Elizabeth Haworth
Environmental Historian & Curator
Liz began her career specialising in Diatoms. Her Ph.D. results were used to create a new diatom species, as hers were the first Scanning Electron Micrographs of this form.
She began working at the FBA, alongside microbial ecologist John Lund, and carried out extensive algological studies of Blea Tarn and Blelham Tarn. Due to her success in this field she was one of the first women leaders on a Brathay Exploration Group to Norway and Iceland, to look for clues to early postglacial history of the UK.
Liz works at the FBA, curating the Fritsch Collection of Illustrations of Freshwater, Brackish and Terrestrial Algae, adding new species and improving taxonomic understanding. This work has led to the discovery of multiple new species of desmids and diatoms. Her goal is to make the thousands of images in the collection available on the interest, for everyone to use. Liz also spends time studying the history of the environment as lakes respond to changes within their catchment. Environmental history is similar to that of Local History and Genealogy, of which she is also a student.
