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, presented the prize to Liz.
He 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 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 recognized in this way, and I truly appreciate the support and acknowledgment 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.”
Last year the prize went to Charlie Russell for research into the decline of Greater Spotted Eagles. He went on to look at how the war in Ukraine affected their migrations – meaning they could not use their traditional stopping-off sites and had to spend extra energy avoiding dangers including gunfire and aircraft. The research, using GPS data from tagged birds, was picked up by BBC News. Charlie said: “The war in Ukraine has had a devastating impact on people and the environment. Our findings provide a rare window into how conflicts affect wildlife.”
The first Bishop’s Prize for Ecology was awarded to Benjamin Cole, from Norfolk, who researched the impact of heatwaves on insect reproduction. The second went to Guthrie Allen for a project on the role of woodland canopies in supporting bees in Norfolk farmland.
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.