Dr. Toby Kiers Wins Tyler Prize as SPUN Pushes Science Into Law
Dr. Toby Kiers won the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement as her NGO introduced a science-law initiative bringing environmental research into legal frameworks.
Evolutionary biologist Dr. Toby Kiers has been named the 2026 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement laureate, recognised for her work on underground fungal networks that quietly support forests, soils, and climate stability. The announcement lands at a time when “belowground” science is finally entering public conversation, not just lab talk. That shift feels overdue.
The award comes with a fresh push to protect fungi
Alongside the prize, Kiers’ NGO, the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN), has launched “Underground Advocates”, a new science–law initiative designed to help scientists use policy and legal tools to defend fungal biodiversity in key hotspots. SPUN says the programme is developed with NYU Law’s More-than-Human Life (MOTH) Program, aiming to turn field evidence into protections that actually hold up.
Why this matters beyond research circles
Kiers is also highlighting SPUN’s Underground Atlas approach, pushing decision-makers to treat fungi as infrastructure for ecosystems, not an afterthought.
