Discover
Ecology
Are bats superheroes or villains?
The Big Questions podcast is back with a new series, and we start with a special Halloween edition! Join University of Oxford evolutionary virologist Emilia Skirmuntt as we learn all about the weird and wonderful world of bats, and ask the question 'Are bats superheroes or villains?'
Tin Hang (Henry) Hung
I am a Radcliffe Scholar in Plant Sciences reading for a doctorate at the University of Oxford. Restoring our forests is crucial for both mitigating climate change and conserving the biodiversity. However, many trees can hardly track suitable climates and may go extinct or extirpated. My current research incorporates genomic models and climatic...
Why is Oxford's Botanic Garden making gin?
Established in 1621, the Oxford Botanic Garden was the first botanic garden in the UK. It has been - and remains – an invaluable resource for education, scientific research, and conservation. But recently it’s added another feather to its cap, teaming up with The Oxford Artisan Distillery to produce its very own ‘Physic Gin’. So what exactly is...
Lockdown Walks - Who's that American in the woods?
Plant scientist Dr Hayley Tumas is out for a walk in the English countryside...but she's not the only American in the woods! The Douglas fir has been found in the UK for around 200 years - but how did this huge tree, native to the Pacific Northwest of America, make the jump across the pond? Find out in this episode of 'Lockdown Walks'!
Tom Hart
My research centres around how to monitor penguins and other marine predators in difficult environments such as Antarctica. Many of the most important environments on the planet are too data deficient to understand the changes occurring there, and the implications for global change, which in turn stalls effective management. I spend a lot of...
Fiona Jones
I have always been fascinated by the Polar Regions – the harsh but beautiful landscapes, the epic stories of human exploration, and – most of all – the animals that find their home there. These creatures don’t just survive in their environment, they thrive in it, perfectly adapted to the conditions.
Andy Hector
My background includes a BSc. in Environmental Science at the University of Sheffield and a PhD from Imperial College before working at the NERC Centre for Population Biology and the University of Zurich.
Matt Sutton
I’ve always been fascinated by the natural world and love being outdoors in general. My childhood dream was to be an astronaut (a hope I’ve still not totally abandoned!), but I began my current career direction after developing a passion for geology at A-level. I followed that up with an undergraduate degree in Earth Sciences at Oxford. Once...
Matthew Wijers
I was born and raised in Zimbabwe and spent most of my childhood exploring nature. After leaving school, I spent a year volunteering for a lion research project in Hwange National Park which convinced me to pursue a career in wildlife conservation. I first studied Conservation Ecology at Stellenbosch University in South Africa and then moved to...
The RainDrop Experiment
How can we predict the future of grassland ecosystems? What's it like to be an ecologist working in the field?
