Bio
Elinor Stapylton has a M.S. in biomimicry from Arizona State University and B.A. degrees in biology and environmental urban studies from Bard College in upstate New York where she is from. Elinor also holds a teaching certificate in sustainable construction methods from Earthship Biotecture in Taos, New Mexico.
Elinor’s work focuses on low-cost and accessible solutions for living in reciprocity with nature through the intersection of art and citizen science methods. Her research spans conservation biology, plant-based ecological wastewater treatment systems, decentralized electricity generating microbial fuel cells, native agro-ecology practices, passive heating and cooling designs, and sustainable construction methods for building natural disaster-resilient homes.
Publications & Thesis Works
Master's Thesis (2024) — "Accessible citizen science research & development methods for food producing, wastewater remediating, & electricity generating ecosystems for maintaining the resilience of essential services under extreme natural disaster conditions." M.S. Biomimicry, Arizona State University.
Bachelor's Thesis (2020) — "Vegetation as Sanitation: How Plant and Water Microbial Diversity Impact Greywater Treatment in Earthships." Biology & Environmental Studies, Bard College. WorldCat
Certificate (2023) — Biotecture: Earthship Ecology, Workshop and Lab Series. Earthship Biotecture Academy, Taos, NM.
Journal Publication (2020) — Boscarino, B.T. et al. incl. Stapylton, E.K. "The influence of light, substrate, and fish on the habitat preferences of the invasive bloody red shrimp." Journal of Great Lakes Research 46(2).
Journal Publication (2014) — Brown, M.E. et al. incl. Stapylton, E.T.K. "Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal: the spread of Hemimysis anomala in the New York State canal system." BioInvasions Record 3(4).
Awards, Achievements & Conferences
| Year | Award / Event |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Hudson River Sloop Clearwater's Spirit of the Hudson Gala — Cover art feature: Estuary Rising |
| 2025 | Ecological Society of America, Baltimore, MD — Special Session: The solutions that already exist in Nature |
| 2024 | BIOCRACY - Puerto Rico LLC — Technical Co-Founder & Scientific Lead, San Juan, PR |
| 2024 | Puerto Rico Science Technology & Research Trust — Acércate al Grant & Compass Pilot program awardee |
| 2024 | PR I-CORPS Puerto Rico — Certificate recipient for sustainable design validation |
| 2020 | Alice P. Doyle Prize in Environmental Studies |
| 2019 | Hudson River Symposium — Presented: Ecosystem Response to Climate Change & Sea-level Rise |
| 2019 | Bard C2C Fellows — Sustainability Leadership Training |
| 2018 | McKeon Research Grant — Hudson River Environmental Society |
| 2018 | Dyson Foundation Scholarship |
| 2018 | Hudsonia Prize |
| 2017 | Ecological Society of America, Portland, OR — Presented: Invasive species research on bloody red shrimp |
| 2016–2020 | Distinguished Scientist Scholarship |