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Stephen is a behavioural scientist, trained as a social anthropologist. He specialises in qualitative, exploratory research.
His current work is exploring farmers’ social and cultural values and how these relate to trees and forests.

Stephen joined Forest Research in October 2021, after four years working as a social researcher in a transport and built environment innovation company at the intersection of government, academia, and industry.

In 2016, he completed a PhD based on 15 months of fieldwork with subsistence farmers in rural Uganda exploring what it means to live a ‘good’ life.

He has worked as a social researcher for the Scottish Government at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014 and completed an NERC funded project with Social Life and University College London examining the social and cultural values people associate with small patches of urban nature, including street trees.

Stephen 600x600

Stephen McConnachie

MA, PhD
Behavioural Scientist
Society and environment research group (SERG)

NRS

Northern Research Station

Bush Estate

Roslin

Scotland

Related Research

Research

Land managers and woodland creation: The evidence landscape in the UK

This research used a systematic process to map the social science evidence around UK land managers’ willingness and ability to create woodland.

Status current

Research

Social and Cultural Values and Trees on Farms in England 

This research involves working directly with farmers to better understand the barriers to and opportunities for increasing tree cover on farms. Specifically, it aims to explore how and where trees fit with farmers’ values – that is, where things matter to them for social, cultural, or moral reasons.

Status current

Related Publications

Publication

In Brief: Increasing tree cover on dairy farms in England: The role of farmers' values

Understanding the range of values held by farmers in relation to trees allows us to learn how, when, and where farmers may embrace having trees on their land. Explicit consideration of these values will better enable those working to design policies, incentives, tools, advice, or other communications to do so in ways which are more […]

Published

Publication

Paths to embracing trees on farms: The role of social and cultural values

What leads some farmers to dramatically increase the number of trees on their land? What role do social and cultural values play? And how do values and behaviour interact? Increasing tree cover across England is a key priority for the UK government, driven by the benefits that trees and woodlands offer, such as climate change mitigation […]

Published
Increasing tree cover on dairy farms in England: The role of farmers' values

This Research Report explores the issues that matter to dairy farmers in England regarding trees and increasing tree cover on farms. It looks beyond financial considerations to explore the other factors which guide and shape farmer attitudes and behaviours in this area. Understanding the range of values held by farmers in relation to trees allows […]

Tenanted farms and woodland creation – Evidence review and expert interview insights

This paper summarises the social science evidence relating to tenanted farms and woodland creation in Great Britain. It draws on a literature review and a series of nine interviews with key stakeholders to sense check and build on the findings. It focuses on the barriers, opportunities, and questions which relate specifically to tenant farming.