Meet the team

Dr Florence Renou-Wilson

Lead Principal Investigator

As a research scientist, my main goal is to understand the workings of natural ecosystems, particularly wetlands, to ultimately provide guidance to a wide range of stakeholders: policy makers, industry, natural resource manager and the general public. I have investigated peatlands in an integrative way for more than 25 years at the crossroads of ecology, forestry, agriculture, climate change and sustainable management. Member of the Advisory Group to the Peatland Council.

Dr Kate Flood

Post-doc Researcher

I am an interdisciplinary researcher interested in the social dimensions of peatland conservation. My research integrates social science, ecology and the humanities to explore the relationships between people and peatlands, and how we can build collaborative networks to manage peatland sustainably in the future. I work with policy-makers, state agencies, practitioners, civil society and community organisations to raise awareness of the diverse values of peatlands.

Dr David Wilson

Senior scientist

My research has focused on investigating the impacts of land use change on greenhouse gas dynamics and the carbon store in Irish peatlands, particularly the rewetting and restoration of highly-degraded sites. I was a Lead Author in the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change 2013 Wetlands Supplement and am currently a member of the Editorial Board of Mires and Peat.

Fearghal Kilbane

Undergraduate BSc. Sustainability

I am in my fourth and final year of a BSc in in Sustainability with Environmental Sciences in UCD, an innovative undergraduate degree that aims to equip students with the interdisciplinary knowledge and skills to address sustainability challenges by combining environmental, social and economic perspectives.

Impact Case Study: Dr Flo Renou-Wilson on Rewetting, restoring and protecting Irish peatlands

For more than 25 years, Dr Florence Renou-Wilson has examined the workings of Ireland’s peatlands. These biodiverse natural ecosystems cover around a fifth of the country’s land area and are an important resource for tackling climate change and reducing flood risk.

Leading three major research projects, she has assessed the state of Ireland’s peatlands, explored attitudes towards them, and identified how they can be restored and protected. Recommendations arising from this work directly led to