STEM Faculty

Prior to starting my PhD, I worked as an educator and Head Teacher for three and a half decades after graduating from UCL with a geography degree. Throughout my teaching career in primary schools I maintained a keen interest in environmental issues and developments, eventually returning to my geographical roots to teach A-level geography.

I have always been really interested in discovery learning and enjoy the 'journey' of exploration involved in research. I was thrilled to be given the opportunity by CENTA and the OU to undertake a PhD. I've developed a wide range of research skills over my PhD journey and look forward to continuing to develop these. 

My PhD project is titled 'Written In Stone: Re-evaluating geodiversity in the context of the National Trust'. Geodiversity can be called 'the silent partner' to biodiversity and this project aims to 'give voice' to the non-living elements of landscapes, such as rocks, rivers and natural processes. The research explored geodiversity's place within concepts such as ecosystem services, natural capital, nature connectedness and public benefit. It also unearthed aspects of discourse around geodiversity; how it is thought and talked about, and how this may influence actions. I developed a framework for embedding geodiversity in the work of the National Trust that could be transferable to other organisations. The Written In Stone project is supported by the National Trust and Natural England. Funding is through CENTA - The Central England NERC Training Alliance. Thank you.

If you'd like to hear more or add your thoughts please do get in touch by sending me an email....Elaine.Hooton@open.ac.uk

Impact and Engagement

6th October 2022 saw the inaugral UNESCO International Geodiversity Day (IGD) and I used my teaching experience to create a lesson plan for teachers which was accepted for inclusion on the official IGD website and shared within the AQA A-level Geography Teacher Group.

In January 2023 I participated in the Royal Society Theo Murphy meeting which had the theme 'Geodiversity and Society'. This brought together international researchers in geoheritage, geoconservation and biogeography; leading to a Philosophical Transactions A special issue published in Februray 2024.

The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) hosted a postgraduate conference in April 2023 where I presented 'Geodiversity: A Shift In Perspective?'. This generated much interest amongst fellow postgraduate researchers and connected with other research in areas such as rewilding and circular economies.

In May 2023 I enjoyed outreach work with trainee teachers in Humanities at the University of Bedfordshire, where we workshopped how to use the concept of geodiversity for cross-curricular teaching.

From May 2023 to March 2024 my role as Geodiversity Lead on the NERC funded 'From Macro to Micro' project involved working within a collaborative OU/ Natural England/ Dudley Council/ Black Country Geopark team and with the wonderful staff and students from King Edward VI College, Stourbridge. With visits to the Wren's Nest and Saltwells National Nature Reserves, and the OU campus, we co-created new geological collection pages for the OU Virtual Microscope ( https://www.virtualmicroscope.org/ ).The collection also showcases how geology, art, history and culture can interconnect The project video 'From Macro to Micro: exploring the geodiversity of Dudley' can be seen on YouTube ( https://tinyurl.com/2pu3e8v3 ).

In the spring of 2024 I presented a 'lightning talk' comparing the development of geodiversity charters across the nations of the UK, as part of the OU PolicyWISE unit's engagement with environmental topics. Following on from this I worked with the PolicyWISE team to publish a 'Wise in 5' policy briefing on International Geodiversity Day 2024 (6th October) and which was shared on the Geodiversity Day website. The full article and further information about the work of PolicyWISE can be found here https://www.policywise.org.uk/news/international-geodiversity-day-highlights-overlooked-role-geodiversity-policy

Through autumn 2024 I presented on 'Unearthing Geosystem Services' at the annual CENTA conference and was also part of a panel discussion focusing on research impact at a National Trust research event. 

My research data is gathered by documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews at National Trust properties. This in itself brings engagement with a variety of 'publics'. Through conversation with National Trust staff and volunteers the research is bringing the concept of geodiversity to life and giving voice to its values. The Written In Stone project was chosen as a case study within the National Trust Annual Research Report 2023-24 ( https://tinyurl.com/4b57ve5t ). 

In March 2025 I was delighted to be given the chance to present at the international Oxford Geoheritage Virtual Conference. My talk focused on a discourse analysis approach to International Geodiversity Day and it was wonderful to be part of such a wide-ranging and positive event. Recordings of the conference can be found on YouTube via https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsHokUqFvNXPZhuQ641uUkw . 

March 2025 also saw the whole Written In Stone team together at the Llwyn Celyn Landmark Trust property in Monmouthshire, Wales. We were very appreciative beneficiaries of the annual 'Futures' scheme run by the Landmark Trust which gave us the opportunity to trial and develop our framework ideas. A summary of this research expedition can be found on the wonderful Geosciences for the Future website as a blog piece https://geoscienceforthefuture.com/written-in-stone-the-importance-of-geodiversity/

It can be difficult to communicate the importance of the non-living foundations of our landscapes and it was this conundrum that inspired work, over the summer of 2025, with award-winning ‘artiscientist’ Dr Vicky Bowskill. Vicky’s work connects science and society through rich and imaginative visuals. Working closely with Professor Richard Holliman and Dr Tom Argles of the OU School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, we were able to describe the benefits of geodiversity, otherwise known as ‘geosystem services’, through a compelling visual of an imagined landscape. The finished visual was highlighted on the International Geodiversity Day 2025 official website and can be found via this link https://www.geodiversityday.org/post/visualising-the-benefits-of-geodiversity

My Written in Stone thesis was written up over late 2025 and early 2026 and submitted in July 2026, with viva examination due in October 2026. 

I'm currently using the research experience and skills developed on my PhD journey in my role as a Research Assistant for the OU Open Societal Challenges internal evaluation project.