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Overview

Description of PhD

Title: Community Participation in Biodiverstiy Monitoring.  Project-based PhD as part of the Open Air Laboratories (OPAL)

Supervisor(s): Dr. Piran White

TAC:  Dr. Piran White, Professor Mike Ashmore, Dr. Carolyn Snell

Funding: Big Lottery Fund, through OPAL

Description of Thesis

OPAL is a five year, Big Lottery Funded national project which started in 2007. It is coordinated by Imperial University and the Natural History Museum, London. The main objectives of the project are ‘to create and inspire a new generation of nature lovers by encouraging people to explore, study, enjoy and protect their local environment’. The project has a wide number of partners across England, working on both national and regional activities. Each region has a university host with one or more Principle Investigators, a Community Scientist and a PhD student.

The PhD is concerned with public participation in wildlife monitoring and recording, particularly through ‘citizen science’ initiatives. Through community-based surveys and interviews with organisations running recording schemes, I am exploring motivations and barriers to getting involved, with an emphasis on people living in an urban community. As part of this, I will be conducting a community-based ecological study, exploring the habitat resource and use of gardens and green spaces by urban hedgehogs in Hull.

Publications