The road to Aberystwyth…
What do we mean by the ‘Road to Aberystwyth’ ? Well…we’re already in the planning stages for a number of events and programmes supporting the next Environment Evidence Conference this year which will be held at Aberystwyth University.
Following our successful inaugural conference in Swansea University last year which looked at Marine Evidence, we’re delighted to be working with Aberystwyth University members to host another insightful and memorable experience for our supporters. This year’s event ‘Welsh Uplands: an Evidence Perspective’ will look at a number of areas relating to the theme and once again we’ll be hosting a jam-packed programme of talks, workshops and opportunities to exhibit, present and network with like-minded people.
We’re also looking forward to a field trip for delegates – more details announced soon along with an invitation to submit an abstract so watch this space and keep an eye out on our social media channels for more details and announcements.
News
JNCC Joins Environment Platform Wales – JNCC Nature Newsletter, Winter: Pages 4-5
Major shift in UK land use needed to deliver Net Zero emissions (UK Committee on Climate Change)
Flooding: Welsh Government promises £500 for affected households (BBC)
Brexit: Welsh farmers ‘lag behind on diversification’ (BBC)
Opportunities
The NOC Association of Marine Science National Capability Beneficiaries, (‘NOCA’), established and constituted by the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) is the primary vehicle for NOC’s engagement with the beneficiaries of NOC-led marine science National Capability.
As several members of the NOC Association Steering Board have now completed their term of membership, we are seeking to recruit five new members. If you are interested in applying, please see further details.
Deadline: 2nd March. Enquiries are very welcome – please kindly contact the NOCA Secretary, Jackie Pearson or telephone 023 8059 6097
Call to action: The Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity(closing 24th March)
The Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity highlights the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation’s commitment to urgent climate action. Notably, it seeks to speed up the transition to a carbon-neutral society, to mitigate the negative effects of climate change for people, the environment and the economy, and to promote a society that is more resilient and better prepared for future global changes and to protect the most vulnerable in particular. Apply and see the call conditions here.
Advisors, specialists and officers wanted: Offshore Renewable Energy Programme (OREP)
Natural Resources Wales are recruiting for a number of specialise roles as part of their Offshore Renewable Energy Programme. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a programme of work that is designed to support sustainable offshore renewable energy such as wind, wave and tidal power, and join our team in making a difference for Wales, our environment and energy security. Find out more about the roles here.
WISERD: Call for papers and posters!
With issues as varied & complex as #Brexit, further #devolution, Welsh independence (aka #indywales), #sustainable development, & the #wellbeing of future generations, what future does #Wales face? Building on the success of our 2019 conference Welsh Policy and Politics in Unprecedented Times, Wales’s Future will bring together academics at all stages of their career with participants from the Welsh public, private and third sectors.
This one-day conference will be organised into three panel sessions with paper presentations (10-15 minutes for each presentation) followed by discussant feedback and questions from the audience. The panels will focus on the following themes:
- Wales’s future in the Union: Brexit, devolution, and the future of the Union.
- Wales’s future in the world: including implementation of and future steps with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act
- Wales’s future in numbers: gathering and using data in Wales for policymaking.
Find out more and submit a paper here by 27th March 2020.
Technology is revolutionizing our ability to map nature. Satellite data provide a bird’s eye, yet incredibly detailed view of the Earth’s surface in real-time, while drones and mobile apps enable local communities and indigenous peoples to map their knowledge of local ecosystems. To support policymakers to develop data-driven sustainable development solutions, UNDP, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) launched UN Biodiversity Lab. This training, offered in partnership with the UN Development Programme (UNDP), will teach participants about global biodiversity-based uses of remote sensing. Sign up here.
Policy and Strategy
Consultation: Clean Air Plan for Wales closing 10 March (Welsh Government)
Update to Wales marine evidence report: January 2020 (Welsh Government)
Land use: Policies for a Net Zero UK (UK Committee on Climate Change)
Events
Healthy Air – Healthy Wales: Welsh Government Consultation Event (Clean Air Plan for Wales)
Welsh Government Offices, Cathays Park Cardiff – 5th March
The events will run from 10:00 – 16:00. Speakers will provide an overview of the plan, alongside the benefits to health and the environment. There will be four themed workshop discussions, giving attendees the opportunity to discuss and provide feedback on theme actions.
The themes are:
Improving air quality to protect the health and well-being of current and future generations
Improving air quality to support our natural environment, ecosystems and biodiversity
Improving air quality to support a prosperous Wales.
Improving air quality to support sustainable places
If you are interested in attending one of these events, please contact AirQualityPolicy@gov.wales.
Turning Climate Action into Climate Policy Change, 27 March 2020, Swansea University
As part of its programme of Centenary Events, Swansea University is hosting its first ever Climate Action Week. Morgan Academy’s policy workshop on 27 March will be the final event and will consider the progress made throughout the week with the aim of influencing policy change through hard outputs.
The workshop is aimed at everyone interested in climate action and influencing change – decision-makers; those working in local and national government; organisations in South Wales and beyond; businesses; academics and students. Sign up here.
Earth Hour (WWF) : switch off for your world, March 28th, 8.30-9.30pm
Iconic landmarks, millions of homes, businesses and political leaders across the world switch off their lights for an hour at 8:30PM to celebrate our natural world and as a rallying call to protect it.
But more than that, Earth Hour is a movement. People who want to protect and restore our planet come together at events, at home and online. Find out more and take part here.
Keep Wales Tidy: Spring Clean Cymru (March 20th-13 April, Across Wales)
Spring Clean Cymru is part of the Great British Spring Clean. In 2019, over 563,163 people, including 175,055 students, volunteered their time to take part in our campaign – the biggest ever! This year, Keep Wales Tidy wants to make the event bigger and better than ever! So, join Spring Clean Cymru between 20 March – 13 April to stand together and declare that litter is not acceptable. Take part here.
This event will bring together Professor Peter Halligan, Chief Scientific Adviser for Wales, Alyson Thomas, Director, Policy and Funding, HEFCW and Innovate UK with David Notley, Chief Executive, Impact Innovation & Growth Service and Co-Chair, Innovation Advisory Council for Wales; Martin Pollard and Chief Executive, Learned Society of Wales to focus on the next steps for science and innovation policy in Wales, international partnerships, attracting and developing talent and considering how innovation can be further integrated into Wales’s economic strategy. Sign up / learn more.
Forests in Women’s Hands – International Conference on Women in Forestry 2020, 25-27 May, Austria
At the international conference Forests in Women’s Hands, connecting women in forestry is a central theme. Participants will meet members of existing women’s networks and have the opportunity to exchange best practice examples and discuss relevant activities and initiatives. Additionally, the conference will increase the visibility of women and their achievements in the forest sector. Sign up here.
British Ecological Society Events and Opportunities
The Citizen Science SIG: hackathon, Wed 10th June
Hackathon: Wed 10th June. Do you have data on volunteer recruitment and retention in citizen science? If so come to join a hackathon to produce the largest data synthesis of this issue. We have a limited number of supported places and are looking for applications from people with data on numbers of people engaged at three of more stages within one or more projects – contact Michael Pocock: michael.pocock@ceh.ac.uk. (Partly supported by JNCC.)
The Citizen Science SIG: open symposium: Thur 11th June.
Interested in learning how to improve recruitment and retention in citizen science? Come and learn from a range of people from fields as diverse as marketing, psychology, behavioural change and social science, as well as from each other and the hackathon participants, in a day that will be challenging and open our eyes to new ways of thinking about volunteer engagement.
BES SIGs: Volunteers and contributors wanted
The Invasion Science and Forestry Ecology SIGs are looking for a Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Treasurer and Blog Officer to enhance their reach with their communities. Find out more about the available positions here.
And one more thing….
Marine Evidence 2019 – view the presentations
In case you missed these the first time around, we’ve uploaded the presentations from the Marine Evidence (2019) conference on our website. View the session presentations, keynote slides and additional information from the three-day conference here. We can’t wait to host our next conference this September!