Overstory
Maria is a senior freshwater scientist who specialises in benthic ecology and founder of Althea, an independent ecological consultancy. Through her work, she considers big environmental questions by exploring the ecology of microscopic organisms – for example, using diatoms to examine biogeochemical cycling alongside changes in climate and water quality. A large portion of her work is centred on research related to the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive, which informs the catchment management services she delivers to clients. These focus on using scientific evidence to improve freshwater biodiversity, linking land and water resources in a mutually beneficial way, while meeting policy requirements.
Understory
Having developed a fascination with herbal remedies, folklore and ‘the old ways’ from an early age, Maria was particularly inspired by a botanist who taught her to identify plants. She quickly learned to appreciate the extraordinary in the ordinary – to look more closely at the grassland and flowing waters she passed each day and to focus on the abundance of life within them.
This ultimately set her on her current path and into a career centred on connecting with and protecting the natural world – both from a scientific perspective and through helping people engage with nature on a deeper level.
