Nerea Ferrando
Areas of interest
- Urban soil and forestry
- Science communication and public engagement
- Circular economy and smart cities
- SciArt
Research centres and groups
Research projects
Exploring the Role of Citizen Science for advances in Urban Soil Management and Inspiring Sustainable Action
This PhD project aims to (i) identify the best leaf litter management practices for soil health that will enhance the delivery of regulating ecosystem services using a combination of Citizen Science and technical data collected from urban parks and (ii) increase understanding of Citizen Science’s role in fostering sustainable practices by exploring the impact on participants learning, attitudes and actions.
These aims will be explored through Earthwatch-HSBC’s Sustainability Training Programme (STP). This interdisciplinary project has been developed in collaboration with Earthwatch Institute, Imperial College London, CNRS, INRA France, and the University of Manchester and is helping scientific researchers collect key soil measurements in London (Kew Gardens), Birmingham (Cannon Hill Park) and France (Les Fontaines Campus of Capgemini) as part of a wider research campaign looking at soil and tree health in urban areas
Supervisors:
Professor Joanna Clark (University of Reading)
Professor Hilary Geoghegan (University of Reading)
Toos van Nordwijk (Earthwatch Europe)
Macarena Cárdenas (Earthwatch Europe)
Contact:
Background
A passionate environmental scientist and visual artist who has a special interest in bridging the communication gap between science and the public through her research, environmental art, and science engagement.
Nerea has an interdisciplinary background, having studied Fine Arts and Biology in Spain, and Environmental Science and Sustainability in the UK. She went straight from her bachelors to her current PhD position after receiving first class honours at the University of Glasgow.
Nerea is now collaborating in an EU project that aims to protect urban forest and soils in order to make our cities more resilient to climate risks.
This initiative involves several universities and institutes, an international environmental NGO, and enthusiastic citizen scientist from a global bank who are helping with key data collection.
Websites/blogs
CLIMATE-PROOF CITIES: Using nature to make resilient cities in the face of a changing climate
Nerea Ferrando's Art Facebook page: @Nferrando91