Bush Telegraph the House Magazine of the Edinburgh Consortium for Rural Research
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Issue No. 68 Spring/Summer 2010 Bush Telegraph The House Magazine of the Edinburgh Consortium for Rural Research GETTING BACK TO MY ROOTS IN THIS ISSUE surveyors of the Soil Survey around Grantown- ‘Tis people who count. on-Spey – there is nothing like digging a A new team at UHI working on rural policy. Page 2 hole to help understand the complexities of A Nobel visitor Scottish soils! Most of my career has been Former Moredun & Dick Vet scientist pays with the British Geological Survey, mapping in a visit. Page 3 north Ayrshire but also working on the use of Research ahoy! geological data for planning and engineering A new vessel for the UMBS team at purposes, environmental geology. Since then Millport Page 4 I’ve become much more involved in science Speed dating for scientists at the Roslin communication and I was heavily involved in Institute Page 5 setting up Our Dynamic Earth, where I’m still Moredun links arts and sciences to good part-time Scientific Director. effect Page 6 Forging conservation links with Thailand at Our leaflet, which advertises ECRR, has a map RBGE Page 7 showing the distribution of sites that are Marking a Forest Research milestone at associated with ECRR. The organisation was Bush Page 8 initially set up to facilitate communication and foster collaboration between the various A new chapter opens for SCRI/MLURI Page 9 organisations working from the Bush estate. Professor Stuart Monro ECRR has now spread, touching virtually every part of Scotland through its members. It now It is a great pleasure to take on the role may be time to consider whether our name of Scientific Director of the Edinburgh Edinburgh Consortium for Rural Research is our events as possible, as a mechanism for Consortium for Rural Research and I will try the most appropriate and reflect on whether communicating between organisations as well to be a worthy successor to Chris Browitt who or not it is time to change the name and as trumpeting research initiatives. is now freed up to travel the world and break reflect the Scotland-wide reach. A Scotland- One of the highlights of our programme is the new ground in using seismology for a wide based approach would mean that we will annual, Peter Wilson Lecture, held jointly with range of environmental issues. For myself, need to look critically at how a programme the Institute of Biology and the Royal Society I’ve just stepped down from being co-chair of is arranged to ensure that we can achieve of Edinburgh. This year’s event was held on the Scottish Science Advisory Council (SSAC). maximum engagement across all members. the 16th February 2010 and the lecturer was This has been a really interesting experience, Impact seems to have become a buzz word Professor Jim MacDonald, Principal and Vice- getting a feel for the wide range of science just now but looking back at the range of Chancellor of Strathclyde University. The issue done in Scotland and seeing how science is topics covered in our workshops and seminars, of climate change has been at the forefront used to help determine government policy. I many should be useful to government in of the news recently with the Copenhagen think there are some aspects of the way SSAC determining policy. I would like to explore conference and its impact will be felt in both operates that I might suggest to the Board of ways in which we can be more visible to rural and urban environments. Jim looked at ECRR so that our activities in workshops and government and our outputs valued. In some of the solutions that can be achieved seminars have greater impact. SSAC we have established a rapport with in Scotland through the use of low-carbon Coming to ECRR is a bit like getting back to Ministers and are seeing the science outputs technologies and energy infrastructure. He my roots. I spent my childhood summers helping develop government policy. Perhaps addressed many of the issues of the day in on farms around Aberchirder in NE Scotland ECRR can operate in a similar way feeding his lecture and the opportunities that they and originally went to Aberdeen University to outputs to Ministers directly or through presented for Scotland. study soil science. I was eventually seduced by SSAC. It is important to our members that The year ahead will be challenging but it the delights of geology and the petrographic we retain the light touch approach as an will be exciting to see ECRR play its part in microscope but I did spend a couple of my informal, facilitating organisation but it is Scotland’s rich science base. student summers digging holes for the also important that we make as much use of www.ecrr.org.uk Members’ Reports UHI Millenium Institute Dr Thomas Feldhoff • Access and inclusion – with an emphasis and the ESRC’s commitment to promote UHI Centre for Remote and Rural Studies on identifying inequalities in remote awareness of UK social science research to Academy Lodge, Crown Avenue, and rural places and working with new non-academic audiences. Inverness, Scotland, IV2 3NG policymakers and other stakeholders Email: [email protected] to address such inequalities in a wide In October 2009, the centre launched its range context. For example, social new Policy Briefing Paper Series. This series cohesion in the context of changing rural aims to cover one or more of the following NEW TEAM AT CRRS communities, social justice and climate depending on the particular topic and author: change, issues of rural equivalence, and • provide accessible summaries of research A new team of specialists at the prospective post school education. University of the Highlands and Islands on a particular topic • Sustainability – with a focus on asset (UHI) is engaged in research, training and • evaluate and/or recommend particular ownership and management, leadership education on issues related to rural policy policy options in relation to a topic making, planning and development. The and governance issues, regional UHI Centre for Remote and Rural Studies development and innovation, public • summarise a particular research project (previously called UHI PolicyWeb) was service delivery in remote and rural and extract policy messages places, and changing demography and its established to improve the evidence base The papers are targeted at those with an implications for the sustainability of rural and level of debate around public policy interest and involvement in rural and remote communities issues affecting remote and rural areas, policy issues at the academic, policy and by encouraging collaboration between • Managing change – particularly in community level, and shall be distributed academics, researchers and practitioners in relation to economic and social change, widely amongst public, business, academic the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and local-global linkages, community and community organisations. Forthcoming beyond. The centre is based in Inverness adaptation strategies for climate, papers will address topics such as crofting, and is part of the UHI academic partnership, migration and technological advances demographic changes, the third sector and working together to build the future within the context of remote and rural land reform. Join our distribution list at university for the region. places. [email protected] (Ref. CRRS Briefing Paper Series) and you will receive regular updates The new interdisciplinary social science As part of the centre’s knowledge exchange and electronic versions of the papers. Printed team has been put together with substantial activities, CRRS organises an annual seminar versions are available on request. support from Highlands and Islands series. These seminars are open to all those Enterprise (HIE). Dr Philomena de Lima, with an interest in rural issues. Topics have who is the Director of the centre, has lived included “Climate change and sustainability”, TRAINING & EDUCATION in the Highlands for around 24 years. She “The future of crofting” and “Rural proofing”. CRRS provides training and education to an has been actively involved in researching The theme of the 2009-2010 seminar series international standard on rural policy making, rural policy issues, particularly with regard will be “Reimagining our Futures in Rural planning and development issues. Currently, to migration, social exclusion, minorities and Communities”. In addition, think tanks on the centre has two part-time PhD students, equalities and has published widely on these issues such as rural innovation, creating one working on community responses to topics. The centre’s mission is to address the thriving rural communities, affordable climate change and the other on community social, economic, cultural and environmental rural housing and migration have also power and asset (land) reform. opportunities and challenges facing remote been facilitated. We are also collaborative and rural places and people. partners with the Centre for Research on For further information on CRRS contact Families and Relationships (based at [email protected], call 01463 273563 or visit or RESEARCH & KNOWLEDGE University of Edinburgh). website www.crrs.uhi.ac.uk. EXCHANGE In March 2010, CRRS in co-operation with the Centre for Rural Health and the Centre The centre will initially focus on three cross- for Rural Childhood are planning to hold cutting themes, pooling the cross-disciplinary an event on “The Future of Public Service research expertise of its team members Delivery in Ageing Rural Communities” having academic backgrounds in sociology during the ESRC Festival of Social Science and social policy, human geography, public 2010 week. This festival is a key element policy management, psychology and politics: of the ESRC’s Science in Society strategy Page 2 www.ecrr.org.uk Bush Telegraph www.ecrr.org.uk Members’ Reports Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies Neil Wilson R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh Easter Bush Midlothian EH25 9RG Email: [email protected] TALK BY NOBEL PRIZE- WINNER On 25th February 2010 Nobel Prize-winning alumnus immunologist Peter Doherty visited the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies to address staff and students.