My name is Holly and I am the research technician on this project. That means I work with Océane to make sure all of our experiments run smoothly and lab work is planned and completed well. I also help with fieldwork in the UK and the outreach/engagement remit of the project. I took over this role from Carolin Weser in June 2019.

This project centres more on the soil than my previous work in this lab, although the upcoming experiment (3) will include growing communities of grassland species in large pots – something I have done before. The heavier focus on climate change and extreme climatic events could not come at a more fitting time, as again and again, we hear about the troubling and sometimes catastrophic results of extreme weather on the news. Since joining the project, I have sought to deepen my knowledge of this controversial topic. This background information is useful to my understanding of the reasons we do certain things within our experiments, and what results we might expect but it has also had the side effect of deepening my sadness at the state of our world. Most of the time I, and I think many of my colleagues in the earth and environmental science fields, can channel this sadness into motivation to work harder, present better and speak louder… but occasionally I cannot. Then my only solace is chocolate, and I hear we will, through our rampant ecological destruction, lose that soon too!

Hopefully, my next blog might end on a lighter note! So please check back soon for news, updates, and a peek behind the scientific curtain.