Biologists of Middle Earth

In our final episode (for now), we chat to Dr. Adam Hasik, who has been working as a postdoc as part of the Fangorn Ent Project, a massive, long-term study investigating the spatial and social structure of the Ent populations within Fangorn. Beyond understanding the Ent populations themselves, Adam is also interested in understanding how these "mobile islands" interact with and are affec...

We’re joined by Dr. Vanessa Bieker to look at the origins and diversification of pipe weed, one of the cultural mainstays of Middle Earth. Despite its use all over the continent, the origins of pipe weed are a little murky, with much doubt as to where domestication first took place. Vanessa’s team is investigating the genetic diversity of the plant, testing whether the vast differences across stra...

This week we chat with Dani Crowley, co-host of our programme, who has been taking a break from reporting to work on dragon conservation in Middle Earth. Following the success of her Masters thesis on attitudes to sharks and conservation, she has been brought in on a consultant basis to work on management and co-existence plans regarding large and dangerous species in Middle Earth, particularly dr...

This week we speak to Annie Carew, who has been called in by the Elves to consult on restoring the Grey Havens ahead of their imminent departure from Middle Earth. The area surrounding the key elvish port is a crucial ecosystem for mitigating local floods and storms, and the Elves are keen on leaving the area in as good a condition as they found it. We explore why this ecosystem is so important fo...

We’re joined this time around by Dr. Elizabeth Mills, a science communicator and marine biologist who is currently preparing the first compendium on marine life in Middle Earth for our world. Elizabeth has been working with different communities Middle Earth, overcoming a general wariness of the sea by bringing them out to the coastline and educating them on the life present in rocky pools. Along...

Our guest today is Dr. Christine Wilkinson, a carnivore ecologist whose community-led organisation has been trying to further our understanding of warg-human conflicts. With wargs now running free after their domestication at the hands of Sauron, the people of Rohan have had to find ways to deal with their fears of wargs. Christine and their team are working to understand exactly how wargs may be...

This week we’re joined by Thea Gayatri Fennell, a genomicist whose team was recently called into the town of Dale to investigate the outbreak of a water-borne illness. We learn how one goes about tracing the cause of an outbreak, applying biological solutions to magical problems, and how to fight a giant spider-crab. To find Thea online: https://twitter.com/theagayatri https://supfam.mrc-lmb.cam.a...

This week we’re joined by soon-to-be-Dr. Dagmar der Weduwen, a freshwater ecologist who has been studying the Watcher in the Water, the giant squid-like animal which inhabits a large lake near the gates of Moria. Dagmar takes us through what drew her to studying the Watcher, some of the behavioural experiments she’s been conducting, and some of the issues around assigning the term ‘evil’ to other...