Dr Carolyn Petersen

I am an environmental social scientist with over twenty years’ experience of working in academic, government agency and voluntary sector contexts, both in the UK and internationally. My primary research interest is in knowledge exchange and engagement of stakeholders and policy makers with the environment, its governance and policies (across the science-policy-practice interface). This includes on the governance of nature-based solutions for climate adaptation and on nature recovery. I have secured research funding from a range of sources including UKRI, the public sector and business. My research has involved engaging and working directly with staff at a number of government organisations including Defra, Natural England, the Environment Agency, as well as engagement with a range of other key stakeholders (business, non-governmental sector, etc).

I have built up a substantial publication record across a variety of formats. My research to date includes both UK and international work (EU, South Africa, Brazil) and I have successfully worked on a number of interdisciplinary projects. I have also developed a range of academic skills including qualitative data collection and analysis (interviews, focus groups, QCA analysis, using NVivo, etc) and quantitative and spatial data analysis (including visitor surveys, panel data, survey experiments, using R, GIS skills) as well as strong written communication and project management skills. I am passionate about carrying out impact-generating research engaging with policy makers and stakeholders.

Current research projects:

I am currently working on the NERC-funded RENEW project (Theme 3) (https://renewbiodiversity.org.uk/themes/theme-3-land-managers/ ), researching nature renewal and land managers’ engagement with environmental management practices. In addition, I am involved in an evaluation for Defra of the Local Nature Recovery Strategies in England as part of a consortium with ICF and Land Use Consultants, and a Defra-funded project on devising social indicators for monitoring and evaluating an agri-environment scheme (Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier).

I am also continuing research arising from the EU Horizon 2020-funded REGREEN project (2022-24), working with Prof. Duncan Russel (Politics) (https://www.regreen-project.eu). This project involved research on governance and policy learning for innovation in urban nature-based solutions (NBS), focusing on climate change adaptation (flooding and heat effects).

I combine my research interests with project management skills and experience (PRINCE2 Practitioner qualified). This includes working as a Project Manager on the EU Interreg-funded project Promoting Adaptation to Changing Coasts (2022-2023) (https://www.pacco-interreg.com ), a coastal climate change adaptation and managed realignment project (for the East Devon Pebblebed Heaths Conservation Trust / Clinton Devon Estates).

Previous research projects:

• Interdisciplinary collaboration - RENEW X3 – Collaboration in Practice (2023-4) project; (NERC-funded) (https://renewbiodiversity.org.uk/themes/theme-x3-collaboration-in-practice/): research into collaboration across disciplines and sectors (including with external stakeholders) in the four research programmes within the NERC-funded Changing the Environment Programme.
• Sustainable Tourism - Bio-Cultural Heritage Tourism (2018-2022) EU Interreg-funded (https://www.bcht.eu/ ): investigating improving environmental sustainability in tourism interventions in partnership with four UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in England and France.
• Gender equality, agroecology and food security - project funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund (2021): with Prof. Toby Pennington (Geography) and the Instituto Ouro Verde (https://ouroverde.org.br/), Mato Grosso, Brazil, entitled ‘Investigating the contributions of women’s agroforestry activities to renegotiating gender equality and food security in Brazil’.
• Health and wellbeing-environment links – two reports commissioned by the South West Coast Path Association (https://www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/ ) (2022 and 2021), funded by Natural England: research on the economic and qualitative physical and mental health and wellbeing benefits of walking the South West Coast Path, including a focus on access and inclusion.
• Valuing Nature Placement; NERC-funded (2018): quantifying the health and wellbeing value of the East Devon Pebblebed Heaths and exploring the potential of partnerships with private sector organisations to increase the associated benefits (with Clinton Devon Estates and ECEHH).
• Public administration – working with Prof. Oliver James (Politics) - 1) the Structure and Organisation of Government project (SOG-PRO) (https://www.sog-pro.eu/en/); ESRC-funded (2014-2018): investigating and developing innovative ways to describe and understand organisational dynamics at central government level. And 2) the Coordinating for Cohesion in the Public Sector of the Future project (COCOPS); EU funded (2013-14) (http://www.cocops.eu/), a public management research consortium (11 universities in 10 countries), investigating blame attribution as a result of contracting out of public services, using survey experiment methodology.