PE&RC in the Spotlight: Marie-Charlott Petersdorf

Every month we put a PE&RC member in the spotlight. This month we are getting to know Marie-Charlott Petersdorf. 
hD at the Animal Ecology and Physiology Department of the Radboud University in Nijmegen  

What are you passionate about in your research?
When I applied for my PhD, I had hardly heard of mites and springtails to be honest. But I already had the idea, that these little guys must be the secret little stars of the soil. Since then, I am happy to learn everyday a little more, find them, identify them and hopefully make their home a nicer place. I am working on the restoration project of the Veluwe Oak forest. We are first going to assess the biodiversity regarding micro arthropods, and then test if Rock dust or Steen Meel can slowly increase the pH and add Phosphorus to that System.

If you could be any plant, what would you be, and why?
I think I would be something like a beautiful orchid. Nice when you see it in the store,you take it home, but at home you need to stress it a bit to make it flower! Don’t make any useful fruits to eat, sorry thou!

What is something that instantly makes your day better?
When I see people being kind. I love to see kids playing with one another, I love when someone stops to save a little bug from the walking path or strangers laughing when they bump into one another.

What is your favourite meal? / What have you been cooking lately?
I am obsessed with trying out new dishes I see online or in cookbooks! I am a vegetarian (/flexitarian when being out for dinner and seeing something I never had), and I love to be creative with food. Recently, I started to make burgers out of the Bob’s burgers cookbook with beyond meat burgers and loved all of them so far!

What is your greatest accomplishment in your life? / What are you the proudest of?
That I really became a biologist, or rather an ecologist. Sometimes I can’t really believe it myself. As a kid, I had all those books about animals and always dreamed to research them and to learn more about them. And that really came true. You know, you go to a university and study a Bachelor and go for a Master and all of a sudden, you have the privilege to do real research in your own PhD program! Unbelievable. I could not be happier I made it here, all the hard work paid off.