Dr Karen L. Bacon is a plant ecologist and palaeoecologist in the School of Natural Sciences at the National University of Ireland, Galway. She completed her PhD in plant palaeoecology in 2012 in University College Dublin. She then spend several years as a lecturer in the University of Leeds before returning to Ireland in 2019. Dr Bacon’s interests span palaeobotany to modern plant ecology and incorporates elements of plant biology, geology and chemistry. She is particularly interested in understanding plant extinction and how plants respond to environmental change both in a modern context and in relation to environmental upheavals, such as mass extinctions, in the geological record. Her modern ecological research focuses on understanding invasive species, plant chemistry, and ecosystem services. She has also developed a keen interest in pedagogy, particularly field teaching and the development and creation of virtual field experiences focused on botanical education.