MCIEEM
Honorary Research Fellow
- About
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- Email Address
- emma.cary@abdn.ac.uk
- School/Department
- School of Geosciences
Biography
Social scientist with research interests in biodiversity conservation, environmental policy and interdisciplinary collaborations to improve conservation outcomes.
I have a PhD in environmental decision-making from the Department of Geography & Environment, University of Aberdeen. I was previously a Nuffield Parliamentary Fellow, bridging scientific research and policymaking.
Qualifications
- PhD Geography2025 - University of Aberdeen
Decision-making in rewilding, restoration and nature recovery
Latest Publications
Guerrilla rewilding: urgent protest or dangerous gamble?: Who is releasing lynx and beavers into the countryside? And what impact is it having on ecosystems?
Biologist, vol. 73Contributions to Specialist Publications: ArticlesDigital nature in the AI era: how human and AI-generated representations shape future visions of rewilding
People and NatureContributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.70266
Integrating people and place into policy: recognising cultural values of nature and lived places for Biodiversity Net Gain
Commissioned by The British Academy. The British Academy. 31 pagesBooks and Reports: Commissioned ReportsSally Hawkins, Ian Convery, Steve Carver and Rene Beyers (eds.), ‘Routledge Handbook of Rewilding’
Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture, vol. 19, no. 1-2, pp. 1-2Contributions to Journals: Reviews of Books, Films and ArticlesCan we learn from the UK’s guerrilla rewilding movement?
OryxContributions to Journals: Articles
Prizes and Awards
Winner of the SAGES Graduate School 'Best Publication 2024' under the Transformations in Society and Environmental Policy Theme
- Research
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Research Overview
My research concentrates on using social science to improve biodiversity and conservation outcomes. I am interested in diverse interactions between people and nature, including decisions around how land is used and managed.
My research interests include:
- investigating how knowledge is produced and used in environmental decision-making processes
- understanding local conditions in restoration, rewilding and nature recovery initiatives
- exploring the socio-cultural aspects of human-wildlife coexistence, including the diverse ways in which people understand, interact with and value nature.
I also have an interest in science-policy-society interactions.
Research Areas
Geography and Environment
Research Specialisms
- Social Sciences
- Biodiversity Conservation
- Environmental Geography
- Environmental Management
- Applied Social Science
Our research specialisms are based on the Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS) which is HESA open data, published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
Current Research
2024 - 2026 Nature Recovery Farming: Supporting the Transition
This project is led by Sheffield Hallam University, working with farmers and other land managers in South Yorkshire and the Peak District to understand their experiences of accessing funding for land management that supports nature’s recovery.
Past Research
2022 - 2025 Understanding stakeholder decision-making for ecological restoration, rewilding and nature recovery initiatives
This project investigated environmental decision-making processes in ecological restoration, rewilding and nature recovery projects. Funded by NERC via QUADRAT DTP.
Knowledge Exchange
I was previously a Nuffield Parliamentary Fellow in the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, bridging scientific research and policymaking.
Outputs from my fellowship are available here.
Funding and Grants
2025 - British Academy, 'Place-sensitive understandings of nature recovery in the UK', contributing to the Academy's public policy theme on Sustainable Futures
2024 - Nuffield Foundation POST Fellowship, Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology
2023 - SAGES Small Grant
2022 - NERC QUADRAT studentship, University of Aberdeen
2022 - NERC PANORAMA studentship, University of Leeds (declined)
- Publications
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Page 2 of 2 Results 11 to 13 of 13
Rewilding in the British policy landscape: A qualitative analysis of policy documents related to rewilding
Scottish Geographical Journal, vol. 141, no. 1-2, pp. 113-138Contributions to Journals: ArticlesRewilding concepts, policy and practice: investigating knowledge integration and decision-making in British rewilding initiatives
Wild Scotland: Interdisciplinary perspectives on the challenges and opportunities of rewildingContributions to Conferences: AbstractsExploring knowledge production and integration in UK rewilding initiatives
The XXIXth European Society for Rural Sociology Congress, pp. 483Contributions to Conferences: Abstracts- [ONLINE] Conference Book of Abstracts
