TAYLOR HOOD

My name is Taylor Hood. I am a Scottish naturalist, writer and artist who has been living in England for just over a decade. After discovering a passion for ancient lifeways and the wonders of nature, I practiced natural history and bushcraft skills, such as plant identification and fire lighting. These early experiences inspired me to help restore the natural world and facilitate heritage connections. For instance, I aided local conservation groups such as the East Lothian Countryside Ranger Service, doing everything from path repairs to invasive species removal. When I moved south in 2013, I joined Butser Ancient Farm, internationally renowned for its Iron Age roundhouses, Roman villa, rare livestock breeds, bronze casting demonstrations, and more. The most notable projects with which I helped include the construction of the Wickerman for the 2014 Beltain festival, followed by the carving and launching (with prehistoric tools) of the Mesolithic log boat Eurybia. Around this time, I began honing my wood carving skills, crafting spoons, forks, kuksas, and flutes. I then continued volunteering at places like Queen Elizabeth Country Park (carrying out wildlife surveys, pond maintenance, and aiding events), after which I began my nature conservation education in earnest.

From 2014-2019, I studied at Sparsholt, a beautiful land-based university/college, where I attained a BSc (Hons) Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (First) and a two-year Level 3 Extended Diploma in Countryside Management (Distinction Star). These courses, alongside several work placements across the UK, taught me much. I engaged with traditional rural skills (e.g., coppicing and hedge-laying); developed habitat restoration practices (e.g., tree felling/planting, machinery use, scrub clearance, ‘livestock’ maintenance, and dormouse box construction); implemented species and habitat monitoring techniques (e.g., GIS, Phase One Habitat surveys, National Vegetation Classification, and bird and butterfly transects); and, finally, researched ecological principles and applications (e.g., wildlife biology, landscape ecology, and legislation). As one might imagine, significant events over those five years are many. Most notably, I stayed for three weeks at the remote Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve, during which I surveyed dotterel in the uplands, reared Highland cattle, and skinned deer. At the end of my degree, I did my dissertation on the effects of woodland fragmentation on carrion beetles (Silphidae). After my studies, I worked as an ecological consultant, travelling far and wide to record bats and reptiles and undertake habitat mapping projects. In the area of ecology, my last role involved translocating Great Crested Newts.

My affinity for the humanities has, it must be said, always been stronger than for the sciences. Indeed, an early project of mine was the website ‘Oakenwise’ (2013), which received creative contributions dedicated to areas such as polytheism, ancient music, and off-the-grid living. Though Oakenwise represents a significant creative endeavour, I have always desired to get messages across concerning the plight of nature and the critique of modernity, especially through the writing of essays and stories, and it is this interest I have focused on in the past handful of years in particular. To this end, I have steadily been accruing a body of work in journals and magazines while honing my communication skills. In recent times, for example, I have worked as a freelance English Editor. I also wrote an MA English Literature [by Research] thesis on the subject of Earth-centred sacrality in the fantasies of Lord Dunsany and J.R.R. Tolkien (Distinction and University of Buckingham Davis/Drew Prize for 2024).

My written work has been published in outlets such as The Ecological Citizen, Earth Tongues, RELIQUIAE, Elsewhere Journal, Amethyst Review, Sci Phi Journal, The Dark Sire and Cosmic Horror Monthly. I have also delivered two talks: one based on my Dunsany research (the Inkling Folk Fellowship) and another musing on ecological care and utilising the works of Byung-Chul Han and Patrick Curry (International Ecoliteracy Research Festival in Denmark). All of these writings, among many other things, may be found on my site, including information about a long-term shared fantasy narrative project called Sarturus, which accounts for hundreds of pages of text, diagrams, maps, audiodramas, and other media.

In terms of more miscellaneous pursuits, I also run a video project called The Other Side, which is dedicated to book reviews and discussions about nature and heritage. I have also practiced drawing, sculpting, and animation throughout my life. Finally, I enjoy singing and reciting songs and poems, one important example of this being the Tolkien Memorised project (2017-present).

The Ecological Citizen

I am an Associate Editor/Outreach Manager/Fiction Co-Editor at The Ecological Citizen, a peer-reviewed journal for which I have written in the past and continue to write. In my capacity as Associate Editor, I primarily review research papers (often providing substantive guidance), attend meetings, and perform a range of administrative tasks. I am currently instigating, as part of this role, a special edition on ecocentrism in the built environment. As Fiction Co-Editor, I read and judge short story submissions. Notably, I have co-edited the Feral Lines flash fiction collection for the journal’s fiction section. In terms of outreach, I co-ordinate most social media activities and have strengthened awareness of the journal as a whole. For instance, I have helped get the journal into a submission database, created bespoke YouTube content, developed our Friends programme, boosted overall social media presence, and written contributions to our ‘What Is?’ series of ecocentric definitions.

As Lead Editor for Rewilding Successes, I contact rewilding groups and researchers for stories and collaborate with authors to get their stories told. I have also spearheaded a new interview format.

Finally, I am a contributor to the Earth Tongues blog.

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