Interview by Lucy Wyatt
The work of The Carbon Community is only possible thanks to a whole community of people – as the name suggests! In today’s blog, we caught up with Tanya, Iain and Emilia from the Department of Geography at Swansea University, to hear more about their involvement with Glandwr Forest. The team have been part of the project from the very first tree measure back in 2021, with master’s students helping out year after year with citizen science as well as conducting their own research at the site.
Iain Robertson is a chemist with a broad interdisciplinary background. His research has focused upon a better understanding of natural climatic variability using the properties of tree-rings. Recent research has used amended biochar to reduce environmental pollution from abandoned metal mines, and to remove microplastics from aquatic environments.
Tanya Trott is a PhD student from Swansea University studying the impacts of basalt dust on soil physical and hydrological properties. She has a passion for the outdoors and the ways we interact with and depend on natural resources.
Emilia Urbanek is a soil scientist interested in the role of soils in mitigation of climate change. Her research is focused on the understanding the relationship between the water availability and soil carbon dynamics
Iain: My original focus was as a dendrochronologist, looking at climatic signals – so I’ve always been interested in trees. But I stumbled across The Carbon Community by chance when it was first being established, and we got chatting about the use of biochar to help plants grow better. There’s a lot of lab studies in this space, but here it’s happening in the field – and only 50 miles away!
Emilia: I’m a soil scientist, so I’m interested in any novel research in managing soils, especially when it comes to carbon sequestration. When I found out about this innovative global research project happening right on our doorstep, where the basalt dust is added to soil to sequester carbon, I really wanted to be involved.
Tanya: I was actually working as a consultant in the finance world when I first came across The Carbon Community and decided to volunteer. I wanted to contribute to something that was making a difference, so it was my gateway into climate change action. I’d decided to change career, and was due to start a master’s at Swansea – and met the course director Iain at my first volunteering day!
Tanya: The idea first came during a Carbon Community volunteering day, where I was paired up with Emilia. We spent the whole time chatting about soil and different considerations, and it was just fascinating. Could basalt dust change the physical properties of soil? Could there be a research project emerging? We formulated the PhD between the three of us from there. It’s one of the reasons why The Carbon Community is such a fantastic project – it brings people together and opens up opportunities.
Iain: The trees were a lot smaller! We just had portaloos and makeshift tables, but there was a real sense of doing real science, using real skills – especially valuable coming out of the covid pandemic, when lots of students had field trips cancelled. Now we’re spoiled every year, it’s such a brilliant set-up.
Emilia: The conditions at the site have definitely changed. I remember a big empty plot with a big pile of basalt dust at the start! For the first soil sampling volunteering event, it was a scorching hot summer, not what you would expect at a Welsh site. At the volunteering event despite very hot day we had to wear long sleeves because of the bugs and long grass … it’s hard work, but it was a great teamwork with a good laugh and chat. It’s so much more than just the science, it’s also those human interactions. As time goes on you can really see the trees growing, it’s so exciting to see – and to know that we’ve been involved since the beginning. It’s like your baby growing into a teenager!
Tanya: I think I’ve probably collected data in all weathers! The excellent facilities have really helped. In terms of what’s changed from start to end, I’d say it’s what has been learnt along the way. We’ve learned so much about the best way to do things, for instance introducing bar codes or changing measuring tools. It’s become so much more streamlined and well-established over time, and it’s always a team effort to figure out together what works best.
Iain: It gives our students hands-on field experience with an international scientific research project – what more could we ask for, so close to Swansea! It’s an invaluable experience. It helps cement group cohesion and foster personal development, as well as being a useful addition to the CV. We had one student last year, Ellaline, who did her dissertation at The Carbon Community and then used that experience to help secure a job as a GIS consultant – a real success story.
.jpg)
Tanya: For me, it’s the community aspect which is so rewarding – you don’t know who you’re going to meet, but you make connections with so many interesting people you wouldn’t otherwise have spoken to, with a whole range of backgrounds. It’s so fantastic also to be bringing in people who aren’t doing science. Helping to build stronger communities is one of the biggest positives of The Carbon Community.
Emilia: There are so many different aspects which are great! The project is amazing in terms of the science and the experiment size, but what is even more special is how it brings people out into the natural world, away from their computers, doing physical work. I didn’t know working in the rain could be so beneficial! We all need more and more time outside, I think it’s a very important aspect of the project.
Iain: I agree. Everyone is so busy, but getting outdoors reminds you why you enjoy your job. You get tied to the computer too often, so it’s good to look at the real world! Looking ahead, I’m excited to see how the research develops. The Carbon Community is at the forefront of the field. There aren’t many long-term carbon sequestration research projects with trees, so there isn’t a textbook to follow! There’s going to be some tricky questions to answer, like how you make space for the growing trees by selectively removing some, and how that balances with the aim of capturing carbon. But the great thing is that everyone’s opinion is valid and will be taken into account, regardless of your scientific background. The Carbon Community team will make the best decision for the ultimate goal of the project, taking contributions from everyone who wants to feed in.
Tanya: That’s right – it’s such an inclusive approach, anyone who wants to conduct some research is invited to join in. Over time, all the datasets from the different projects will be brought together, and it will be so interesting to see that amalgamation of data all coming from a single site.
Emilia: Community. A community of researchers, who are all part of the same jigsaw. A community of volunteers, who may individually be doing small-scale work but are contributing to a big project. And a community in terms of the wider society who will benefit in the long-term. It’s a noble and amazing project. Oh and the flapjacks are incredible too!
Iain: Future. We know we need to protect the environment, and this project gives hope for the future. Lots of the news is doom and gloom – but Glandwr Forest is part of the solution trying to solve the problem. Not just talking about it, but doing!
Tanya: Integrity. That quality of being open and honest, with strong moral principles. It really sums up The Carbon Community for me.
Iain: I’d just like to thank Heather, Charles and the whole Carbon Community team. They could have been protective and not bothered with the citizen science angle, but instead they are always willing to open up their project to absolutely everybody. There’s such a sense of community, of everyone helping out – and a lot of that is down to Charles and Heather’s leadership. Whether working with scientists, or someone who lives down the road, there is no difference in their approach. They’ll give time to whoever wants to be involved. You look forward to being at the forest, knowing you’ll be greeted with a smile.
If you are interested to get involved with The Carbon Community and our Big Tree Measure 2025 (3rd - 12th October), drop us a line at info@carboncommunity.org
