From Harvard to the Highlands as student completes peatland research placement 

A Harvard University student crossed the Atlantic to gain hands-on research experience through a nine-week placement with the Peatlands Team at the Environmental Research Institute (ERI), part of UHI North, West and Hebrides, in Thurso.

Audrey Lord, originally from Florida, who is a third-year undergraduate student studying integrative biology, was awarded a scholarship by Harvard University to undertake the placement earlier this year. During her time at the ERI, Audrey worked alongside researchers and PhD students, taking part in fieldwork across Caithness and Sutherland.

The placement gave Audrey the opportunity to experience The Flow Country, which is first peatland in the world to be inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while developing practical research skills in a setting very different from her usual university environment in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Describing more about her placement, Audrey said:

“I really loved my placement. Everyone was super welcoming and kind. Some of my favourite parts were spending time walking around the Flow Country, the blanket bog of peatland that stretches across Caithness and Sutherland. I enjoyed getting to experience the different areas of the Flow Country while learning about the work being done to conserve the ecosystem.”

For Audrey, the experience also provided a welcome change from university life in the United States.

She explained:

“I go to Harvard University in Cambridge, which is right next to Boston. Thurso is definitely less urban than Cambridge, but it was a welcome change of scenery! I love the outdoors, so I appreciated being able to see nature and wide-open spaces while on a run or walk. This summer, I saw some of the most stunning views of my life.”

The placement also enabled Audrey to take her research experience beyond the laboratory, and she believes the experience could be particularly valuable to other students interested in ecology and climate change.

She added:

"Working at the ERI, I had the opportunity to do not just any fieldwork, but fieldwork in a unique and globally significant environment.

“I would recommend doing a placement to other students who are interested in ecology and climate change. I think it would be a great opportunity to get first-hand experience in the kinds of environments and research that they may have learned about in classes.”

Dr Mascha Bischoff, Research Associate, in the Peatlands Team at ERI said:

“Audrey’s contribution to our research projects monitoring Large Heath butterfly and Common Scoter nest predation in the Flow Country made a big difference this summer. We are always glad to host students interested in peatland ecology and conservation, but Audrey stood out with her curiosity, commitment and willingness to embrace fieldwork with all its challenges. She quickly became a valued and reliable member of the team, and it was a real pleasure to work with her over the summer and watch her grow in confidence.”

Audrey’s interest in Scotland also extends beyond environmental research. She also studies Scottish Gaelic as part of her degree in the United States and, following her placement in Thurso, travelled to the Isle of Skye to attend an intensive Gaelic language course at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.

To find about the ERI at UHI North, West and Hebrides, please visit: Environmental Research Institute