Overview
I am a research associate at the Sustainable Places Research Institute.
As a geographer, my research interests are in the connections between people and place.
I am particularly interested in the connections between biological and cultural diversity through agriculture.
Recently I completed a Valuing Nature/NERC placement with Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales.
The placement investigated how the Museum bio-cultural collection can support public understanding and valuing of biodiversity using co-production approaches.
My current research focuses upon communities of agro-ecological practice.
I am also interested in how co-operative ways of working can support sustainable and just food futures.
Expertise
- Place-based research approaches
- Co-production methodologies
- Participatory action research
- Co-operative ways of working
Biography
I am a post doctoral research associate working at the Sustainable Places Research Institute. My research looks at how regenerative practices can support people and environments.
My PhD thesis (2016) explored how community-based trade mechanisms can enable agro-ecological practices to find space in the urban environment.
Drawing upon this work, I am broadly interested in agribiodiversity and the challenge of scaling-out communities of agro-ecological practice.
Prior to my PhD at Cardiff University I studied Geography at Oxford University and completed a Master’s degree in Social Science Research Method. I have also worked as a community gardener.
This academic training and practical experience has informed my interest in the connections between peoples and environments.
Academic positions
Valuing Nature/NERC Placement at Amgueddfa Cymru-National Museum Wales
Placement title ‘Sharing Stories, Sharing Collections’
Publications
2021
- Sanderson-Bellamy, A.et al. 2021. Shaping more resilient and just food systems: lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic. AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment 50, pp. 782-793. (10.1007/s13280-021-01532-y)
- Care, O.et al. 2021. Creating leadership collectives for sustainability transformations. Sustainability Science 16, pp. 703-708. (10.1007/s11625-021-00909-y)
- Nicol, P. 2021. Urban political ecologies of the apple: practices of corporate-led and community-led trade in the London city region. Local Environment 26(4), pp. 397-410. (10.1080/13549839.2021.1891031)
2020
- Nicol, P. 2020. Pathways to scaling agroecology in the city region: scaling out, scaling up and scaling deep through community-Led trade. Sustainability 12(19), article number: 7842. (10.3390/su12197842)
- Cornish, C.et al. 2020. Between Metropole and Province: circulating botany in British museums, 1870–1940. Archives of Natural History 47(1), pp. 124-146. (10.3366/anh.2020.0627)
- Nicol, P. and Taherzadeh, A. 2020. Working co-operatively for sustainable and just food system transformation. Sustainability 12(7), article number: 2816. (10.3390/su12072816)
2019
- Nicol, P. and Taherzadeh, A. 2019. Working co-cooperatively for sustainable and just food systems in Wales. Available at: https://party.coop/wp-content/blogs.dir/5/files/2019/11/Sustainable-and-Just-Food-System.pdf
- Nicol, P., Taherzadeh, A. and Giambartolomei, G. 2019. Scholar-Activism: Exploring the role of the scholar-activist through zine making. Available at: https://www.sustainableplaceshaping.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Scholar-Activism-Zine-pdf.pdf
- Nicol, P. 2019. Rhannu Straeon, Rhannu Casgliadau: Gwerthfawrogi Bioamrywiaeth yng Nghymru. Caerdydd: Sefydliad Ymchwil Mannau Cynaliadwy, Prifysgol Caerdydd. Available at: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/1431984/VN-Report-PN-welsh.pdf
- Nicol, P. 2019. Sharing stories, sharing collections: Valuing biodiversity in Wales. Cardiff: Sustainable Places Research Institute, Cardiff University. Available at: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/1431974/VN-Report-PN-english_.pdf
2016
- Nicol, P. 2016. Placing the apple: exploring the urban applescape. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.
2013
- Nicol, P.et al. 2013. Valleys Regional Park: Interim progress and evaluation report. Project Report. Cardiff: Cardiff University.
2010
- Nicol, P. 2010. Stories Of Apples: An exploration of the arenas of a London food supply. Presented at: AESOP Sustainable Food Conference, Brighton, UK, 29.10.2010 - 30.10.2010.
- Nicol, P. 2010. How does an apple enter the city?. Presented at: International Sociological Association Annual Conference 2010, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Post-doctoral experience at the Sustainable Places Research Institute, Cardiff University has developed an understanding of place-based approaches to investigating socio-ecological systems and deepened my research interest in agro-ecology.
I am particularly interested in the question of how communities of agro-ecological practice can support agri-biodiversity.
Further research interests include bio-cultural heritage and practice-based methodological approaches.
I am also interested in how co-operative ways of working can support sustainable and just food futures.
