Martin Maudsley, founding member and coordinator of Story Soup

‘The career path from science doctorate to becoming a professional storyteller is probably not usual nor was it predictable, but it undoubtedly draws on many aspects of my earlier work and is immensely enjoyable and fulfilling.’

After completing my doctorate on population ecology of cereal aphids at the University of East Anglia, I worked for a short period at a field studies centre in Norfolk, teaching practical biology and environmental sciences to residential school groups. I really enjoyed teaching my subject to children, in particular helping A-level students set up their own field-based research projects. I then moved to Bristol to undertake a postdoctoral position at Long Ashton Research Station, investigating the ecology of farmland hedgerows. During this time I was granted a BBSRC media fellowship to work on the BBC TV programme ‘Countryfile’ for a period of three months. This was a great opportunity to work within the media, where I was able to identify, investigate and communicate ecological topics that had public interest, ranging from salmon farming to the BSE crisis. I also continued to play a role in presenting the work of the research station to the wider public, including schools, countryside managers and the farming community.

At the end of my four year postdoctoral appointment I followed my interest in the public understanding of science by becoming the first environmental education officer at a new science visitor centre called At-Bristol. The role included designing exhibits, running school workshops and delivering informal activities to family groups. As part of the latter task I began to use storytelling as a way of communicating ideas about the natural world. Storytelling quickly became a passion and, backed up by a part-time job as lecturer for the Open University, I left my job with At-Bristol to embark upon a new, uncertain career as a freelance storyteller.

After several years I have developed my storytelling role, having worked in lots of schools and with many different organisations including the Soil Association, Bristol Zoo, the Eden project and the National Trust. I have continued to emphasise stories about landscape and natural environments, which I myself became fascinated by through my undergraduate studies and postgraduate research. I relish the power that storytelling has, in common with science, to instil a sense of wonder about the world in young and old alike. I have recently performed a number of outdoor story walks called ‘Wild Tales’, where I am able to interweave folktales and folklore with ecological knowledge about plants and wildlife encountered on the walk.

The career path from science doctorate to becoming a professional storyteller is probably not usual nor was it predictable, but it undoubtedly draws on many aspects of my earlier work and is immensely enjoyable and fulfilling.