In:conversation webcast series: Episode 2
11:30 – 13:00
Tuesday 7th July
The uplands are one of the iconic cultural landscapes of Wales and are loved by visitors from all over the world. They are biodiverse environments containing a variety of ecosystems such as heaths, grasslands, bogs and woodlands. They are however also under threat from climate change and unsustainable land management practices.
Join us for our second installment of In:conversation, our new Zoom web series bringing together a range of researchers and speakers specialising in a variety of viewpoints and perspectives relating to Environmental Science. In this second episode, we will explore issues that are leading to a decrease in biodiversity in our uplands and what we can do to address them. Using Zoom technology, we’re creating a space to maintain momentum in our work and a place for our community to meet, share ideas and connect.
Our changing uplands
For episode 2, We’ll be joined by long-time EPW collaborators Tom Jenkins Dr Paul Sinnadurai and Prof. Bridget Emmett. We look forward to hosting the second episode of ‘In:conversation’ and we’d be delighted if you join us. There will of course be an opportunity to join in the debate and ask questions…bring your curiosity (and don’t forget to bring your refreshments!).
Prof. Bridget Emmett, CEH Science Area Head-Soils and Land Use, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Prof Bridget Emmett is Head of Soils and Land Use for the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology which is an independent not-for-profit research institute and part of the NERC-supported family of Research Centres.
Prof Bridget Emmett has 30 years of experience in environmental research. She works for the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) as Head of Soils and Land Use Research and also has responsibility as Head of Site at UKCEH Bangor. Her personal research interests are soil health, climate change impacts, monitoring and modelling impacts of land management on natural capital and ecosystem services and developing data and decision support systems.
An important focus of her work is in supporting policy development and decision making. Within Wales, this has included the leadership of the Welsh Government funded, multi-partner GMEP (https://gmep.wales/) and ERAMMP (https://erammp.wales/en) initiatives which deliver national-scale monitoring and modelling work to support policy development including the EU exit process, CAP replacement schemes and the new National Forest for Wales. Other recent activities include; Member of the EU Mission Board for Soil Health and Food; Specialist Adviser to the 2016 Parliamentary Inquiry into Soil Health and Member of NERC Strategic Programme Advisory Group. She has published over 150 ISI papers and has an H index (WOS) of 51.
Dr Paul Sinnadurai, FCIEEM, Brecon Beacons National Park Authority
Dr Sinnadurai is the Natural Resources Manager for the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority. He manages a team of about 20 staff with four direct reports – the Warden Manager, Senior Ecologist and Climate Adaptation Officer, Countryside and Access Projects Officer and Rights of Way Officer.
He has been at the front line of conservation ecology for over 27 years. In terms of research, he spearheaded the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority’s research prospectus and series of strategic research partnerships with universities and represents the BBNPA as an associate member of Environment Platform Wales.
He obtained his PhD from Cardiff University’s School of Biosciences in 2014
Tom Jenkins, Forest Research
Tom leads the Forest Research in Wales Unit from the FR office in Bangor. His responsibilities include the management and growth of the Unit, including the assessment of research opportunities within Wales and elsewhere.
Tom interacts with wide range of stakeholders in Wales and, in particular, acts as FR’s main link with Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru/Natural Resources Wales (CNC/NRW) and Welsh Government (WG), especially the Forest Resources Policy and Plant Health and Environmental Protection Branches. Tom also leads both the Technical Services Unit and Technical Development Services within FR.
You can catch up on Episodes 1 (Covid-19, Brexit & Climate Change: the perfect storm) via our ‘past events’ page