Alison is a research associate at SEI. Her work is related to public engagement and citizen science, particularly as a community scientist on the OPAL (Open Air Laboratories) project. This is a national project funded by the Big Lottery and the York element of the project involves engaging communities with their local environment.

Alison also has key expertise and interests in environmental behaviour approaches to the natural environment, particularly wild harvesting, ethnobotany, plant health and biosecurity.

Alison works part time for SEI

Career

Alison has previously as an independent researcher and consultant on participative adaptive management issues relating to forestry for clients such as local enterprise agencies, Forest Research, The Forestry Commission and Scottish Natural Heritage and also for worked for Reforesting Scotland on its ‘Wild Harvests’ project

Alison gained a PhD in Political Ecology from the University of Glasgow in 2006 titled ‘The Practice, Politics and Ecology of Non Timber Forest Products in Scotland’. She also has an MSc in Forest Science from the University of Edinburgh and an undergraduate degree in Geography from the University of Glasgow.

Projects

• Evaluation of Derwenthorpe

  
  

• Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) network