My background is in ecology, with a BSc in Biology and a PhD in Fungal Ecology from Cardiff University. Since completing my PhD in 2008 my focus has slowly shifted from ecology towards people and nature. This was initiated during my ten years with environmental NGO Earthwatch Europe, a citizen science-focused organisation, where, among other projects, I co-managed a long term forest carbon cycling project, working extensively with citizen scientists from a range of backgrounds. I built on this experience while working with the Oxfordshire Treescape Project, an initiative to support community groups and land managers in nature recovery planning through opportunity mapping, and in my current role with the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery in which I am exploring equity of access to green space.
Throughout my career I have focused on communication, being on the British Mycological Society’s Education and Outreach Committee, teaching on Oxford University’s Postgraduate Certificate in Ecological Survey Techniques course, giving talks at careers events, conferences and lab meetings, running innovative workshops and collaborating closely with local government, community groups and researchers from other disciplines.
I maintain an interest in fungal ecology, running a fungal citizen science project in Wytham Woods and taking opportunities to contribute to public engagement mycology events.
Related News Articles
Oxfordshire’s Greenspace Deprived Neighbourhoods
Martha Crockatt I’m writing this in mid-April; although there has been wind, rain and even hail in the last few days, hawthorn, tulips and forget-me-nots are blooming, bees are starting to buzz and the sun, when it does come out from behind a cloud, is warm – it’s a lovely time to be outdoors in […]
Oxfordshire’s green space-deprived neighbourhoods
A report, released today by the researchers in the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, identifies neighbourhoods in Oxfordshire experiencing both socio-economic deprivation and poor provision of accessible green spaces, with a view to these neighbourhoods being prioritised in terms of planning, allocation of funding, and effort for improving quality and quantity of accessible green spaces. […]
Art and Nature in The Leys
A free, drop-in family-friendly event led by researchers Martha Crockatt and Mattia Troiano, developed in collaboration with Natasha Summer, a local community champion, and in partnership with the Oxfordshire African Caribbean Multicultural Society. It was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council’s Festival of Social Science. The aim of the event was to engage […]
Running in the Rain: Finding Focus at a Writing Retreat in the Scottish Highlands
Community science for assessing nature’s benefits: a systematic review and survey
How can community science initiatives support assessments of nature’s benefits?
Measuring Green Infrastructure Equity: Insights from an OPEN Fellowship
Why equitable access to green infrastructure matters
Related Research Themes
Ecology
Testing the effectiveness of different ecological approaches for nature recovery to support biodiversity and the delivery of ecosystem services such as climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Human health and wellbeing
Exploring, understanding, and determining those aspects of nature which directly contribute to improvements in physical and mental health and wellbeing.
Society
Encompassing the governance and socio-cultural dimensions of nature recovery.
Policy engagement for nature recovery
We work with policy-makers to foster effective approaches to nature recovery, using the Centre's unique evidence-base and compelling stories about nature and its value to society.
Related Projects
Equitable distribution of nature-rich accessible green space: An Oxfordshire case study
Investigating the distribution of freely accessible green space in Oxfordshire in relation to socio-economic status to inform local green space planning.
Healthy Ecosystem Restoration in Oxfordshire
Developing the local Oxfordshire landscape as a case-study, nature-recovery laboratory and community of practice.
Oxford Policy Engagement Fellowship: Developing a green infrastructure equity tool
A collaborative project with Plymouth City Council and the Woodland Trust to develop and trial a tool to identify neighbourhoods that are socioeconomically deprived and lack access to green space.
From greening to wellbeing: Multi-scale analysis of green infrastructure and mental health at population level within the UK
A mixed methods investigation into how green infrastructure influences mental health across diverse communities and landscapes in the UK
Community values in accessible urban green spaces and planning: An Oxford case.
Investigating community values in accessible urban green spaces and assessing the equity of urban green governance across different socio-economic areas of Oxford.
Oxfordshire Treescape Project
Supporting Oxfordshire land managers, parishes and communities with nature recovery planning.
National to local disconnects in greenspace policy
Exploring disconnects and synergies for greenspace across health, nature and climate resilience policies through an equity lens
Related Outputs
Equity in Urban Green Space Access and Governance: an interdisciplinary Oxford case study.
Martha Crockatt and Mattia Troiano have been exploring equity of urban greenspace in Oxford communities. Here they present findings from their interdisciplinary research, which has used a wide range of methods to explore the implications of adopting a recognitional equity approach when thinking about access to greenspace and participation in its governance, culminating in a […]
Oxfordshire’s greenspace-deprived neighbourhoods
Coordinating author: Martha Crockatt This report explores Natural England’s Green Infrastructure data to identify neighbourhoods in Oxfordshire experiencing both socio-economic deprivation and poor provision of accessible greenspace, with a view to these neighbourhoods being prioritised in terms of planning, allocation of funding, and effort for improving quality and quantity of accessible greenspace. Contributors: Matt Witney […]
Oxfordshire’s greenspace-deprived neighbourhoods
A new report which has just been launched explores Natural England’s Green Infrastructure data to identify neighbourhoods in Oxfordshire experiencing both socio-economic deprivation and poor provision of accessible greenspace, with a view to these neighbourhoods being prioritised in terms of planning, allocation of funding, and effort for improving quality and quantity of accessible greenspace.
Art and Nature in The Leys
A free, drop-in family-friendly event led by researchers Martha Crockatt and Mattia Troiano, developed in collaboration with Natasha Summer, a local community champion, and in partnership with the Oxfordshire African Caribbean Multicultural Society. It was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council’s Festival of Social Science.
Example Opportunity Report
This Treescapes Opportunity Report is an example of a parish report showing existing natural assets, potential locations for nature recovery opportunities (species-rich grassland, woodland, hedgerows, silvo-arable or silvo-pasture, community orchards), and the natural benefits that they could provide. Such reports were provided free of charge to 150 Oxfordshire parish groups and land managers, thanks to […]
Treescapes guide
The treescapes guide offers a summary explanation of the treescapes included in the maps and the benefits they bring, together with some case studies of famers and landowners who have put them into action and further resources. It also includes a brief explanation of the mapping rules we have adopted.
Summary of thesis: Recognitional equity in access to and planning of urban green spaces: How socio-economic deprivation shapes community values and participation in place-based governance.
Equity of access to, and planning of, Urban Green Spaces (UGS) is an area of growing interest in a period in which urban greening is intertwined with equity issues in socially diverse urban centres. While efforts to widen communities’ spatial access to UGS and procedural representation in their planning through more inclusive place-based governance arrangements […]
A mixed methods approach to evaluate community (citizen) science as a tool to support nature’s benefits assessments in the UK: a systematic review and survey of community scientists
Developing methods for valuing nature aim to address biodiversity and environmental crises caused by nature’s undervaluation in decision-making. However, implementing methods to assess nature’s benefits is challenging for a myriad of reasons.
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