Charity Spotlight: Danae Dodge, Communications Officer at Ecological Continuity Trust

Ecological Continuity Trust  is a charity that supports long-term ecological experiments in the U.K. It does so through its grants scheme, emergency repair funds, and network of key stakeholders that champion this scientific work. These experiments support evidence-based policymaking, sustainable land use, and ecological education.

Virtual reality (V.R.) uses computer modelling and simulation to allow people to interact with an artificial 3.D. environment – and for charities, the technology can have a range of uses, from supporting beneficiaries to delivering education and raising funds.

In this interview, we speak to Danae Dodge, Communications Officer at Ecological Continuity Trust (E.C.T.) to learn about how the small charity is using the technology to its full effect to make ecological learning accessible to everyone. We also learn about how the charity uses webinars to connect with key stakeholders, their plans for engaging with gaming and streaming, and the exciting new project they are developing in partnership with the British Ecological Society (B.E.S.).

Charity Digital (C.D.): Why are long-term ecological experiments important, and how does E.C.T. support these experiments to take place?

Danae Dodge (D.D.): Long-term ecological experiments are experiments that have been running outdoors in real-world settings for more than six years. They are important because they allow researchers to detect slow-acting environmental impacts in the real world that otherwise would not be detected in, for instance, three years (which is the typical length of a research grant). Long-term ecological experiments yield valuable scientific evidence that can be used in policymaking, sustainable land-use, and education.

For example, Park Grass, which is managed by Rothamsted Research, is one the longest-running experiments in the world. It has been running since 1856. The original experiment set up by Sir John Lawes and Sir Henry Gilbert looked at the effects of inorganic fertilisers (such as nitrogen or phosphorus) on agricultural yields. It became apparent that inorganic fertilisers negatively affected the biodiversity.

More recently, researchers at Rothamsted Research have looked at the recovery of this site from the damaging effects of nitrogen (from the atmosphere or as a fertiliser). In 2015, a paper in Nature demonstrated that the reduction in nitrogen led to biodiversity recovery, and an increase in agricultural yield, especially when the soil’s pH was altered.

Today, Park Grass receives hundreds of visitors each year who can appreciate the natural world and learn about the long-term effects of fertiliser inputs and environmental pollution. The evidence that has come from this experiment has provided clear agricultural, economic, and societal benefits, and we need to protect all long-term experiments if we want to benefit from the evidence they provide. There are vital long-term questions in ecology that can only be answered through the design and running of a long-term experiment.

We support the continuity of long-term experiments by providing the researchers and landowners with financial, advocacy, and management support for existing projects, and for the development of new ones. We also share the knowledge and evidence that comes from these long-term experiments with end-users and the wider community through a variety of science communication tools.

C.D.: What’s the story behind how the charity started to use V.R. in its work, and how does the charity use V.R. now?

D.D.: The idea for using V.R. originally came from Sabine Reinsch (U.K. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (U.K.C.E.H.)), the leading researcher for the Clocaenog L.T.E. in North Wales, during a site visit by our Director at E.C.T.

Sabine has been investigating how climate change affects moorland since 1998. She knew someone at the technology company Stickee U.K. and was interested in how V.R. could be used to explain changes in the soil as a result of climate change. From this, she thought it could be used to explain the science of long-term experiments, and the rest, as they say, is history!

We use V.R. as an educational resource and a science communication tool for stakeholders and the public to raise awareness of the importance of long-term experiments and fundraise. It is an excellent way to explain the science of a particular experiment, and with this knowledge, we hope that people can appreciate the value of long-term experiments. But we also use it with other ecologists who might be interested in using it to teach their students too.

The important aspect of using V.R. is that it makes this learning accessible to everyone. Some long-term ecological field sites are inaccessible either due to travel constraints or difficult terrain. An example of this is the Buxton Climate Change Laboratory in Derbyshire managed by Raj Whitlock (Liverpool University), Emma Sayer (Lancaster University) and Karl Evans (University of Sheffield), which has its experiment on a very steep hillside.