Reawakening the Living Landscape

Integrating Heritage and Sustainability at the Ulster Folk Museum

A thatched cottage sits amongst greenery.
The Ulster Folk Museum holds a remarkable range of ecological, historical and environmental data embedded across its landscapes, buildings and collections.

These resources document centuries of environmental and social change, from traditional farming practices to contemporary sustainability challenges. Yet much of this material, including biodiversity records, maps, oral histories and archival sources, remains largely unconnected. 

This research project will bring these layers together to tell a fuller story of how the museum’s landscape has evolved and how it can inform a more sustainable future. By combining archival research, ecological data and community engagement, the project will explore changes in land use, biodiversity and community practices.

Working with the Centre for Environmental Data and Recording (CEDaR) and Museum staff, the project will also consider how the Ulster Folk Museum can act as a living laboratory for environmental awareness, supporting evidence-based decision-making and long-term sustainability planning.

For more information and link to application form: Postgraduate Funding | School of History, Classics and Archaeology | Newcastle University

A series of logos for NMNI, Newcastle Uni, and the UKRI.

Lead Supervisors

A man sits smiling with crossed arms in his office.
Dr Damian McFerran (CEDaR, National Museums NI)
A woman smiles for a portrait.
Professor Annie Tindley (Newcastle University)
A man sits smiling with crossed arms in his office.
Dr Damian McFerran (CEDaR, National Museums NI)

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