Around the globe, a community of changemakers is putting the knowledge, skills and networks they have gained at CAT into positive action on the climate and nature crisis. This time, we share CAT graduate Edward Macdonald’s story.

Edward Macdonald studied Sustainability and Ecology at CAT from 2018 to 2021. Previously, he read Philosophy at Cambridge, before working in healthcare and international development, where he became interested in grassroots rural initiatives.

Edward realised that technical knowledge and skills would be required to play a meaningful role in supporting climate resilience, ecological health and food sovereignty at the community level. Having enjoyed WWOOFing and a permaculture design course, he came to CAT to train in organic horticulture as a residential volunteer in the gardens.

Inspired by our short courses in Renewable Energy, he then embarked on the MSc, alongside a part-time job as a biology teacher.

The combination of practical demonstration of innovative green technologies and flexible learning for the theoretical components of the course appealed to Edward. He says:

“When I visited on the student open day and for the Small Is Beautiful festival, I felt inspired by those who shared their knowledge and experience, in particular, the down-to-earth manner of the lead academics. I wanted to study somewhere different to a university campus, and CAT’s setting within Eryri National Park and the UNESCO Dyfi Biosphere stood out.”

Edward’s studies at CAT furnished him with a broad knowledge of renewable energy, transport, town planning and life cycle analysis for materials. Modules in Ecology and Agriculture enabled him to investigate techniques and methods at the heart of agroecology.

He also learned practical skills through volunteering in the estates department for six months. Guided by CAT gardeners Roger McLennan and Petra Weinmann, he developed an understanding of how to nurture and grow crops, including making high-quality compost, planning crop rotations and responding appropriately to weather patterns.

Since graduating, Edward has launched his career as an organic grower, progressing quickly to be a head grower at Five Acre Community Farm near Coventry. He facilitates groups of volunteers and supports them in learning how to grow food organically, as well as caring for the ‘ecological infrastructure’ (coppicing, laying hedges and sowing herbal leys). He would like to focus on linking up with other growers who are interested in trialling new agroecological techniques in a semi-formal ‘field lab’ style. He has already started carrying out ecological auditing of the farm as part of a project in partnership with the Landworkers’ Alliance and the Agroecology Research Collaboration.

Summing up his experience, Edward says:

“Volunteering and studying at CAT provided a dynamic springboard for my career as an agroecological grower. I would encourage the Graduate School to continue supporting students to ‘learn by doing’ in their chosen areas and across the board, as much as possible. Together, each in our own ways, we can catalyse the changes that our broken civilisation so desperately needs!”

Do you have a CAT story to share? Please get in touch at members@cat.org.uk – we’d love to hear from you.

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