Postgrad

Ms Midori Yajima

Visiting Researcher at the Trinity College Botanic Garden (TCBG) on its long-term environmental monitoring and outreach program.

I am an MSc graduate in Ecobiology – Ecosystem and Conservation Biology with a BSc in Biology and Plant Ecology and a strong interest in how human and natural systems interface. For this reason, I developed my MSc project at the University of Bergen, Norway, as part of the ERC – advanced grant Human on Planet Earth (HOPE) project, aimed at assessing the impact of human communities on the environment over the last 12 thousand years.

I am now working as a Visiting Researcher at the Trinity College Botanic Garden (TCBG) on its long-term environmental monitoring and outreach program. I will be gathering year one baseline data of crucial tree species – selected for their botanical, ecological, and cultural value – assessing their physiological response to rising CO2 and pollution (PM 10 and 2.5).

About my project:

The “Re-imagining Trinity College Botanic Garden” project is a 10-year renovation strategy to ensure a strong legacy for TCBG into the future. My project will start the garden’s long-term environmental monitoring program, linking its activities with the Botany Department at Trinity College Dublin. I will be gathering year one baseline data of crucial tree species – selected for their botanical, ecological, and cultural value – assessing their physiological response to rising CO2 and pollution (PM 10 and 2.5). The project will also involve supporting part of TCBG outreach activities aimed at inclusive society engagement with local residents and the wider public to build capacity and knowledge on Ireland’s native flora, wild places and green tech innovations.

I believe in the need for intersectional, integrated and inclusive solutions to the current climate and environmental crisis. Those involve crossing disciplinary boundaries, open science practices, decolonising our knowledge systems, and bridging the gap between science and practice. I try to explore these instances by engaging in projects to empower local communities, citizen science, activism and science communication (written and visual!).