Corinne Muir, Coventry HDRC Research Ambassador
Meet Corinne
My background
I have worked in the environmental/greenspace sector for over 20 years in various UK cities and in Thailand. Most of my experience has been in community engagement. For example, I have worked as a ranger and in environmental education. I have recently started working in park management.
From 2016 to 2020, I studied for a PhD at the University of Warwick. A PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) is an advanced research degree where you spend several years carrying out in‑depth research on a specific topic.
My research focused on urban parks and greenspaces, looking at how the way they are managed is changing, and what effect this has on wildlife and on the people who use them.
Where I work in the Council
I am the Parks Service Manager. We look after over 300 public greenspaces across Coventry. We work with Coventry and District Allotment and Gardens Group to manage over 40 allotment sites.
My team's main purpose is to improve parks and green spaces. For example, planning improvements to play areas, paths and other facilities, and planning maintenance that is not standard (e.g. for biodiversity).
The areas that I am interested in researching
I want to know who doesn't use our parks, and what stops them from using greenspaces. For example, the quality and quantity of greenspaces, anti-social behaviour, and physical barriers (such as those faced by people living with a disability).
This is important, as we know that time in nature has many benefits for people’s health and wellbeing, so we want to make sure that everyone can access parks.
I'm also interested in research into how changing management practices affect biodiversity and people. For example, we are trying out some changes to maintenance (e.g. how often to mow the grass) so we can see what effect they have.
As well as the above, the Climate Change and Sustainability Team is running the Green for All programme (funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund). The work will include creating new maps of green spaces and developing a new plan for green and blue infrastructure.
Two local universities and collaborators of Coventry HDRC, Coventry University and University of Warwick, are working on this project.