Jonathan Mitchley

I am Dr Jonathan Mitchley, Associate Professor of Field Botany at the University of Reading, I am a field botanist and plant ecologist and I go wild about teaching plant identification and vegetation survey and assessment on the MSc Species Identification and Survey Skills (SISS) at the University of Reading. I also carry out research in grassland restoration in Europe and I have published widely in the scientific journals. I have ten years experience working as a professional botanical consultant with RSK Group Ltd and this combination of academia and industry gives me an appreciation of the application of theory and practice of plant ecology to real world problem-solving and also emphasises the importance of being competent and confident identifying plants in the field – good old fashioned field botany – and understanding the place of plants in the vegetation communities of Britain. I have a passion for communicating love and understanding of plants via outreach projects with schools and the wider general public. Field botany is such fun – it’s just the best time of my life!