Sam Buckton
PhD researcher in Human Geography and Environment

My current PhD research explores how learning and evaluation platforms can support transformations towards regenerative food systems (as part of the FixOurFood research programme). Prior to this, I was a Research Assistant with FixOurFood working on designing, delivering, and analysing results of Three Horizons workshops with Yorkshire food system stakeholders to co-create transformative pathways to regenerative futures. I am also researching understandings of regenerative systems and contributing to research on food system synergies. 

 

I have an MA in Biological Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge and an MSc in Environmental Economics and Environmental Management from the University of York. My academic prizes include: the departmental prize (Department of Environment and Geography, University of York) for best performance in the class of 2020/21, MSc Environmental Economics and Environmental Management; the Bhagwati Prize for Biological Sciences (2018); the Frank Smart Prize for Botany (2017); and a nomination for the Elton Prize (2020). My research interests range widely from system transformation, regenerative systems, futures methods, new economics, and youth activism in the face of global crises, to natural history, ecology and nature conservation. 

 

I am a Research Associate with Global Assessment for a New Economics (GANE) and a Youth Advisory Board member for the University of Hull’s Energy and Environment Institute project exploring youth-led adaptation to climate change in Vietnam (YACC). I have also worked with numerous British nature conservation NGOs, and with the University of Cambridge to produce its Biodiversity Baseline Summary Report and Biodiversity Action Plan, and design the Cambridge Biodiversity Metric.

 

Outside of academia, I am a keen naturalist and pan-species lister. I am Vice-Chair of the British Plant Gall Society and Yorkshire Plant Gall Recorder for the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union. I also enjoy playing badminton and ukulele.

Selected appointments

Education (selection)

Prof Ioan Fazey (Department of Environment and Geography), Prof Peter Ball (School for Business and Society)

 

Sam's PhD is funded by the FixOurFood programme, a £6M five-year programme funded by the UKRI's Transforming Food Systems Strategic Priority Fund.

• Buckton SJ (2022) The rare dock smut fungus Microbotryum parlatorei (Fischer von Waldheim) Vánky rediscovered in Yorkshire. Cecidology 37(2), 99-101.
• Buckton SJ, Thomas J (2022) A review of Ozirhincus (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) and associated parasitoids in the British Isles, with recent observations from York. Cecidology 37(2), 108-116.
• Buckton SJ (2022) The rust fungus Puccinia ptarmicae on Sneezewort Achillea ptarmica: surely a gall-causer? Cecidology 37(2), 128-129.
• Thomas J, Buckton SJ (2022) The mites Riccardoella limacum (Schrank, 1776) and R. oudemansi Thor, 1932 (Trombidiformes: Ereynetidae) parasitic on molluscs at St Nicholas Fields, York. Journal of Conchology 44(4), 349-353.
• Buckton SJ (2022) Notable Yorkshire gall records from iRecord. Cecidology 37(1), 9-14.
• Buckton SJ (2022) Lessons from verifying Yorkshire galls and gall-causers on iRecord. Cecidology 37(1), 28-40.
• Buckton SJ, Thomas J (2021) The St Nicks Slug Crib. The Naturalist 146, 182-195.
• Buckton SJ (2021) The gall mite Aceria brachytarsus (Keifer, 1939) new to Britain on walnut (Juglans regia L.) at Downing College, Cambridge. Cecidology 36(2), 108-110.
• Buckton SJ (2021) Pasties and pygmies: the plant galls and leaf-miners of the Cambridge University Botanic Garden. Nature in Cambridgeshire 63, 5-19.
• Buckton SJ (2021) New hosts for Aceria cerrea (Nalepa) in the UK? Cecidology 36(1), 7-9.
• Buckton SJ (2021) Notes on Galium flower galls from observations in York. Cecidology 36(1), 23-29.
• Bladon A, Lewis M, Bladon E, Buckton SJ, Corbett S, Ewing S, Hayes M, Hitchcock G, Knock R, Lucas C, McVeigh A, Menendez R, Walker J, Fayle T, Turner E (2020) How butterflies keep their cool: physical and ecological traits influence thermoregulatory ability and population trends. Journal of Animal Ecology 89(11), 2440-2450. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13319 (nominated for 2020 Elton Prize, and one of the journal’s top ten most downloaded papers)
• Buckton SJ (2020) Field Note: Ahoy there! The Nationally Scarce pirate spider Ero aphana new to Yorkshire. The Naturalist 145, 180-182. https://www.ynu.org.uk/about-the-ynu/publications/download-page?task=download.send&id=224&catid=2&m=0
• Buckton S (2020) Gobions Wood: an important site for bryophytes in Hertfordshire. The Hertfordshire Naturalist 52(1), 41-45.
• Buckton S (2020) Blepharidopterus diaphanus (Kirschbaum, 1856) (Heteroptera: Miridae) and Ichneumon stramentor (Rasnitsyn, 1981) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) new to Scotland, amongst other notable invertebrates discovered at RSPB Scotland Loch Lomond during summer 2019. The Glasgow Naturalist 27(2). https://doi.org/10.37208/tgn27210

Book sections

• Buckton S (2022) Caddisflies (in Chapter 8: Butterflies, moths and caddisflies). In Hill M (ed.) The Nature of Cambridge. Pisces Publications, Newbury, UK.

Reports

• FixOurFood (2022) Transforming food culture in Yorkshire’s schools and early years settings: Summary report of the co-creative Three Horizons process (lead author). FixOurFood, University of York, York, UK.
• FixOurFood (2022) Transformation of Yorkshire's food economies: Summary report of the co-creative Three Horizons process (lead author). FixOurFood, University of York, York, UK.
• Laudes Foundation, Partners for New Economy, Demos Helsinki, GANE, One Project (2022) Turning the tide: Landscape of an emergent economic movement in Europe (co-author/co-editor). Demos Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
• University of Cambridge (2020) University of Cambridge Biodiversity Action Plan: 10-year Vision (co-author/co-editor). University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
• University of Cambridge (2020) The Cambridge Biodiversity Metric: A method of quantifying biodiversity on the University of Cambridge estate (lead author). University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.#
• Tomorrow’s Natural Leaders, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (2020) Bridging the Gap: Barriers and solutions for young people entering the environmental sector (lead author). Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, York, UK.
• University of Cambridge (2019) Biodiversity Baseline Summary Report (lead author). University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

Other documents

• Buckton S (2022) Reserve Focus: St Nicholas Fields LNR. British Wildlife 33(6), 431-436.
• Buckton SJ (2022) A provisional key to eriophyoid mite erinea on Acer in Britain. Online resource available via the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union.
• Buckton SJ (2022) Mops, miners and Milesinas: some common fern parasites to spot. The Pteridologist 7(4), 255-257.