Annual Bishop of Norwich Prize for Ecology awarded to UEA student
By: Communications
A bird called the western yellow-breasted chat has helped Norwich student Liz Allocca win this year’s Bishop of Norwich Prize for Ecology.
Liz wanted to understand how climate change affects species in vulnerable ecosystems, and studied the impact of extreme weather on the American songbird. It lives in areas of dense vegetation in Canada and the USA, migrating to Mexico and Central America every winter.
“By refining our knowledge of how extreme weather and environmental changes affect their survival, we can better predict the threats they face and develop strategies to protect them in the future,” said Liz.
The £1,000 annual Bishop of Norwich Prize for Ecology is awarded to the University of East Anglia student achieving the highest marks for a masters dissertation in applied ecology and conservation.
The Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham Usher, studied ecology at university himself and is the lead bishop for the environment for the Church of England.
“It is good to be able to support this kind of research,” said Bishop Graham. “As a Christian I am called to care for God’s creation. The work which Liz, and fellow students and academics at the University of East Anglia are doing, gives us vital information about what is happening to the natural world and the actions we need to take to protect our precious planet and its wildlife.”
Liz, who grew up in New York, chose to study at the UEA because of its international reputation for environmental sciences and its commitment to cutting-edge research in ecology and climate change.
She said: “I am incredibly grateful to receive the generous Bishop of Norwich Prize for my research. It’s an honour to have my work recognised in this way, and I truly appreciate the support and acknowledgement from the bishop.”
She is now embarking on a PhD at UEA and said the prize money would support her research, looking at how human activity affects the gut microbiome of birds. She hopes to help improve conservation strategies and find ways of reducing disease transmission between wild and domestic animals and humans.
Professor Simon Butler, Course Director for the MSc in Applied Ecology and Conservation at the University of East Anglia said: “We are delighted that the work of our students, both in terms of their individual achievements and the importance of research in applied ecology and conservation more generally, is recognised through this award. The generous support and encouragement from the Bishop of Norwich is a powerful fillip for them as they embark on their conservation careers, particularly given the global biodiversity and climate crises we currently face.”
The prize is sponsored by the Anne French Memorial Trust which supports the ministry of the Bishop of Norwich, clergy in the Diocese of Norwich, and projects across Norfolk.
See past winners of the prize here.
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