Kevin Richard Butt

Kevin teaches ecological, field-based and research-related subjects within Biology, Geography and Environmental Sciences. His expertise lies within the realms of soil ecology. Kevin’s primary focus is on research and, for example, he has collaborated with the Natural History Museum, Forest Research, NatureScot, English Heritage and the British Land Reclamation Society. Overseas research has involved work with numerous Universities and other institutions. Kevin also supervises research students in areas of applied ecology.

Kevin has published widely in the sphere of soil ecology with a focus on the use of earthworms and the services they provide. These ecosystem services can be harnessed e.g., to improve soil quality within the context of soil restoration and in low input agriculture. Kevin’s research also involves organic waste management and ecotoxicology.
He has published a book "Worm" (October 2023) in the Animal Series of Reaktion Books - https://reaktionbooks.co.uk/work/worm

Kevin joined the University of Central Lancashire in 1994. He was initially involved with teaching in areas of Conservation and Environmental Management, but over the years he has developed his research profile. This has led to National and International collaborations in temperate regions across the world. Kevin has spent time working in Ohio, USA, with the United States Department of Agriculture and in Finland at the Natural Resources Institute (LUKE). He is also visited in Preston by researchers keen to experience earthworm husbandry facilities and visit active field experiments. Kevin has made numerous broadcasts on local and National radio and TV and was interviewed on BBC Radio 4 in 2016 about the discovery of the largest earthworm found in Britain on the Isle of Rum. Kevin has organised research meetings in Wales (2002), Scotland (2014) and in Poland (2018).