Ecosystems Knowledge Network news, events and resources.

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Dear <<First Name>>,

Wales, Scotland, England and Northern Ireland are home to a rich tapestry of local initiatives designed to make places better for people and nature. From Coastal Forums to Catchment Partnerships, from Biosphere Reserves to farmer-led cooperatives and 'friends' groups caring for urban greenspace, these initiatives are able to harness all that the natural environment offers for wellbeing and prosperity.

At Ecosystems Knowledge Network, we want to ensure that representatives of this amazing tapestry of initiatives can share their know-how and innovation. We want to ensure that everyone can access the best available resources. This e-news is just part of our work to achieve that.

Oh and don't forget to participate in our survey with the option to enter a draw to win copies of Monopoly Go Green - see the link at the bottom of this email.

Kind regards,

Stuart Robertson
EKN's Knowledge Exchange Specialist

Wilder Carbon report published
Open Newtown receives new project funding
North Devon Biosphere funding success
Last call for Round 2 of the Investment Readiness Fund for England
Government response to English 'protected landscapes' review
New research-led network on urban 'nature connectedness' & health

Go to news

Webinar - The Natural Capital Laboratory: A Scottish rewilding experiment
Accelerating Woodland Creation & Management Conference 2022
Brand new conference - Game On for Nature - save the date!
Webinar - Achieving Urban Forest Ambitions
Webinar - A Collaborative Approach to Coastal Management

Go to events

New 'Nature Handbook for business
Wales Transition Lab
IUCN UK Peatland Conference 2021 recordings
Natural Capital Accounting Practices in the UK
Green Social Prescribing for sustainable healthcare
Funding resources for green infrastructure

Go to resources

News

Wilder Carbon - carbon estimates

Size of nature's contribution to net zero

Wilder Carbon is establishing itself as a 'benchmark' for native habitat restoration projects in the UK that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The project has recently estimated that the restoration of marine and terrestrial habitat could ‘lock up’ at least 676 million tonnes of atmospheric carbon by 2050. This is twice the UK’s annual total carbon emissions. According to Wilder Carbon, this can be done without losing any productive agricultural land and it could involve financial transactions worth £30 billion. Wilder Carbon is supported by the Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund for England (see the news item below). Read the report here.

Open Newtown receives new project funding

Boost for pioneering initiative in mid-Wales

Open Newtown is an independent social enterprise & development trust delivering sustainable community projects in and around this town in mid-Wales. It has recently secured funding from the Welsh Government to launch a series of local partnership projects to improve the wellbeing and resilience of people and businesses. Five projects will focus on wellbeing in green spaces, building resilient businesses, sustainable farming, young people planning a sustainable future, and events held in the town’s green spaces. The work is supported by the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme, funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government. Read more here.

North Devon Biosphere funding success

Green Economy Award

Biosphere Reserves are an international designation by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. Working with local communities, they enable better stewardship of land, water and nature. There are six in the UK and one encompassing the Isle of Man. One of these, the North Devon Biosphere, has recently won the largest green economy award nationally from the HM Government’s Community Renewal Fund. This will be used to promote green growth and investment in the area while raising well-being for local communities through 'nature-based solutions'. Read more here .

Last call to apply for the Investment Readiness Fund for England

Applications open to private, public and third sector organisations

Applications for round 2 close on 3rd February 2022.
The Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund aims to stimulate private investment and market based mechanisms that improve and protect the natural environment in England. 29 projects are underway thanks to the first round of funding. A further round has been launched. Find out more & apply.

Government response to English 'protected landscapes' review

Response document and consultation

A report published earlier this month sets out the Westminster Government's response to the Glover Review of England’s protected landscapes, published in 2019. The response relates to National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England. Proposed changes to the statutory purpose of these 'protected areas' include use of the "principle of natural capital" "to capture the societal value of nature in our protected landscapes." Read the report in full here.

New research-led network on urban 'nature connectedness' & health

Invitation to workshops

The aim of the new QUENCH network is to help build communities of professionals that are able to work towards creating urban environments that are good for people and ecosystems. A series of network-building events are planned for February and March 2022. QUENCH is funded through the Natural Environment Research Council’s Healthy Environment Programme and co-delivered by Lancaster University and The University of Liverpool. Find out more here.

Events

The Natural Capital Laboratory: A Scottish rewilding experiment
EKN webinar, 24th February 2022, 1 - 2pm

The Natural Capital Laboratory is an award-winning rewilding experiment in the Highlands of Scotland which serves as an outdoor laboratory for the design and testing of innovative new solutions to tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis. This webinar will provide insight into the results from the second year of the project. Topics will include accounting for different forms of 'capital', aquatic ecology and eDNA, remote biodiversity monitoring, virtual reality rewilding, and peatland restoration. Register for the webinar here.

Accelerating Woodland Creation & Management conference 2022 - save the date!
Online, 31st May 2022, 12 - 5:30pm

Back for a third year.....this online interactive event is all about how to fulfill the goals for woodland creation in England and Wales. The programme is in development, but you can pre-register now.

Pre-register to be the first to hear when tickets become available.

If you would like to be involved in the conference programme as a sponsor or speaker, please let us know via conference@ecosystemsknowledge.net

Brand new conference -
Game On for Nature Conference 2022 - save the date!
Online, 28th April 2022

We continue to build the programme for this exciting new event with big names from both the environmental world and the worlds of games, gamification and game design lined up to feature - all to help explore the potential of games and gamification to improve the stewardship of land, water and nature!

Pre-register to be the first to hear when tickets become available.

If you would like to be involved in the conference programme as a sponsor or speaker, please let us know via conference@ecosystemsknowledge.net

Events run by others

Achieving Urban Forest Ambitions:
How useful is i-Tree as a tool for urban forest planning?
Webinar, 10th February 2022, 2 - 3 pm

i-Tree is a collection of free science-based tools that:
Quantifies the benefits and values of trees around the world. This webinar will examine the information i-Tree provides and how useful this information actually is in delivering a sustainable urban forest. Keith Sacre (Treeconomics/Barcham Trees), Sue James (Trees and Design Action Group) and Kieron Doick (Forest Research) will discuss whether i-Tree has been an effective catalyst for urban greening. Register for the webinar here.

A Collaborative Approach to Coastal Management
Webinar, 2nd March 2022, 9:30 - 11:30am

The Wholescape Approach to Marine Management (WAMM) project was established to help drive closer collaboration between the Catchment Based Approach ‘CaBA’ Partnerships, Coastal Partnerships and the Coastal Partnerships Network. This webinar will provide an overview of the project, including the development of a ‘Roadmap to Collaborative Delivery’, the coastal data package and explorer and case studies of collaborative working. Register for the webinar here.

Resources

New 'Nature Handbook' for Business

Environmental restoration case studies

The Council for Sustainable Business was established by the Westminster Government in 2018, to help deliver the 25 Year Environment Plan for England. As part of its Get Nature Positive campaign, the Council has launched the 'Nature Handbook' for business. Much of the handbook is focused on the avoidance of negative impacts, but the case studies highlight the value of environmental restoration. Find out more here .

Wales Transition Lab

Dialogue to reconnect food, health and nature

Through dialogue, the Wales Transition Lab aims to challenge the status quo on how to manage food and its connections to land, health, environment and financial impacts in Wales. It was established in 2020. Wales Transition Lab is being run by North Star Transition, an international programme designed to create collaborative initiatives that "increase the impact of our response to humankind’s climate, biodiversity loss and social crises". Read more here.

IUCN UK Peatland Programme Conference 2021

Recordings now available

Last year's IUCN UK Peatland Programme conference ‘Peatlands in Partnership: a road to recovery' took place as a virtual event in September over four days and attracted over 470 delegates. The programme included consideration of the people involved in managing peatland, alongside the partnerships, evidence, policy and practice associated with the UK Peatland Strategy goals. Each session is now available to watch online here .

Natural Capital Accounting Practices in the UK

Summary by eftec

In 2021, eftec (Economics for the Environment Consultancy) produced a helpful summary of natural capital accounting practices in the UK. It identifies how natural capital evidence is influencing funding decisions in the public sector, and on the availability of private finance for environmental restoration. Access the summary here.

Green Social Prescribing for sustainable healthcare

Webinar recording from the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare

This webinar, recorded in June 2021, considered the how to translate green social prescribing from public policy into practice. Representatives from NHS England, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust and Surrey County Council explained what green social prescribing is and how it is being deployed in England.
Access the recording here.

Funding resources for green infrastructure

Updated listing available

Green infrastructure and green networks are terms used to refer to the ways in which greenspace and other natural features deliver multiple benefits for people, such as promoting good health and reducing flood risk. The Green Infrastructure Partnership supports the creation, enhancement and promotion of green infrastructure in the UK. It provides a helpful listing of current opportunities for funding for green infrastructure projects across the UK. Access the listing here.

- Help us to help you -

Our annual members survey is out

As we start the year, please would you spend five minutes helping us by completing our short member survey. Help us to serve your learning needs. Gain the chance to win one of three copies of Monopoly Go Green. Complete the survey here.

Send us your news - do you have project news or reports you want to share, new tools or other resources? Let us know via info@ecosystemsknowledge.net

An award winning hub for shared learning!

Ecosystems Knowledge Network is delighted to share that it has won the 'Best Practice - Knowledge Sharing' award in the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management 2021 Awards. Thank you for the part that you play in our unique UK-wide knowledge-sharing work. Read more about the awards here.

The Ecosystems Knowledge Network is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, registered with the Charities Commission for England and Wales (No. 1159867) and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (No. SC045732).

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