Ahead of this year’s British Ecological Society Annual Meeting, we wanted to give you the chance to get to know some of the people behind the decision letters.
After hearing from Rosie last week, and Cecily and Kai earlier this week, now we turn to Rob Fish. Rob is an environmental social scientist interested in the social and cultural dimensions of natural resource management. He is a Reader in Human Ecology in the School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent.
So, what exactly do Gillingham FC, teleportation and fish pie mean to Rob?
- What can you tell us about the first paper you published?
A study of the production and consumption of environmental meanings in the mass media. My oldest and best cited.
- What’s your favourite species and why?
The Parasaurolophus. A graceful, peace loving, plant eating, dinosaur.
- Who inspired you most as a student?
Oh, that’s simple; my supervisor, the geographer, Martin Philips. A young academic starting out and opening my eyes
- If you could wake up tomorrow with a new skill, what would it be?
Teleportation. Just imagine…..
- Are you a good cook? What’s your signature dish?
Fish pie, of course. Food gives me a lot of pleasure, but I’d be lying if I said I was a good cook. Ambitious, yes.
- Please share a [funny] story about a paper you had rejected.
I can only tell you a sad one. My younger self took major corrections to mean rejection, when in fact the door was ajar.
- What’s your favourite sports team and why?
Gillingham Football Club; my beloved, lowly local team
- If you could recommend one place for people to travel to on holiday, where would it be and why?
The moon, so you can truly appreciate just how insignificant you really are in the great scheme
- What was the first album you owned?
Confession time: Mott the Hoople’s greatest hits.
- If any fictional character could join your lab, who would it be and why?
I would need a fictional lab to answer that question.
- How many British Ecological Society annual meetings have you attended? Which one was the best?
Oh just the one. It was the best, too. Cardiff 2017.
- Are you attending #BES2018? If so, when is the best opportunity for people to meet you?
Yes indeed. I am around all the time from Monday lunchtime.
Find Rob on twitter @RobFish5.
Rob is a Reader in Human Ecology in the School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent. He is an environmental social scientist interested in the social and cultural dimensions of natural resource management. Understanding how the natural world is imagined, valued and planned as an asset for human well-being is the preoccupying concern of his research.
Much of his work is centred on rural and agricultural landscapes and is distinguished by its interdisciplinary, participatory and problem-centred focus, as well as by direct intervention in the policy process. In recent years he has been particularly associated with the development of ecosystem based approaches to natural resource management, which he seeks to influence and shape from a social science and critical starting point.
Relational Thinking 