Martha Crockatt

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.