Elspeth Mathau

Elspeth Mathau is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Geography at the University of Cambridge, affiliated with Jesus College. She is part of the Vital Geographies research group and the Conservation and Development Lab. Her work focuses on climate change impacts on agricultural systems, biodiversity conservation, and Indigenous knowledge in subarctic Canada and North Africa. Elspeth holds an MSc in Ethnobotany (Distinction) from the University of Kent and an Honors BSc in Environmental Studies, Biology, and Psychology from the University of Toronto. She has extensive fieldwork experience in Morocco, Canada, and California, combining ethnobiology with social justice advocacy.

Elspeth’s research employs interdisciplinary methods to study emergent agriculture and biocultural adaptation in fragile landscapes. She has received multiple awards, including the Frederick Soddy Postgraduate Award (2025) and the Julia F. Morton Award (2019). Her professional roles include teaching supervision in political ecology and food systems at Cambridge, leadership in climate research initiatives (e.g., Cambridge Zero Postgraduate Academy), and community activism (e.g., DEI Task Force in Mill Valley). She also maintains affiliations with the Global Diversity Foundation and the Society for Ethnobotany.