Nature's Ear
Kate Morley
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Kate Morley is a researcher, educator and nature-based facilitator with over thirty years of experience working within the field of Audiology, helping individuals with hearing loss, tinnitus and dizziness. She completed her clinical training at The Royal National Throat, Nose & Ear Hospital (London) and obtained a BSc(Hons) in Clinical Science with the specialism of Audiology.
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Kate has aural diversity and is a long-term wearer of hearing aids. Understanding that this lived experience and exceptional audiological care can make a real world difference inspired her career. Kate initially worked in the NHS then subsequently started Clinical Hearing Services Ltd working in hospitals, community GP surgeries and visiting patients across Exmoor and Dartmoor on home visits.
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Following the completion of her MSc in Rehabilitative Audiology at Bristol University she worked with her ENT colleagues to develop an evidence based tinnitus management programme.
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Creating space for nature and disability- why the interest?
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Kate has always spent lots of time in the outdoors, as well as being a member and 'dogsbody' of a Search & Rescue team, in 2012, together with her husband, Kate started planting trees at her home, Hill Crest.
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The wonderful charity Moor Trees helped plant over 4500 trees and it was seeing the impact that planting trees had on people and the positive effects that being in nature, led to a keen interest in green care and therapeutic horticulture, but how can we understand this through diverse lived experience and disability.
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Nature's Ear encompasses elements of deep ecology, making more space for nature/rewilding, being in nature; forest bathing, nature based mindfulness and green care.
Kate has a particular interest in how people who hear differently experience nature, and what human and non-human aural diversity can teach us about different ways of being in a soundscape and how this can influence us in these times of biodiversity loss.
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The wilder land which is home to Nature's Ear is part of the Devon Wildland Initiative which is creating a wilder connected 'back-bone' for nature across the Haldon Ridge. Working together as a community to allow human and non-nature the space to connect and thrive.
Kate is also currently studying part-time at the European Centre for the Environment and Human Health at the University of Exeter for a PhD: 'Disability and Social Justice in Urban Nature'; rooted in Critical Disability Studies, Disability Justice and Environmental Justice, as part of the GroundsWell research consortium.
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Kate is a member of:
British Society of Audiology, and British Academy of Audiology.
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