Kathryn Hiseman

My expertise is in policy and practice relating to rural land use, and this follows 30 years of working in the sector. This experience enables me to evaluate existing concepts, tools, and methods and determine their efficacy in real-world situations.   

My research outcome is to create a co-produced conceptual model, which will include a range of relevant tools, to address the most significant issues relating to biodiversity loss, climate change, and environmental damage. I will apply the model to landscapes, habitats, species, soil, and freshwater environments at different spatial scales including farm estate, land parcel, ecological network, and catchment level to ensure that impacts pathways and boundaries are identified and the outcomes clearly identified. It is important that the model is easy to use by the non-specialist to ensure its usability. Existing methods remain at the academic level, with some of them slowly filtering into national policy evaluation. At the landowner level, there are few tools that are actually used to make decisions about how to add environmental, social, and economic value to the farm. The stakeholder groups identified as co-producers (and eventually beneficiaries of the research impact) include statutory agencies and policymakers, landowner representative groups, and a range of landowners whose landholdings represent different characteristics in order to test the model as it is being produced. 

Current research activity 

• Evaluation of natural capital and ecosystem service conceptual frameworks and tools and their uses in eco-agri-land environments in the UK 
• Co-produced creation of an initial eco-agri-land conceptual framework

For 15 years I was a Lecturer at DeMontfort University and Lincoln University, specialising in sustainable land policy and management methods and teaching undergraduate students. I combined my academic career with professional practice, and I have worked for statutory agencies, local governments, regeneration agencies, and international consultancies at the policy/practice interface. I am the founder and CEO of the Sustainable Land Trust Charity, which includes a separate consultancy enterprise, and the emerging Centre for Nature & Society. 

Professional affiliations 

• Full Member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management 
• Full Member of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment 

External activities 

• Founder and Trustee of the Sustainable Land Trust and the Centre for Nature & Society 
• Senior Lecturer in Environment and Sustainability, Anglia Ruskin University
• Director of Sherwood Sustainability and Environmental Associates

Key collaborators 

My research and enterprise activities are conducted with a range of academic and stakeholder partners, including: 

• NERC - CENTA 
• Heriot-Watt University 
• Sheffield University 
• Anglia Ruskin University