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Lisa Chilton, National Biodiversity Network Trust

Sharing the data needed for nature’s recovery. As CEO of the National Biodiversity Network Trust (NBN Trust), Lisa Chilton is devoted to the charity’s mission of ‘making data…

Professor Dan Haydon, University of Glasgow

Fusing ecology and evolution with animal health. “Academia was never the intended plan,” says Professor Dan Haydon, but after becoming obsessively interested in ecological stability and its relationship…

Professor Euan James, James Hutton Institute

Exploiting plant symbioses is the key to sustainable agriculture. Euan James is a plant and microbial scientist specialising in root-nodulating symbiotic interactions between (mainly) legumes and soil bacteria…

Dr Janet Fisher, Edinburgh University School of Geosciences

Untangling the motivations for conservation. “The idea of the Anthropocene reminds us how profoundly we are now altering the earth system,” says Dr Janet Fisher. She describes herself…

Professor Jennifer Smart, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

A team effort for waders. From UK wetlands to global grasslands “Species conservation has been at the heart of my whole career,” says Professor Jennifer Smart. My research…

Tony Schilling, horticulturist, receives recognition from the Government of Nepal – Updated

The following post was first published in July 2019. It has been updated on receipt of the sad news of Tony Schilling’s death on 23 November 2022. Dr…

Professor Rod Page, University of Glasgow

Making biodiversity data accessible and discoverable. With a background in taxonomy, phylogenetics, and biodiversity informatics, Professor Rod Page’s current work focuses on making biodiversity information accessible and discoverable….

Dr Deborah Long, Scottish Environment LINK

Bringing history to bear on contemporary problems. Dr Deborah Long makes connections between specialists and policy makers, prehistoric landscapes and today’s policy. “I bring the long eye of…

2022 Garden Highlights

It has certainly been another busy and productive year in the garden for everyone working at The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE). After two years of a pandemic…

Professor Jeremy Wilson, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and University of Stirling

Developing the evidence base for nature conservation. “I have spent over 30 years as a conservation scientist, studying the relationships between land-use change and biodiversity, and focusing mainly…

Dr Rebecca Yahr, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

Sharing a love of lichens. “As a biodiversity scientist, I think there are three main themes that must be a part of my focus: diversity, conservation and people….

Dr Helen Senn, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland

Ensuring the long-term survival of highly threatened species, in Scotland and around the globe. “What gets me out of bed in the morning is the feeling that I…

Dr David O’Brien, NatureScot

Using evidence-based conservation to inform policy. Nature is everywhere While many think of Scotland as a land of mountains, glens and lochs, in fact most of us live…

Professor Xavier Lambin, University of Aberdeen

Building the complexity of species interactions into conservation policy and practice. Professor Xavier Lambin’s research uses population ecology to solve pressing applied issues in wildlife management and conservation…

Dr Alessandro Gimona, The James Hutton Institute

Understanding the interconnected impacts of climate change and land-use change. Dr Alessandro Gimona is an ecologist and a geographer working at a range of scales, from regional to…

Dr Heidi Burdett, Lyell Centre, Heriot-Watt University

Multidisciplinary research to understand and protect vital marine ecosystems. “I am a marine biologist investigating the photosynthesis and biogeochemistry of coastal marine ecosystems, with the aim of better…

Dr Rosalind Bryce, University of the Highlands and Islands

Co-creating cultural narratives for sustainable rural development. Ecologist Dr Rosalind Bryce is Director of the Centre for Mountain Studies at the University of the Highlands and Islands, and…

Professor Chris Quine, Forest Research

Research supporting the health of UK forests and biodiversity. Professor Chris Quine is Chief Scientist of Forest Research, the research agency of the Forestry Commission and the UK’s…

Dr Andrea Britton, James Hutton Institute

Bringing the underground into the limelight. Dr Andrea Britton is a plant and soil ecologist specialising in alpine ecosystems and the impacts of nitrogen deposition and climate change….

Stories from the Biomes: Threatened Chilean plants on the move.

Tucked away behind the glasshouses of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is a terrace that contains an exceptional collection of Chilean plants collected by RBGE staff and Chilean…