Tory Milner

Biography

Dr Tory Milner is a Lecturer in Environmental Geography at Keele University. Tory joined the School of Life Sciences at Keele University in November 2024.

Tory started her academic career by undertaking a PhD in Environmental Science at the University of Stirling, in central Scotland. Her PhD thesis examined the performance of morphologically based river typing in Scotland using a geomorphological and ecological approach. Tory’s PhD studentship was funded by NERC with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) as an external partner.

After her PhD thesis, Tory worked as an Environmental Hydrologist for a small environmental consultancy in central Scotland and carried out river restoration work and environmental impact assessments for proposed windfarm developments. Subsequently, Tory started a position as a Lecturer in Physical Geography at the University of Worcester in 2011 and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2014.

Tory joined the University of Huddersfield in 2019 as a Senior Lecturer in Geography and worked on a range of freshwater ecology and river science projects. Afterwards, Tory started a new position as a Lecturer at Keele University to teach on a range of Geography, Environmental Science, and Ecology and Conservation courses, and undertake research on the effects of anthropogenic activities on freshwater ecosystems.

Research and scholarship

Tory is a freshwater ecologist and examines the effect of anthropogenic and natural disturbances (such as litter, plastics, sedimentation, drought and intermittency) on aquatic biota across different spatial and temporal scales. Her work focuses on conserving and managing rivers, streams and pond ecosystems.

Tory’s research areas include:

1. The influence of flow variability on instream macroinvertebrates and terrestrial vegetation colonisation in intermittent ecosystems.
2. The effect of natural flood management wood structures (woody dams, pond creation) on geomorphology and aquatic macroinvertebrate
   communities.
3. Rehabilitation of headwater streams through peatland restoration works.
4. Examining biotic responses to fine sediment pollution within river systems.
5. Identifying the effects of anthropogenic litter in urban freshwater on aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity and community composition.

Her research is funded from a range of sources, including DEFRA, the British Society of Geomorphology, Yorkshire Water, Slow the Flow, and the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers.

Teaching

Level 4

• ESC-10041 People and the Environment

Level 5

• ESC-20110 Earth’s Changing Landscapes
• ESC-20100 Water in the Environment

Supervision

PGR Students

Samuel Townsend (MRes student; Oct. 2022 to present): The influence of natural flood management (NFM) wood structures on biogeochemical processes in headwater streams. Funded by Slow the Flow and the University of Huddersfield, University of Huddersfield.

Abigail Lucas (MRes student; Oct 2022 – Jan. 2024): The effect of natural flood management (NFM) structures on aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity, University of Huddersfield.

Mélanie Milin (Post-doctoral researcher; Feb. 2023 to Nov. 2023): The colonisation of a newly created pond network by benthic macroinvertebrates in peatland headwaters. Funded by Yorkshire Water.

Summer Cunningham (MRes student; Oct. 2021 – Jan 2023): Effects of anthropogenic litter on macroinvertebrate diversity in urban freshwaters. Part funded by the University of Huddersfield.

Dr Chloe Hayes (Research Assistant in Terrestrial Ecology; Apr. 2021 – Feb. 2022): The colonisation of terrestrial vegetation in an intermittent river: diversity responses to increased drying. Funded by the RGS-IBG, University of Huddersfield.

Mélanie Milin (PhD student; Oct. 2018 – Jan 2023): Aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity in an intermittent river network: implications for freshwater biodiversity conservation. Funded by the University of Worcester and the University of Huddersfield.

Dr George Bunting (PhD student; Oct. 2014 – Apr. 2019): The influence of a fine sediment pulse on benthic and hyporheic invertebrate communities. Funded by the University of Worcester.

Jason Trueman (Vacation Research Assistant; Jun. – Oct. 2018) and George Bunting (Research Assistant; Jun. – Sep. 2018): Macroinvertebrate diversity responses to flow recession in headwater streams. Funded by the University of Worcester.

David Wilson (MRes River Science student; Oct. 2017 – Apr. 2019): The effect of streambed contraction on macroinvertebrate community composition and biodiversity. Funded by the University of Worcester.

Dr Matthew Hill (Postdoctoral researcher; March 2016 - March 2018): The impacts of flow intermittency on invertebrate diversity and community composition in a temporary river network. Funded by the University of Worcester.

Collaborations and grants awards

2024 - £4250.00 awarded from South Pennines Park to summarise the hydrological and biotic datasets for the R. Holme catchment, West Yorkshire.

2023 - £11,360.72 awarded from South Pennines Park to carry out baseline monitoring of macroinvertebrates and water quality for two river restoration projects in the R. Holme, West Yorkshire.

2022 - A Landscape Recovery grant of £638,000 from DEFRA. In collaboration with South Pennies Park (PI), the Palladium Group, River Holme Connections and the University of Huddersfield.

2022 - £2000 awarded to fund a MRes studentship on Natural Flood Management from Slow the Flow.

2021 - £27,500 awarded to fund a MRes studentship on Natural Flood Management techniques. Internal research grant awarded from the University of Huddersfield.

2021 - A Habitat and Landscape grant of £9023.15; awarded by Yorkshire Water.

2020 - A Small Research Grant of £3000 awarded from the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers (RGS-IBG).

2018 - A PhD studentship; awarded from the University of Worcester.

2018 - £3000 awarded for a Research Assistant from the University of Worcester.

2017 - Vacation Research Assistant (4-week research post) from the Research School, University of Worcester.

2016 - Funding for a 3-year postdoctoral researcher; awarded from the University of Worcester.

2014 - A PhD studentship; awarded from the University of Worcester.

2013 - The Dick Chorley Medal for postgraduate research, including £500. Awarded by the British Society for Geomorphology.