How to Save a Planet: Climate change. We know. It can feel too overwhelming. But what if there was a show about climate change that left you feeling… energised? One so filled with possibility that you actually wanted to listen? Join journalist Alex Blumberg and a crew of climate nerds, as they bring you smart, inspiring stories about the mess we’re in and how we can get ourselves out of it. How to Save a Planet is a really engaging podcast that focuses on climate solutions and those who are at the heart of them. It challenges preconceptions and makes complex topics understandable and accessible.
Drilled is a true-crime style podcast about climate change. The show was launched in 2017 and is hosted by investigative journalist Amy Westervelt who offers seasons long examinations of the origins of climate denial, workers who are suffering the impacts of climate change, fossil fuel propaganda and much much more.
The Yikes Podcast: There’s a lot to make us Yikes in this world. From the climate crisis to racism to activism and resisting oppressive systems, it can call get a bit overwhelming. The Yikes Podcast is a podcast hosted by two climate justice activists, Mikaela Loach and Josephine Becker, which leans into the Yikes of the world rather than letting it overwhelm us. They breakdown the issues in an accessible and nuanced way to guide us towards action together. Episode highlight: “What is Climate Justice?”
People in Science
Science isn’t just diverse in the topics in covers but also in the people who study them. Here are some podcasts that aim to increase representation and visibility of all scientists or help you find the right career in science.
LGBTQ+ Stem Cast is a podcast that features LGBTQ+ scientists from a variety of different fields in STEM. They discuss their research, upbringing, and how their passion for science started with an aim to expand the voices of LGBTQ+ scientists.
TCDSU Diversity in STEM is a TCDSU campaign aiming to highlight and support the range of backgrounds and identities in STEM. This podcast aims to be a discussion with individuals from under-represented groups about their experiences in STEM, their work and their views on how to make STEM more diverse and accessible.
Zoology
These podcasts are for those who want to learn more about the wonderful world of animals. Fill your brain with facts from land and sea creatures, big and small.
The Critter Shed: Of course, we couldn’t start this section without any other podcast than The Critter Shed, hosted by our very own Collie Ennis, science research associate at Trinity College Dublin. If you like learning about the weird and wonderful side of nature – about things like spider sex, venom-packing frogs, or mind-controlling parasites, and more – then this is the podcast for you!
Sharkpedia: Meghan and Amani are 2 shark researchers exploring sharks and their relatives! Get ready to jump in every-other-week to the world of sharks where Meghan and Amani break down the science with some of the legends in the field.
Botany
In Defense of Plants: Hosted by Matt Candeias, each episode he interviews someone working in research, conservation, or anything else remotely related to plants. This podcast is great for centering our flora for their own sake, rather than the benefit they can provide us as humans. From complex pollination biology involving 3 or more species, to broadscale restoration projects, to paleobotany, plant genomics, and urban ecology. This podcast will give you a great insight on how plants permeate our environment, their ecological significance, evolutionary history and maybe just cure a bit of your plant blindness!
Unearthed: Brought to you by Kew Garden’s botanist and ‘plant geek’ James Wong, Unearthed will take you on journey in this one-of-a kind docuseries looking at the science behind murder, trade, allergens and medicines. Learn about the illegal trafficking of rare species, how we identify dangerous poisons and how plants heal the human body through real-life human stories told through the expertise of Kew’s own scientists and horticulturists.
Our guilty pleasures…
A list of podcasts unrelated to our fields of study but that we enjoy listening to when our brains can’t take anymore serious science talk.
The Shit Show and Culture Vulture: Two podcasts created by the people behind the “Shit You Should Care About” Instagram account which cover current affairs and pop culture phenomena. If the news often feels overwhelming, listen to their kiwi voices to get your weekly rundowns in a balanced way!
Bad People: Murderers. Fraudsters. Internet trolls. This is a podcast about people who do terrible things, and the science of humanity’s dark side.
Imaginary Worlds is a podcast about science fiction, fantasy and other genres of speculative fiction hosted by Eric Molinsky.
You’re wrong about: Sarah is a journalist obsessed with the past. Every week she reconsiders a person or event that’s been miscast in the public imagination.
My Therapist Ghosted Meis the result of Joanne McNally’’s therapist doing just that! It’s often said that friends give the best therapy so Vogue & Joanne have teamed up to do exactly that (alongside a generous helping of laughter as that too is said to be the best form of therapy).
This blog was written by 4th Year Zoology PhD student Jenny Bortoluzzi & 2nd Year Zoology PhD student Simon Benson
After a hiatus during which the Symposium had to move online, the annual TCD Botany-Zoology Postgrad Symposium finally made it’s return to an in-person format at the start of June 2022 for its 11th edition. It was a great opportunity to for the departments of Botany and Zoology to come together and hear about the wonderful research that is being carried out around the School of Natural Sciences. For some of us, it was our first time meeting certain people in person after many Zoom calls. The range of research that was showcased spanned from sharks to social media, and detoured through seaweed and the ever present climate change. We were delighted to welcome two guest speakers, Dr Anthony Heijenga from GIA Consultancy and Dr Katie O’Dwyer from the newly rechristened Atlantic Technological University, who brought in their unique perspectives on research.
The organising committee of the 2022 Botany-Zoology Postgraduate Symposium: Niamh Mc Cartan, Floriane O’Keeffe, Kate Harrington, Richa Marwaha and Diego Bianchi.
The Symposium kicked off with the first of our plenary speakers, Dr Anthony Heijenga, who gave us a fascinating insight into what you can do with a biology degree. Between growing plants in space, flying in zero gravity and watching exploding rockets, there was plenty to keep the audience entertained. Anthony also gave us an overview of his work on plants and the challenges of growing plants in space.
Dr Anthony Heijenga presenting his talk entitled “Advanced Life Support Systems”.
After our first plenary speaker, it was on to our student presentations. First in the session was Haley Dolton, a third year PhD student in Dr Nick Payne’s lab, who presented her research on investigating the anatomy and physiology of basking sharks to understand why they behave the way they do.
Following Haley was Romane Guernalec, a masters student and intern in the Botany Department, supervised by Dr Matt Saunders. Romane works on methane fluxes from aerenchymous species (specifically Typha latifolia) in restored peatlands, and presented her plans for her fieldwork in Ireland.
Next up was Marine Valmier, a fourth year PhD student supervised by Dr Matt Saunders, who is looking at the impacts of management and warmer temperatures on the carbon balance of a grassland on peat soil (assessed with Eddy Covariance technique).
Following Marine, we heard from Frank Spellman, who is a second year PhD student in Zoology supervised by Nessa O’Connor. Frank is applying ecological theory to improve the stability of yields of cultivated macroalage, and quantifying the ecological impact.
Haley Dolton, Romane Guernalec, Marine Valmier and Frank Spellman presenting their research.
We then heard from Eamonn Cooper, a first year PhD student in Botany who is supervised by Trevor Hodkinson. Although Eamonn only started two months ago, he gave a great overview of his project which will be looking at the genetic characteristics of plus crop oak and their progeny.
Next up was Aedín Mc Adams, who is doing a research masters in Zoology with Prof Yvonne Buckley. Aedín is assessing the habitat suitable for restoration and reintroduction of Geyer’s Whorl snail 🐌 (Vertigo geyeri) in Lough Talt in the Lough Hoe Bog SAC.
Closing out the Thursday afternoon session was Thibault Durieux, a first year PhD student in Botany supervised by Dr Carla Harper. Thibault spoke to us about the first steps of wood evolution about 400 million years ago and its relationship with past ecosystems.
Eamonn Cooper, Aedín Mc Adams, Thibault Durieux and Mairéad O’Donnell presenting their research.
We were back bright and early on Friday morning for a packed day of talks. First to speak was Mairéad O’Donnell, who is a first year PhD student in Botany supervised by Dr Marcus Collier.
Next up was Floriane O’Keeffe, a third year PhD student in Zoology who is supervised by Dr Pepijn Luijckx. Floriane spoke to us about the effects of parasitism in Daphnia magna, specifically looking at the effects of sequential versus simultaneous co-infections in these animals.
Following Floriane, we heard from Midori Yajima, who is supervised by Prof Jenny McElwain. She spoke to us about how botanic gardens’ potential for climate change research is yet to be fully explored. Trinity College Botanic Garden has a 10+ year environmental monitoring program which aims to contribute to filling this gap, and its year one baseline work is now underway – addressing the what, how, and which species will be protagonists for this long term challenge.
Next up was Elena Zioga, a final year PhD student supervised by Prof Jane Stout. Elena presented her research on characterising systemic pesticide residues in floral resources for bees in Ireland.
We then heard from Grace McNicholas, a first year PhD student supervised by Dr Nick Payne. Grace presented her plans for her PhD project, which will be investigating environmental drivers and habitat suitability of a renowned ocean predator, tuna.
Floriane O’Keeffe, Midori Yajima, Elena Zioga and Grace McNicholas presenting their research.
The final speaker of this session was Bea Jackson, who is supervised by Prof Jenny McElwain and Dr Carla Harper. She is working on using fossil plant trait to aid with reconstruction of atmospheric CO2 concentration during the Devonian period.
After a quick coffee break in the sunshine, we were on the second session of the day. Our first speaker was Andrew Neill, a third year PhD student supervised by Prof Jane Stout, who presented his project discussing how social-media can provide insight into people-nature interactions to better map and assess cultural ecosystem services.
Next up was Kathleen Conroy, who is a first year PhD student supervised by Prof Jane Stout. Her work will enable land managers to make important decisions that will have lasting effects on Irish forests.
We then heard from Clinton Haarlem, a second year PhD student supervised by Dr Andrew Jackson, who gave a talk which was intriguingly entitled “Time is in the eye of the beholder”. Clinton gave an overview of his research investigating what might cause variation in individuals’ “temporal resolution” (the ability to process different rates of change in luminance).
Bea Jackson, Andrew Neill, Kathleen Conroy and Clinton Haarlem presenting their research.
Next to speak was Irene Bottero, a final year Botany PhD student who is supervised by Prof Jane Stout. She explained to us that landscape degradation is one of the main causes of insect pollinators decline, and that preserving landscape diversity and semi-natural habitats (including floral strips and hedgerows) is fundamental to preserve pollinator communities in agricultural contexts.
Our next speaker was Whitney Parker, a first year PhD student supervised by Dr Pepijn Luijckx. She gave an introduction of her PhD, which will investigate the effect of host density and genetic diversity on the spread of infectious diseases, using Daphnia magna as a model organism.
The final speaker of this session was Andrew Torsney, a PhD student in Zoology supervised by Prof Yvonne Buckley. He presented his research on the environmental impacts of visitors at nature-based sites, and explained that visitor demongraphics, site-type and activities determine the occurrence and severity of environmental impacts at these tourist destinations.
Our final session was opened by Simon Benson, a first year PhD student in Zoology, supervised by Dr Nessa O’Connor. He presented his PhD project which will investigate the development of high-value products for economically viable kelp aquaculture using genetic, ecophysiological, and biochemical methods.
Irene Bottero, Whitney Parker, Andrew Torsney and Simon Benson presenting their research.
Next up was Kate Harrington, a first year PhD student supervised by Prof Jane Stout and Prof Fraser Mitchell. Kate is investigating the ecological value and ecosystem services of new native woodlands.
We then heard from Niamh Mc Cartan, a first year PhD student in Zoology who is supervised by Dr Pepijn Luijckx, who presented her project looking at the effect of extreme temperature variation on host-parasite interactions.
Natalia Rodriguez Castenado, supervised by Dr Marcus Collier, then presented her project, entitled Embracing wild and restoring minds: qualitative approaches to urban wild spaces and mental health and well-being in sustainable cities.
Our final student speaker of the Symposium was Katrin Schertenleib, a final year PhD student in Zoology supervised by Dr Nessa O’Connor. Katrin explained how Bayesian Belief Networks function, and how we can use them to assess the ecological status of Dublin Bay.
She closed her talk by reiterating to the audience how important climate change mitigation measures are, especially in such uncertain times.
Kate Harrington, Niamh Mc Cartan, Natalia Rodriguez Castenado and Katrin Schertenleib presenting their research.
Finally, Dr Katie O’Dwyer closed the Symposium with the second of our plenary talks, giving us an overview of her journey in research and her work on parasite ecology. It was a great end to a busy couple of days filled with a wide range of talks.
Dr Katie O’Dwyer presenting her talk entitled “The how, what and why of parasite ecology, and some lessons learned along the way”.
Finally, it was time for prizes, presented by our plenary speakers!
And the winners were…
Niamh Mc Cartan for best five minute talk, Katrin Schertenleib for second place ten minute talk, Elena Zioga for best ten minute talk and Elena Zioga once again for the audience choice.
Elena Zioga, Katrin Schertenleib and Niamh Mc Cartan receiving their prizes.
After corralling our attendees to the stairs for a group photo, we released them for celebrations in the Pav. Congratulations to all our presenters and a special congratulations to the winners!
Blog written by Floriane O’Keeffe
Updatesfrom EcoEvo Editors:
We just wanted to say another huge thank you to the committee members for putting on such a friendly and supportive event! And congratulations to all the speakers, with a special mention to the winners!
Finally, a quick reminder that if you have any EcoEvo news, research updates, or think pieces you’d like to write about, please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you and share your piece on the blog!
It’s been just over two weeks since International Women’s Day (IWD) 2022, and in truth I feel a little bit deflated. As wonderful as it was to see the work of so many incredible females being celebrated, I can’t help but agree with Greta.
As I scrolled through Twitter I was greeted with the usual performative ‘Look at us supporting women’ posts. Although seemingly inspiring, in reality these were nothing more than a picture of a female employee and a few hashtags. Ok great so you have a female in the team, but what are you doing to support them? To provide them with the same opportunities as their male counterparts? To ensure they are treated and paid fairly? It turns out mostly not a lot, with many organisations (several universities included) failing to put their money where their mouth is. I came across a great page (@PayGapAPP) calling out gender pay disparities in response to IWD posts from organisations claiming to champion women. It would have been quite amusing to see them scramble to delete and amend their posts after being called out if it wasn’t so heart-breaking.
Something else I was struck by, but sadly not surprised at, was how the majority of posts I came across were from women. Yes, it’s International Women’s Day, but in my experience what women don’t need is more support from each other (something that is usually found in bucket loads). What we actually need is for our male friends and colleagues to use their voices to support us too. Our fight for equality should not rest on our shoulders alone, and quite frankly the problem isn’t our fault, so why should we be the ones constantly trying to fix it?
Misogyny is everywhere, always. It lurks in academic portraits hung on walls where women often cease to exist. It lingers in emails addressed ‘Hi guys’ or ‘Dear Sirs’. It strikes when equipment is taken out of a woman’s hand because ‘she needs help’. It stings with questions asked about childcare that aren’t also asked to male colleagues. The list goes on…and on. And if you don’t see it, you are part of the problem.
Did this really happen?!. 2018. Did this really happen?!. [ONLINE] Available at: https://didthisreallyhappen.net/. [Accessed 25.03.2022].
With risk of falling into an even deeper pit of despair, I want to direct this blog into something more positive. What can we do (all genders) to chip away and change these behaviours in both everyday life and an academic setting?
Here’s 5 things I think if we all made a little effort to do, we would see a huge difference.
1. Check yourself – Do you notice or consider the microaggressions women face on a daily basis?
Microaggression is defined as indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group. In the case of women, this can range from unsolicited pet names and invasion of personal space to female colleagues having their skills underestimated because they don’t fit the stereotype in a male dominated career.
There’s a link to a great article here with some more examples. Have a flick through and make yourself familiar. Some of them you might have noticed before, and others might be new to you. By putting these on your radar, hopefully you will be more likely to notice them in real life scenarios. I see them on a very regular basis, so it shouldn’t take you long.
2. Call it out – Do you speak up when you see others treated differently because of their gender?
I read something the other day which really made me sit back and question myself, “just because someone is nice to you, doesn’t mean they are nice to everyone”. We can all be guilty of turning a blind eye to behaviours that don’t affect us, but it is precisely then when we should use our privilege to call out the differences in treatment between colleagues. I have definitely been guilty of this in the past. Although I’m sure being a woman and not having the confidence to question this in fear of being labelled ‘one of those’ has influenced this in part (internalised misogyny strikes again), it’s not an excuse and I need to do better. And likely, so do you.
3. Be inclusive – Think about how you address your peers. What kind of language do you use? Are you unknowingly dismissing your female colleagues?
I recently received an email from my solicitor that read: Dear Grace, immediately followed by Dear Sirs. When I responded politely but firmly that as my name hinted, I was a female, and that a more inclusive approach to addressing clients should be used, I was met with the response “It was a generic email and no offence was caused”. Yes, you read that right. As you can imagine, I didn’t take too kindly to this and was quick to reply, that offence was caused, and whether or not it was a generic email, my point still stood. Whatever the purpose of the correspondence, why are we still excluding other genders on something so fundamental as addressing another human being?
Perhaps this is an extreme example (it’s not, I’ve been addressed as Dear Sirs more times than you can shake a stick at), but what about ‘hey guys’? I used to say this all the time, and it wasn’t until a friend of mine questioned me that I thought anything more of it. It may seem trivial but imagine if everyone went round addressing mixed gendered groups as ‘hey girls’, you’d probably think that’s a bit odd, so why aren’t the same questions asked when it’s the other way around?
4. Change your behaviour – Ask yourself, if this was a man, would I behave the same?
The belief that women are weak and need protecting is known as ‘Benevolent Sexism’.
If you saw a man carrying something, e.g. field equipment, and they didn’t look uncomfortable or like they genuinely needed help, would you offer it? And if you did, but they declined, would you still insist? I’m not saying never ask a woman if she needs help again, just think about your motives in doing so first.
The same goes for the reverse. For example, giving validation to a female colleague for completing a task and not giving the same validation to a male colleague in the same position. This goes back to underestimating women, and being surprised when they succeed.
5. Show up – You don’t have to be perfect; you just need to try.
This is arguably the most important of my tips and the main take home point.
Misogyny is so deeply ingrained in society it’s impossible to change all of these things overnight. But by constantly questioning both your own and other’s behaviours and by making mistakes and learning, together we can start to see real change.
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I want to highlight that these are my own thoughts and based on my own personal experiences. This is a nuanced subject, and the effects of misogyny are not felt equally between different ethnicities, sexualities, and gender identities. I of course cannot speak for everyone one who identifies as a woman and everyone is different, so bear that in mind. However, if you want to chat or have any questions, please feel free to get in touch.
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This blog was written by Grace McNicholas, one of our EcoEvo Blog Editors.
It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for…the results of our annual photo competition!
We’d like to start by saying a huge thank you to each and every one of you who submitted your photos. It’s been so wonderful to see such diversity between entries and to get a sneak peek into both your field work and general time you’ve spent in nature. I’m sure all our readers will agree with us how fantastic each photo is, but alas, there can only be one new photo banner!
You are all winners in our eyes but after struggling to narrow it down to our top 5, we couldn’t possibly decide on the winner alone…*Google poll enters the chat*. We had brilliant engagement during the voting process, so thank you to all of you who participated and voted for your favourite. Our winning photo took over 50% of the vote share, with the rest split evenly.
Before revealing our finalists and winner (no scrolling to the bottom yet please), join us while we take you through all of our 2022 entries:
The Entries
Green Shieldbug by Mairéad O’Donnell
This photo of a Green Shieldbug walking along a blade of grass was taken by Mairéad while surveying biodiversity in Cahir, Co. Tipperary. Mairéadwas struck by the water droplet resting on its back.
Mairéad is a PhD student in the Department of Botany. Her Twitter handle is @MaireadODonn
Sugar Kelp and more!by Jean Williams
A mix of kelp species was found during a foraging tour/field trip on Glassillaun beach in Renvyle, Connemara, Co. Galway in August 2020. In the bottom left of the image is Sugar Kelp (Saccharina latissima), whilst the predominant species in the image is beautiful example of the curled stipe base and holdfast of Furbellows (Saccorhiza polyschides).
Jean is a PhD student in the Dept. of Botany, working with Marcus Collier examining if wild edibles can transition towards a more sustainable food system.
Aminita Muscaria or Fly Agaric by Jean Williams
The Aminita Muscaria or Fly Agaric was found on a foraging tour/field trip in Devil’s Glen Wood in October 2021.
Imagine the noise! by Katrin Schertenleib
Can you spot the fat, fluffy chicks among their parents in this breeding colony of Northern Gannets (Morus bassana) on Great Saltee?
Katrin is a PhD student in Zoology, working in Nessa O’Connor’s lab and her Twitter handle is @KatMarSci
Keep your head down by Mat Cobain
Photo taken at Glendalough in January 2022.
Mat is a postdoc in Zoology and his Twitter handle is @CobainMat
Touch of innocence by Elena Zioga
This picture was taken in North Greece and shows a hoverfly on the stamens of a white water lily. Water lily flowers have a rather strange mechanism to prevent self-fertilisation. They open slightly on the first day as females, forming a cup shape filled with stigma exudates. Insects may enter the flower and often fall into the exudates, which wash off pollen carried from other flowers onto the stigma, and fertilise the flower. On the second and third days the flowers fully open as males and no exudates are produced. Insects that land on the flowers on these days get covered with pollen and transport it to flowers that are just opening, hence receptive to pollination.
Elena is a PhD student in the Botany department and her Twitter handle is @ZioElena
The third wheel by Elena Zioga
How many insects do you see in this picture taken in Northwest Greece? Some male solitary bee species would probably see more than one. To their eyes, the two orchid flowers are potential female partners! Not only because they look like female solitary bees in shape, colour and appearance, but also because these flowers secrete intense chemical pheromones highly attractive for the males. If a male solitary bee was passing by, it would probably try to mate with those orchid flowers. The grasshopper would become a witness to the miracle of pollination, but the male bee would leave rather disappointed afterwards…
The Bee Orchid by Marine Valmier
Bee Orchids (Ophrys apifera) are a real treat for the eyes, native but fairly hard to find in Ireland. They owe their name to their pollination strategy called “pseudocopulation” as they mimic both the scent and appearance of females of a select few species of solitary bee, to attract their males (but can also self-pollinate).
Marine is a PhD student in the Botany department and her Twitter handle is @MValmier
The Bee Orchid by Marine Valmier
The Bog Way is a wet one, as water is the blood that flows in every peatland veins. It is different shades of blue, and loads of green, and some darker secrets. The Bog Way is also a road of light, bringing some hope in the fight against climate change with the rehabilitation and restoration of damaged peatland.
Common blue butterfly by Bea Jackson
The photo is of a common blue butterfly in my parent’s garden.
Bea Jackson is a Research Masters student in Jennifer McElwain’s group and is studying Devonian plant fossils.
A Xylocopa violacea resting on a maple tree branch by Irene Bottero
A Xylocopa violacea resting on a maple tree branch. This bee might look scary because of its huge body size – one of the largest European bees – and because of its intense buzzing hum, but it’s a friendly giant. I spotted this large carpenter bee while I was working from home in Italy during the pandemic.
Irene is a PhD student in Botany working on pollinators under the Poshbee EU project.
A honey bee looking for some food fell into a trap… by Irene Bottero
A honey bee looking for some food fell into a trap…and she became the meal! Can you spot the trap? When I first saw the bee I thought something looked rather strange and it took some time to realise what was happening. The clever…and very sneaky camouflage of a white spider ambushed the hungry bee, just as she lowered her guard.
The Finalists
Lockdown Visitorby Floriane O’Keeffe
A honeybee perches on a fuschia plant
Floriane is a PhD student in Zoology, working in The Parasitology Lab and her Twitter handle is @florianeeok
Making a Mockeryby Floriane O’Keeffe
A Galapagos mockingbird mid call
Ichneumon Wasp on a Holly bushby Mairéad O’Donnell
This photo was taken by Mairéad while surveying biodiversity in Cahir, Co. Tipperary. This is an Ichneumon Wasp on a Holly bush. Mairéad noticed the wasp following her and hiding behind the bush while she was carrying out a survey.
Mairéad O’Donnell is a PhD student in Botany and her Twitter handle is @MaireadODonn
Eggs, Eggs, Eggsby Jason Keegan
A typical view down the microscope as part of my search for Toxocara spp. eggs in the public parks of Dublin City. No Toxocara eggs to be seen in this picture but plenty of other nematode, fungus and plant eggs to behold, all concentrated from just 50 grams of soil. Now when I go for a walk in the park I can’t help but think of how the soil under my feet is teeming with all sorts of eggs!
Jason is a postdoctoral research fellow in Zoology, working in The Holland Lab.
The WINNER!
Lookwhat I’ve brought!by KatrinSchertenleib
Two adult Puffins (Fratercula arctic) at Great Saltee. The left one stopped for a quick rest next to the other, before it hurried into one of the burrows to feed its Puffling. Puffins can hold multiple fish between their tongue and upper mandible while continuing to catch more. The world record is said to be 80 (small larval fish). Larger gulls like this and often try to steal the catch, so the successful hunters stay very alert.
Katrin is a PhD student in Zoology, working in Nessa O’Connor’s lab and her Twitter handle is @KatMarSci
Thank you to all who participated and congratulations to our deserving winner! The EcoEvo blog banner will be updated to Katrin’s beautiful image shortly.
Moving from Dublin City to rural Ireland as a child was a bit of a shock to my system. Up to that moment I had grown up surrounded by pavement and tall dull buildings as far as the eye could see, however, now I lived in a house surrounded by fields upon fields of cattle and crops. I thought I lived in an area surrounded by nature, but it wasn’t until I got older that I realised the endless stretches of fields around me all contained the same few species.
As a child, I gave little thought to this homogeneity. The one thing around me that did catch my attention was the large deserted building site at the back of my house. Like many, we moved into a brand new housing estate during the Celtic Tiger, only for the inevitable bust that occurred shortly after we moved in to halt the construction on the rest of the estate. As children, we were always warned to stay away from the empty site. Filled with abandoned equipment and precarious structures, the place was a death trap. For years, despite the odd bonfire on Halloween, the site remained virtually untouched. Forever to be labelled an eyesore. A waste of land.
That was until I went to university to study Zoology and took a module in Restoration Ecology. During this time, I learned that Mother Nature may not have been as idle over the many years that construction companies have been. The term brownfield site came up on my radar and I realised that maybe that eyesore at the back of my estate might hold more value than I previously believed.
On-site images of the Brownfield site. Credit: Aoife Cahill
What are brownfield sites?
Brownfield sites have been defined as “land that was previously developed for housing or industry but has since been abandoned and recolonised by different ecological assemblages” [1]. While these sites are typically described as “dangerous” or “eyesores” and can have negative connotations to them, research has shown that these brownfields are highly important for biodiversity as they are capable of harbouring rich and sophisticated ecosystems capable of supporting rare and threatened species.
While governments are starting to acknowledge the importance of brownfields and the role they play in protecting biodiversity, such as the UK government adding some brownfield sites to its list of priority sites listed in its Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 (NERC Act), many of these sites still face threats of development [2].
There are many types of brownfield sites, with the two most important broad categories being described as wetland or dry ground. Wetland brownfields are important as they provide refuge for waterbirds, whose natural habitat availability has been shrinking. Dry ground sites, are typically well-drained, poor in nutrients and sometimes contaminated and have been described by conservationists as highly important for providing havens for rare or endangered species [3].
Why are brownfields important for rural Ireland?
The expansion and intensification of agricultural practices have been closely linked to the depletion of biodiversity. It has been suggested that as much as 23% of species diversity once associated with European farmland has been lost during the period 1970 and 2000 [4]. It has become clear that biodiversity plays a fundamental role in sustainable agricultural systems. It has also been determined that increasing habitat heterogeneity in the rural landscape would play an important role in reversing the decline in farmland bird species. So if it has been agreed that more diverse landscapes in rural Ireland would benefit biodiversity and in turn would have a positive impact on agriculture, perhaps it would be beneficial to not only focus on increasing biodiversity on agricultural land but also factor in the importance of brownfield sites that have become widespread across Ireland since the 2010s when a surge in ghost estates, and in turn abandoned building sites, was seen in rural areas.
Of course, it’s important to stress the importance of protecting and promoting biodiversity on agricultural land, but maybe we shouldn’t ignore the potential biodiversity goldmines that we have potentially been casting scornful looks at for the past decade.
The brownfield site next door
At the beginning of the summer, I contacted Dr Marcus Collier and the Connecting Nature project about summer research opportunities and we got on the topic of the abandoned building site in my estate. We concluded that I had the opportunity to conduct research right on my doorstep. Once we worked through the logistics of the site location we came up with a plan. The plan for the research was to create a habitat map of the site, conduct botanical, invertebrate pollinator and bird surveys, and compare this to similar surveys conducted in a neighbouring agricultural field. This research aimed to bring attention to brownfield sites and to show that they can play an important role in conjunction with sustainable agricultural practices to increase the heterogeneity of the Irish rural landscape to protect and promote biodiversity.
ArcMap 10.7.1 was used to create the habitat map and habitats were classified according to Fossitt (2000) – A Guide to Habitats in Ireland. Once the map was completed, I decided that to get a complete picture of the brownfield site and the potential species it was home to, botanical surveys of multiple habitat types were required. Botanical surveys of grassland (GS2), hedgerows (WL1) and recolonising bare ground (ED3) were conducted. Transect sampling methods were used to record invertebrate and bird species. The same methods were used to study an improved agricultural grassland (GA1) directly beside the brownfield.
Habitat map of the site. Credit: Aoife Cahill
So on a few sunny days in June 2021, I went out into the field with a homemade quadrat, a camera, and a pen and paper to conduct this research.
What was found?
The results of the botanical surveys for each habitat type within the site were interesting because there was minimal overlapping in species types recorded in each habitat.
Each habitat type had a distinct set of botanical species that weren’t found in the others. The recolonising bare ground was recorded to have the highest number of plant species. A survey of a neighbouring agricultural site showed very little diversity in plant species, with perennial ryegrass dominating the majority of the site. Several grass species were recorded in the brownfield site, including Yorkshire fog (H. lanatus) and sweet grass (H. odorata).
Number of plant species found at each habitat type. Credit: Aoife Cahill
The invertebrate pollinator survey also indicated the high biodiversity of the site, in which a range of bees, butterflies, and moths was recorded. Bees were the highest recorded species including the common carder (B. pascuorum), buff-tailed bumblebee (B. terrestris), and garden bumblebee (B. hortorum). Common blue (P. icarus), large white (P. brassicae), and small tortoiseshell (A. urticae) werethe butterfly species identified. One micromoth species, Ancylis badiana, was also recorded. The bird species that were identified included Rooks, Wood pigeons, Starlings, Robins, and Magpies.
Common carder bee (B. pascuorum) (on the left) and common blue butterfly (P. icarus) (on the right) found on-site. Credit: Aoife Cahill
What does it mean?
This field research is important because it could increase community awareness of how important the areas in towns and villages that are deemed to be “eyesores” could unknowingly be. It’s also important because it could be an indicator that brownfield sites could benefit the goal to increase biodiversity in the rural landscape by acting as a mosaic of different habitat types within one site located between large areas of agricultural land. While the main goal would remain to focus on protecting and promoting biodiversity on agricultural land as it makes up the majority of land use in Ireland (roughly 70%), brownfield sites could supplement the actions undertaken. Brownfield sites could benefit rare and endangered species by acting as a refuge when their natural habitats are becoming fewer and further between.
I believe that the potential benefit that brownfield sites could have to protect and promote biodiversity throughout Ireland should be given real consideration. While the land type could be deemed unorthodox, we live in a world that is changing every day and we must keep creating new ways and be open-minded to adapting to this change.
