I am a member of teaching staff at Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) and a trustee of Scotland's Gardens Scheme. To help address biodiversity loss, my research focuses on the potential for social housing gardens to connect Scotland's green infrastructure.

When I began my academic research, domestic gardens generally and social housing particularly, which accounts for almost one quarter of the country's households, were not part of government biodiversity strategy. I believe that with the right support, social housing providers can effect positive environmental change.

During my Fellowship I will present my current research at a conference in Singapore and study the city's green infrastructure, then travel to Canada and the USA to meet people using horticulture to improve health, wellbeing and their community environment. I look forward to presenting my Fellowship findings to the social housing sector and horticultural industry.

My focus stems from my early experience living in social housing in Argyll and Glasgow. I retrained, with the long-term view of supporting my local community through gardens and gardening, and graduated (BSc Horticulture with Plantsmanship from SRUC & Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh