Staff Profile

I have been a research ecologist involved particularly with agri-environment and organic farming in the UK hills and uplands since 1991. I completed my PhD in 2022 while working as a member of staff; the PhD topic was methods to monitor raised and blanket bog restoration in the north of England

I have been Post Graduate Research Director since January 2023

I developed the successful MSc Conservation and Ecosystem Management, and continue to offer tutor support to the current students

I am Senior Tutor and Lecturer in agri-environment, grassland, upland habitats and ecosystems

I have been teaching since 2006 MA(Education)

I have developed skills teaching in agriculture, environmental science and applied social science clusters of the School of Natural and Environmental Science

I have been Chair of Kirkley Hall Board of Examiners and MSc Board of Examiners

I am the co-ordinator for Go Abroad and Study Abroad in Natuaral and Environmental Sciences

I am part of the Team that won the prestigious award from the HEA: the Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence

See more about what my students and I get up to on my blog.

Research interests include

• Upland habitats, agricultural ecology, particularly bogs and mires
• Effects of grip blocking on vegetation of blanket bog
• Methods for detecting changes in quality on bogs and mires
• PhD achieved December 2022 

I have personal and student projects with

• the Northumberland National Park on the restoration and conservation on Lampert Moss on the Northumberland/Cumbria border https://www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/student-research-presentations/ 
• Natural England on methods for monitoring the condition of the Border Mires SSSI using standard and remote sensing techniques
• North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on Sphagnum transplanting on bare peat and drain blocking
• Forestry England on cattle in woodlands and Kielder Mires SSSI vegetation studies

Undergraduate

• Grassland
• Academic and Professional Skills
• Ecology and Environment Research 
• Environment and Land Use Field Class
• Environment and Habitat Assesment Field Class
• Ecosystems: Characteristics, Functions and Environmental Change

Postgraduate

• Academic Professional Skills
• Data Analysis and Interpretation
• Ecological Survey Techniques
• Ecosystem Management

Nominated for NU Teaching Excellence Awards each year since 2014. Shortlisted in 2019

• Article

  • Critchley CNR, Adamson HF, McLean BML, Davies OD. Vegetation dynamics and livestock performance in system-scale studies of sheep and cattle grazing on degraded upland wet heath. AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT 2008, 128(1-2), 59-67.