We’re back with the last instalment of our two-part series showcasing the wonderful world of science podcasts. If the below list isn’t enough for you, don’t forget to check out Part 1 if you missed it!

General Science

This one is pretty self-explanatory! If you want to widen your knowledge of science to new topics, whether to argue with your uncle at Christmas dinner or to ace those pub quizzes you go to every week with your mates, these podcasts are for you!

• The Science Hour  is a podcast by the BBC World service and is filled with recent science news as well as segments that explore topics asked by listeners that are then dissected by the team. This is a great one for keeping on top of scientific news around the world, but also feels more like a radio show than a podcast. Perfect for long drives or times when you might want something a bit more formal and easy to listen to. 

• Eons: Mysteries of Deep Time – This podcast is produced by PBS as a compliment to their popular Youtube series “PBS Eons” and delves into everything palaeontology and deep-time. From the history of famous fossils, to questions like “what was the first dinosaur?”. This podcast has only recently started up but is well made with beautiful and immersive audioscapes and is ideal for dinosaur kids who never grew up and those of us who marvel at the sheer breadth of geological time and how we can peer back through it via some old, dusty chunks of rock.

• Unexplainable is a science show about everything we don’t know. Host Noam Hassenfeld is joined by an array of experts and Vox reporters each week to look at the most fascinating unanswered questions in science and the mind-bending ways scientists are trying to answer them. 

• Rethink talks – From pandemics to production supply chains: how do we make sense of the complex world we live in? Every month, Rethink Talks brings together the best thinkers and practitioners within resilience thinking and sustainability science, to discuss how we can achieve a sustainable planet that enables well-being for all, and provides you with the latest science on global development.

• Further Research needed – A podcast on science from scientists where they ask those seemingly straight forward questions that don’t have such straight forward answers. Each episode takes a tongue in cheek look at current research and research practises whilst lifting the veil on what is scientific truth. 

• This Week in Virology is a weekly netcast about viruses – the kind that make you sick. Professors Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, Rich Condit, Kathy Spindler and science writer Alan Dove and guests deconstruct viruses, how they cause illness, and dissect the latest research.

Climate crisis, climate justice and climate solutions 

The climate crisis is scary and overwhelming, but it need not be hopeless! Here are a few podcasts that have left us feeling motivated and engaged in the search for solutions and understanding of the biggest challenge our planet faces today.

• Outrage + Optimism – Face the climate crisis head on, but understand that we have the power to solve this. From former UN Chief Christiana Figueres and the team who brought you the Paris Agreement, this podcast about issues and politics will inform you, inspire you and help you realise that this is the most exciting time in history to be alive.

• Hot Take is a holistic, irreverent, honest look at the climate crisis and all the ways media and society are talking—and not talking—about it. Hosted by real-life friends Mary Annaïse Heglar and Amy Westervelt—an essayist and a journalist— Hot Take offers a unique perspective on the issue of climate change.

• How to Save The Planet – This podcast series by Friends of the Earth brings you inspiring stories from the frontlines of the climate movement, frank discussion of the issues and solutions at play and takes a look at how anyone can have an impact.

• A Matter of Degrees – Join Dr. Leah Stokes and Dr. Katharine Wilkinson as they tell stories about the powerful forces behind climate change — and the tools we have to fix it. This show is for the climate curious people who know climate change is a problem, but are trying to figure out how to tackle it.

People in Science

Science isn’t just diverse in the topics in covers but also in the people who study them. Here are some podcasts that aim to increase representation and visibility of all scientists or help you find the right career in science.

• Sidenote by AsapSCIENCE – From their Youtube channel with 10 Million+ subscribers, each week Greg and Mitch discuss a different science topic and give fun facts they learned while researching for their Youtube videos. Filled with tangents and anecdotes and interspersed with queer references and commentary on the what its like to be a queer person in STEM and Science communication, this casual podcast is great for winding down and relaxing while also geeking out about science in an LGBTQ+ friendly space.

• Working Scientist is the Nature Careers podcast and is a regular show featuring advice and information from global industry experts with a strong focus on supporting early career researchers working in academia and other sectors.

Zoology

These podcasts are for those who want to learn more about the wonderful world of animals. Fill your brain with facts from land and sea creatures, big and small.

• This Podcast Will Kill You – Erin Welsh and Erin Allmann Updyke are disease ecologists and epidemiologists that host this podcast. Each episode they feature a disease or illness, cover its history, biology, and current status. They provide an insight into the complex placement of disease within our ecosystems and why “One Health” approaches that intersect our often overlapping social, economical, and ecological interests can provide for better health outcomes. From the history of vaccines, antibiotic resistance, complex parasite life-cycles, virus evolution, and historical outbreaks that changed the course of human history, this podcast gives a good all rounded view of the role disease plays in the story of life on earth.

• The Whole Tooth – Hosted by Dr Isla Hodgson, every episode takes a deep dive into a question sent in by a listener with the help of shark scientists and conservationists from all over the world. How do sharks take naps? Why do sharks glow in the dark? Can great whites REALLY smell blood from miles away? How do I become a marine scientist? This podcast is on a mission to communicate facts, debunk myths, and give you the tooth – and nothing but the truth! – on sharks, rays and everything ocean.

Botany

• On the Ledge – Jane Perrone hosts this House plant podcast, and her dulcet tones are perfect for those stressed out because their ficus is dropping its leaves or their peace lily is wilting. While still very accessible, Jane will dip her toes into the plant science behind our favourite house plants, as well as troubleshoot issues from listeners, and interview various plant influencers, botanic garden curators, and plant society presidents. This is a great podcast for those who would like to green their life but feel intimidated by the jungles they see on instagram.

• Plant Daddy Podcast – Stephen and Matthew get together to highlight a houseplant, discuss a plant trend, or interview experts on anything and everything related to keeping houseplants. With great attention to detail and accuracy, and highlighting niche plants that may often be overlooked, this podcast is great for those who might already have a bit of experience with keeping a few plants and are ready to delve a little deeper. With each host having their own style and preference for plant care, it is a great listen for those who want to branch out a little and find some cool new planty recommendations!

• Completely Arbortrary – Every week on this slightly rambly podcast, two friends chat about a different tree species and what makes it interesting or special. With one host tree-obsessed, and the other coming in without much tree knowledge, this podcast is great for anyone interested in learning more about trees in a fun and casual fashion!

The world is full of really great and educational podcasts, this is by no means a complete list but hopefully you’ll find something you enjoy! Think we’re missing an unmissable podcast or want to let us know what you thought of our recommendations? Drop us a comment on social media! What recommendations would you like to get next?

Thanks again to 4th Year Zoology PhD student Jenny Bortoluzzi & 2nd Year Zoology PhD student Simon Benson for putting this list together!

The start of term is here and with it you may be back from field work and starting to commute to campus again, or perhaps you are looking for an escape from those busy term-time work days, or maybe you are already a veteran podcast listener? Either way we’ve got you covered. We asked our PhD researchers what podcasts they like to listen to to stay informed on all topics science, zoology, botany, climate and more! Check their recommendations out below and before you go saying we don’t have a life outside of work, they also gave us their guilty pleasures at the bottom of the post.

This is the first of a two-part series, so be sure to come back next week for even more recommendations!

General Science

This one is pretty self-explanatory! If you want to widen your knowledge of science to new topics, whether to argue with your uncle at Christmas dinner or to ace those pub quizzes you go to every week with your mates, these podcasts are for you!

• Stuff you should know is a podcast which educates listeners on a wide variety of topics, often using popular culture as a reference, giving the podcast comedic value. It covers scientific topics from supernovae to rewilding but also history, politics, true crime and more. No need to worry about listening in order, each episode is a standalone!

• Science Vs is a pod which takes on fads, trends, and the opinionated mob to find out what’s fact, what’s not, and what’s somewhere in between. Wondering whether you should drink detox teas like an insta-celeb, or believe your drunk uncle’s rant about gun control? Science Vs has an ep for that. Episode highlight: “SHARKS!!! Sink Your Teeth in Again” and “Climate Change… the Apocalypse?”

• Ologies is a weekly science podcast hosted by Alie Ward. Each week, Ward talks with a different “ologist” from various scientific fields. The show’s tagline is “Ask smart people stupid questions”.

• Resources radio is a weekly podcast that features interviews with researchers and leading experts about climate change, energy, ecosystems, and more. Episode highlight: “The Challenge of Diversity in the Environmental Movement, with Dorceta Taylor”

• SciShow Tangents is the lightly competitive knowledge showcase from the geniuses behind the YouTube series SciShow. Every Tuesday, join Hank Green, Ceri Riley, and Sam Schultz as they try to one-up and amaze each other with weird and funny scientific research… while not getting distracted. There will be tangents about video games, music, weird smells, surprisingly deep insights about life, and of course, poop, but it always comes back to the science.

• Genetics Unzipped is produced in association with The Genetics Society, and each week they bring you a new episode relating to genomics, genes, and everything related to DNA and/or RNA. Does genetics influence your personality? How can we test sewage for COVID DNA? How can we use ancient DNA to tell us more about modern species (including us)? Covering a broad range of topics and their intersection with genetics, this podcast is great for anyone who thinks genetics is cool, but might not be ready to delve into the nitty-gritty details and dusty old textbooks.

Climate crisis, climate justice and climate solutions 

The climate crisis is scary and overwhelming, but it need not be hopeless! Here are a few podcasts that have left us feeling motivated and engaged in the search for solutions and understanding of the biggest challenge our planet faces today.

• How to Save a Planet: Climate change. We know. It can feel too overwhelming. But what if there was a show about climate change that left you feeling… energised? One so filled with possibility that you actually wanted to listen? Join journalist Alex Blumberg and a crew of climate nerds, as they bring you smart, inspiring stories about the mess we’re in and how we can get ourselves out of it. How to Save a Planet is a really engaging podcast that focuses on climate solutions and those who are at the heart of them. It challenges preconceptions and makes complex topics understandable and accessible. 

Episode highlight: Hard to pick one here but here is a selection we really enjoyed: “Are Electric Cars Really Better for the Climate?”; “Trying to Talk to Family about Climate Change? Here’s How “; and “The Green Wave”

Bonus: Check out co-host Dr Ayana Elizabeth’s other work including the book she co-edited “All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis” and her Ted talks.

• Drilled is a true-crime style podcast about climate change. The show was launched in 2017 and is hosted by investigative journalist Amy Westervelt who offers seasons long examinations of the origins of climate denial, workers who are suffering the impacts of climate change, fossil fuel propaganda and much much more.

• The Yikes Podcast: There’s a lot to make us Yikes in this world. From the climate crisis to racism to activism and resisting oppressive systems, it can call get a bit overwhelming. The Yikes Podcast is a podcast hosted by two climate justice activists, Mikaela Loach and Josephine Becker, which leans into the Yikes of the world rather than letting it overwhelm us. They breakdown the issues in an accessible and nuanced way to guide us towards action together. Episode highlight: “What is Climate Justice?”

People in Science

Science isn’t just diverse in the topics in covers but also in the people who study them. Here are some podcasts that aim to increase representation and visibility of all scientists or help you find the right career in science.

• LGBTQ+ Stem Cast is a podcast that features LGBTQ+ scientists from a variety of different fields in STEM. They discuss their research, upbringing, and how their passion for science started with an aim to expand the voices of LGBTQ+ scientists.

• TCDSU Diversity in STEM is a TCDSU campaign aiming to highlight and support the range of backgrounds and identities in STEM. This podcast aims to be a discussion with individuals from under-represented groups about their experiences in STEM, their work and their views on how to make STEM more diverse and accessible.

Zoology

These podcasts are for those who want to learn more about the wonderful world of animals. Fill your brain with facts from land and sea creatures, big and small.

• The Critter Shed: Of course, we couldn’t start this section without any other podcast than The Critter Shed, hosted by our very own Collie Ennis, science research associate at Trinity College Dublin. If you like learning about the weird and wonderful side of nature – about things like spider sex, venom-packing frogs, or mind-controlling parasites, and more – then this is the podcast for you! 

• Sharkpedia: Meghan and Amani are 2 shark researchers exploring sharks and their relatives! Get ready to jump in every-other-week to the world of sharks where Meghan and Amani break down the science with some of the legends in the field.

Botany

• In Defense of Plants: Hosted by Matt Candeias, each episode he interviews someone working in research, conservation, or anything else remotely related to plants. This podcast is great for centering our flora for their own sake, rather than the benefit they can provide us as humans. From complex pollination biology involving 3 or more species, to broadscale restoration projects, to paleobotany, plant genomics, and urban ecology. This podcast will give you a great insight on how plants permeate our environment, their ecological significance, evolutionary history and maybe just cure a bit of your plant blindness!

• Unearthed: Brought to you by Kew Garden’s botanist and ‘plant geek’ James Wong, Unearthed will take you on journey in this one-of-a kind docuseries looking at the science behind murder, trade, allergens and medicines. Learn about the illegal trafficking of rare species, how we identify dangerous poisons and how plants heal the human body through real-life human stories told through the expertise of Kew’s own scientists and horticulturists.

Our guilty pleasures…

A list of podcasts unrelated to our fields of study but that we enjoy listening to when our brains can’t take anymore serious science talk.

• The Shit Show and Culture Vulture: Two podcasts created by the people behind the “Shit You Should Care About” Instagram account which cover current affairs and pop culture phenomena. If the news often feels overwhelming, listen to their kiwi voices to get your weekly rundowns in a balanced way!

• Bad People: Murderers. Fraudsters. Internet trolls. This is a podcast about people who do terrible things, and the science of humanity’s dark side.

• Imaginary Worlds  is a podcast about science fiction, fantasy and other genres of speculative fiction hosted by Eric Molinsky.

• You’re wrong about: Sarah is a journalist obsessed with the past. Every week she reconsiders a person or event that’s been miscast in the public imagination.

• My Therapist Ghosted Me is the result of Joanne McNally’’s therapist doing just that! It’s often said that friends give the best therapy so Vogue & Joanne have teamed up to do exactly that (alongside a generous helping of laughter as that too is said to be the best form of therapy).

This blog was written by 4th Year Zoology PhD student Jenny Bortoluzzi & 2nd Year Zoology PhD student Simon Benson

After a hiatus during which the Symposium had to move online, the annual TCD Botany-Zoology Postgrad Symposium finally made it’s return to an in-person format at the start of June 2022 for its 11^th edition. It was a great opportunity to for the departments of Botany and Zoology to come together and hear about the wonderful research that is being carried out around the School of Natural Sciences. For some of us, it was our first time meeting certain people in person after many Zoom calls. The range of research that was showcased spanned from sharks to social media, and detoured through seaweed and the ever present climate change. We were delighted to welcome two guest speakers, Dr Anthony Heijenga from GIA Consultancy and Dr Katie O’Dwyer from the newly rechristened Atlantic Technological University, who brought in their unique perspectives on research.

The Symposium kicked off with the first of our plenary speakers, Dr Anthony Heijenga, who gave us a fascinating insight into what you can do with a biology degree. Between growing plants in space, flying in zero gravity and watching exploding rockets, there was plenty to keep the audience entertained. Anthony also gave us an overview of his work on plants and the challenges of growing plants in space.

After our first plenary speaker, it was on to our student presentations. First in the session was Haley Dolton, a third year PhD student in Dr Nick Payne’s lab, who presented her research on investigating the anatomy and physiology of basking sharks to understand why they behave the way they do.

Following Haley was Romane Guernalec, a masters student and intern in the Botany Department, supervised by Dr Matt Saunders. Romane works on methane fluxes from aerenchymous species (specifically Typha latifolia) in restored peatlands, and presented her plans for her fieldwork in Ireland.

Next up was Marine Valmier, a fourth year PhD student supervised by Dr Matt Saunders, who is looking at the impacts of management  and warmer temperatures on the carbon balance of a grassland on peat soil (assessed with Eddy Covariance technique).

Following Marine, we heard from Frank Spellman, who is a second year PhD student in Zoology supervised by Nessa O’Connor. Frank is applying ecological theory to improve the stability of yields of cultivated macroalage, and quantifying the ecological impact.

We then heard from Eamonn Cooper, a first year PhD student in Botany who is supervised by Trevor Hodkinson. Although Eamonn only started two months ago, he gave a great overview of his project which will be looking at the genetic characteristics of plus crop oak and their progeny.

Next up was Aedín Mc Adams, who is doing a research masters in Zoology with Prof Yvonne Buckley. Aedín is assessing the habitat suitable for restoration and reintroduction of Geyer’s Whorl snail 🐌 (Vertigo geyeri) in Lough Talt in the Lough Hoe Bog SAC.

Closing out the Thursday afternoon session was Thibault Durieux, a first year PhD student in Botany supervised by Dr Carla Harper. Thibault spoke to us about the first steps of wood evolution about 400 million years ago and its relationship with past ecosystems.

We were back bright and early on Friday morning for a packed day of talks. First to speak was Mairéad O’Donnell, who is a first year PhD student in Botany supervised by Dr Marcus Collier.

Next up was Floriane O’Keeffe, a third year PhD student in Zoology who is supervised by Dr Pepijn Luijckx. Floriane spoke to us about the effects of parasitism in Daphnia magna, specifically looking at the effects of sequential versus simultaneous co-infections in these animals.

Following Floriane, we heard from Midori Yajima, who is supervised by Prof Jenny McElwain. She spoke to us about how botanic gardens’ potential for climate change research is yet to be fully explored. Trinity College Botanic Garden has a 10+ year environmental monitoring program which aims to contribute to filling this gap, and its year one baseline work is now underway – addressing the what, how, and which species will be protagonists for this long term challenge.

Next up was Elena Zioga, a final year PhD student supervised by Prof Jane Stout. Elena presented her research on characterising systemic pesticide residues in floral resources for bees in Ireland.

We then heard from Grace McNicholas, a first year PhD student supervised by Dr Nick Payne. Grace presented her plans for her PhD project, which will be investigating environmental drivers and habitat suitability of a renowned ocean predator, tuna.

The final speaker of this session was Bea Jackson, who is supervised by Prof Jenny McElwain and Dr Carla Harper. She is working on using fossil plant trait to aid with reconstruction of atmospheric CO2 concentration during the Devonian period.

After a quick coffee break in the sunshine, we were on the second session of the day. Our first speaker was Andrew Neill, a third year PhD student supervised by Prof Jane Stout, who presented his project discussing how social-media can provide insight into people-nature interactions to better map and assess cultural ecosystem services.

Next up was Kathleen Conroy, who is a first year PhD student supervised by Prof Jane Stout. Her work  will enable land managers to make important decisions that will have lasting effects on Irish forests.

We then heard from Clinton Haarlem, a second year PhD student supervised by Dr Andrew Jackson, who gave a talk which was intriguingly entitled “Time is in the eye of the beholder”. Clinton gave an overview of his research investigating what might cause variation in individuals’ “temporal resolution” (the ability to process different rates of change in luminance).

Next to speak was Irene Bottero, a final year Botany PhD student who is supervised by Prof Jane Stout.  She explained to us that landscape degradation is one of the main causes of insect pollinators decline, and that preserving landscape diversity and semi-natural habitats (including floral strips and hedgerows) is fundamental to preserve pollinator communities in agricultural contexts.

Our next speaker was Whitney Parker, a first year PhD student supervised by Dr Pepijn Luijckx. She gave an introduction of her PhD, which will investigate the effect of host density and genetic diversity on the spread of infectious diseases, using Daphnia magna as a model organism.

The final speaker of this session was Andrew Torsney, a PhD student in Zoology supervised by Prof Yvonne Buckley. He presented his research on the environmental impacts of visitors at nature-based sites, and explained that visitor demongraphics, site-type and activities determine the occurrence and severity of environmental impacts at these tourist destinations.

Our final session was opened by Simon Benson, a first year PhD student in Zoology, supervised by Dr Nessa O’Connor. He presented his PhD project which will investigate the development of high-value products for economically viable kelp aquaculture using genetic, ecophysiological, and biochemical methods.

Next up was Kate Harrington, a first year PhD student supervised by Prof Jane Stout and Prof Fraser Mitchell. Kate is investigating the ecological value and ecosystem services of new native woodlands.

We then heard from Niamh Mc Cartan, a first year PhD student in Zoology who is supervised by Dr Pepijn Luijckx, who presented her project looking at the effect of extreme temperature variation on host-parasite interactions.

Natalia Rodriguez Castenado, supervised by Dr Marcus Collier, then presented her project, entitled Embracing wild and restoring minds: qualitative approaches to urban wild spaces and mental health and well-being in sustainable cities.

Our final student speaker of the Symposium was Katrin Schertenleib, a final year PhD student in Zoology supervised by Dr Nessa O’Connor. Katrin explained how Bayesian Belief Networks function, and how we can use them to assess the ecological status of Dublin Bay.

She closed her talk by reiterating to the audience how important climate change mitigation measures are, especially in such uncertain times.

Finally, Dr Katie O’Dwyer closed the Symposium with the second of our plenary talks, giving us an overview of her journey in research and her work on parasite ecology. It was a great end to a busy couple of days filled with a wide range of talks.  

Finally, it was time for prizes, presented by our plenary speakers!

And the winners were…

Niamh Mc Cartan for best five minute talk, Katrin Schertenleib for second place ten minute talk, Elena Zioga for best ten minute talk and Elena Zioga once again for the audience choice.

After corralling our attendees to the stairs for a group photo, we released them for celebrations in the Pav. Congratulations to all our presenters and a special congratulations to the winners!

Blog written by Floriane O’Keeffe

Updates from EcoEvo Editors:

We just wanted to say another huge thank you to the committee members for putting on such a friendly and supportive event! And congratulations to all the speakers, with a special mention to the winners!

Finally, a quick reminder that if you have any EcoEvo news, research updates, or think pieces you’d like to write about, please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you and share your piece on the blog!

It’s been just over two weeks since International Women’s Day (IWD) 2022, and in truth I feel a little bit deflated. As wonderful as it was to see the work of so many incredible females being celebrated, I can’t help but agree with Greta. 

As I scrolled through Twitter I was greeted with the usual performative ‘Look at us supporting women’ posts. Although seemingly inspiring, in reality these were nothing more than a picture of a female employee and a few hashtags. Ok great so you have a female in the team, but what are you doing to support them? To provide them with the same opportunities as their male counterparts? To ensure they are treated and paid fairly? It turns out mostly not a lot, with many organisations (several universities included) failing to put their money where their mouth is. I came across a great page (@PayGapAPP) calling out gender pay disparities in response to IWD posts from organisations claiming to champion women. It would have been quite amusing to see them scramble to delete and amend their posts after being called out if it wasn’t so heart-breaking. 

Something else I was struck by, but sadly not surprised at, was how the majority of posts I came across were from women. Yes, it’s International Women’s Day, but in my experience what women don’t need is more support from each other (something that is usually found in bucket loads). What we actually need is for our male friends and colleagues to use their voices to support us too. Our fight for equality should not rest on our shoulders alone, and quite frankly the problem isn’t our fault, so why should we be the ones constantly trying to fix it? 

Misogyny is everywhere, always. It lurks in academic portraits hung on walls where women often cease to exist. It lingers in emails addressed ‘Hi guys’ or ‘Dear Sirs’. It strikes when equipment is taken out of a woman’s hand because ‘she needs help’. It stings with questions asked about childcare that aren’t also asked to male colleagues. The list goes on…and on. And if you don’t see it, you are part of the problem.

With risk of falling into an even deeper pit of despair, I want to direct this blog into something more positive. What can we do (all genders) to chip away and change these behaviours in both everyday life and an academic setting? 

Here’s 5 things I think if we all made a little effort to do, we would see a huge difference. 

1.         Check yourself – Do you notice or consider the microaggressions women face on a daily basis? 

Microaggression is defined as indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group. In the case of women, this can range from unsolicited pet names and invasion of personal space to female colleagues having their skills underestimated because they don’t fit the stereotype in a male dominated career. 

There’s a link to a great article here with some more examples. Have a flick through and make yourself familiar. Some of them you might have noticed before, and others might be new to you. By putting these on your radar, hopefully you will be more likely to notice them in real life scenarios. I see them on a very regular basis, so it shouldn’t take you long. 

2.              Call it out – Do you speak up when you see others treated differently because of their gender?

I read something the other day which really made me sit back and question myself, “just because someone is nice to you, doesn’t mean they are nice to everyone”. We can all be guilty of turning a blind eye to behaviours that don’t affect us, but it is precisely then when we should use our privilege to call out the differences in treatment between colleagues. I have definitely been guilty of this in the past. Although I’m sure being a woman and not having the confidence to question this in fear of being labelled ‘one of those’ has influenced this in part (internalised misogyny strikes again), it’s not an excuse and I need to do better. And likely, so do you.  

3.              Be inclusive – Think about how you address your peers. What kind of language do you use? Are you unknowingly dismissing your female colleagues? 

I recently received an email from my solicitor that read: Dear Grace, immediately followed by Dear Sirs. When I responded politely but firmly that as my name hinted, I was a female, and that a more inclusive approach to addressing clients should be used, I was met with the response “It was a generic email and no offence was caused”. Yes, you read that right. As you can imagine, I didn’t take too kindly to this and was quick to reply, that offence was caused, and whether or not it was a generic email, my point still stood. Whatever the purpose of the correspondence, why are we still excluding other genders on something so fundamental as addressing another human being?

Perhaps this is an extreme example (it’s not, I’ve been addressed as Dear Sirs more times than you can shake a stick at), but what about ‘hey guys’? I used to say this all the time, and it wasn’t until a friend of mine questioned me that I thought anything more of it. It may seem trivial but imagine if everyone went round addressing mixed gendered groups as ‘hey girls’, you’d probably think that’s a bit odd, so why aren’t the same questions asked when it’s the other way around?

4.              Change your behaviour – Ask yourself, if this was a man, would I behave the same? 

The belief that women are weak and need protecting is known as ‘Benevolent Sexism’. 

If you saw a man carrying something, e.g. field equipment, and they didn’t look uncomfortable or like they genuinely needed help, would you offer it? And if you did, but they declined, would you still insist? I’m not saying never ask a woman if she needs help again, just think about your motives in doing so first. 

The same goes for the reverse. For example, giving validation to a female colleague for completing a task and not giving the same validation to a male colleague in the same position. This goes back to underestimating women, and being surprised when they succeed.

5. Show up – You don’t have to be perfect; you just need to try. 

This is arguably the most important of my tips and the main take home point. 

Misogyny is so deeply ingrained in society it’s impossible to change all of these things overnight. But by constantly questioning both your own and other’s behaviours and by making mistakes and learning, together we can start to see real change. 

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I want to highlight that these are my own thoughts and based on my own personal experiences. This is a nuanced subject, and the effects of misogyny are not felt equally between different ethnicities, sexualities, and gender identities. I of course cannot speak for everyone one who identifies as a woman and everyone is different, so bear that in mind. However, if you want to chat or have any questions, please feel free to get in touch.

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This blog was written by Grace McNicholas, one of our EcoEvo Blog Editors.

It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for…the results of our annual photo competition!

We’d like to start by saying a huge thank you to each and every one of you who submitted your photos. It’s been so wonderful to see such diversity between entries and to get a sneak peek into both your field work and general time you’ve spent in nature. I’m sure all our readers will agree with us how fantastic each photo is, but alas, there can only be one new photo banner!

You are all winners in our eyes but after struggling to narrow it down to our top 5, we couldn’t possibly decide on the winner alone…*Google poll enters the chat*. We had brilliant engagement during the voting process, so thank you to all of you who participated and voted for your favourite. Our winning photo took over 50% of the vote share, with the rest split evenly.

Before revealing our finalists and winner (no scrolling to the bottom yet please), join us while we take you through all of our 2022 entries:

The Entries

Green Shieldbug by Mairéad O’Donnell

Mairéad is a PhD student in the Department of Botany. Her Twitter handle is @MaireadODonn

Sugar Kelp and more! by Jean Williams

Jean is a PhD student in the Dept. of Botany, working with Marcus Collier examining if wild edibles can transition towards a more sustainable food system.

Aminita Muscaria or Fly Agaric by Jean Williams

Imagine the noise! by Katrin Schertenleib

Katrin is a PhD student in Zoology, working in Nessa O’Connor’s lab and her Twitter handle is @KatMarSci

Keep your head down by Mat Cobain

Mat is a postdoc in Zoology and his Twitter handle is @CobainMat

Touch of innocence by Elena Zioga

Elena is a PhD student in the Botany department and her Twitter handle is @ZioElena

The third wheel by Elena Zioga

The Bee Orchid by Marine Valmier

Marine is a PhD student in the Botany department and her Twitter handle is @MValmier

The Bee Orchid by Marine Valmier

Common blue butterfly by Bea Jackson

Bea Jackson is a Research Masters student in Jennifer McElwain’s group and is studying Devonian plant fossils.

A Xylocopa violacea resting on a maple tree branch by Irene Bottero

Irene is a PhD student in Botany working on pollinators under the Poshbee EU project.

A honey bee looking for some food fell into a trap… by Irene Bottero

The Finalists

Lockdown Visitor by Floriane O’Keeffe 

Floriane is a PhD student in Zoology, working in The Parasitology Lab and her Twitter handle is @florianeeok

Making a Mockery by Floriane O’Keeffe 

Ichneumon Wasp on a Holly bush by Mairéad O’Donnell

Mairéad O’Donnell is a PhD student in Botany and her Twitter handle is @MaireadODonn

Eggs, Eggs, Eggs by Jason Keegan

Jason is a postdoctoral research fellow in Zoology, working in The Holland Lab.

The WINNER!

Look what I’ve brought! by Katrin Schertenleib

Katrin is a PhD student in Zoology, working in Nessa O’Connor’s lab and her Twitter handle is @KatMarSci

Thank you to all who participated and congratulations to our deserving winner! The EcoEvo blog banner will be updated to Katrin’s beautiful image shortly.