Author Archives: Zarah Pattison

Original article published in The Conversation , 17th October 2018. View article here. From lochs and lakes to rivers, ponds and canals, there is a diverse range of freshwater habitats in the UK, which is good news not just for biodiversity but also the economy, where they are collectively valued at £39.5 billion. Rivers in particularContinue reading “Alien plant invasions: helping British rivers to fight back”

First published 13th of July for WomenAreBoring. See the original article here. Aaaaaaand…SEND. When you have worked your arse off, gotten three degrees and work experience; sending (begging) emails to make people aware you are looking (desperately) for a job can hurt an already Imposter Syndrome riddled ego. Oh, and let’s not forget my TwitterContinue reading “PRIDE ASIDE: Beg, borrow and fully realise the struggle of chasing the academic dream.”

See original article here. Written for  the University of Stirling Research and Enterprise Blog on 16 January 2017. After an initial rejection in 2015, I was finally chosen as a contestant on “I’m a scientist get me out of here” in November 2016. At first I was so pleased, then the horror of how muchContinue reading “I’m a scientist, get me out of here!”

We recently held our departmental lunchtime “Conservation Conversation”, discussing whether or not invasive non-native species (INNS) are really that bad after all. This is an interesting concept to think about, especially for Zarah Pattison and myself who both work on different groups of invasive species in Stirling University’s Natural Sciences department. This is particularly inContinue reading “Biological invasions: time to increase the pressure against invaders or lay down the pitch forks?”

When non-human things get in the way. I was outraged by a BBC news presenter who quite candidly announced on National television, “Can we really live alongside these animals?” Beaver on the River Otter in Devon © Dave Land The presenter was referring to the Devonshire beavers who have taken up residence along the RiverContinue reading “Biting down the wrong tree…”

Invasive alien species (IAS) have been the focus of many a debate recently (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21509016), with research in this area flourishing. Indeed for job creation purposes (make space for me in approximately 2.5 years!) the attention invasive alien plant species (IAPs) in particular are now receiving, is very welcome. However, shifting attention sparks off debates, oneContinue reading “All’s fair in the invasion war”

My PhD fieldwork days have come to an end and on reflection I can now appreciate how much was achieved, both good and challenging, in such a short time frame. So much happens during a field season but only the successes make it into scientific literature. For me, the gritty details and mistakes that getContinue reading “There’s no place like your field site home…”