Ecosystems Knowledge Network news, events and resources.

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Dear <<First Name>>,

Rhetoric, reality and opportunity

When it comes to our needs and aspirations for the natural environment, there is always a plentiful supply of rhetoric. We have 'green economy', 'rewilding' and the 'just transition', to name just a few. There is a steady stream of nature-based this and nature-based that.

Buzz words and jargon are useful. They get people thinking and talking. They help us to know what we might aim at.

But the brute reality is that so many decisions about land, water and nature like in the here and now. Business plans. Opportunities to build resilience and community. Decisions that affect future generations. Our job is to help share the expertise and innovations that turn rhetoric into reality...now. To show how wellbeing and prosperity can be harnessed through a healthy environment. Make the most of this monthly round-up. And don't forget to check out our brand new website!

Stuart Robertson
EKN's Knowledge Exchange Specialist

Scottish Riverwoods Evidence Review
New analysing of carbon dioxide uptake by forestry
£9 million Levelling Up Parks Fund

Go to news

Webinar - Levelling-Up for People and Nature - Sharing five years of insight from Building with Nature
Natural Capital Finance and Investment Conference 2022
Training: Foundations of delivering net gains for the environment through built development
Conference: A New Era for Green Infrastructure?
NATURE Tool user technical training

Go to events

Video explainer on the Natural Capital Approach
EKN's brand new website!
Ecosystem Services Valuation Database
Capitals Coalition provides new guide to value accounting methods

Go to resources

News

Scottish Riverwoods Evidence Review

A report from the Riverwoods Science Group for Scotland

The Riverwoods initiative led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust is set to create a network of woodlands supporting healthy and resilient river systems across Scotland with diversity of funding sources. The initiative's latest report provides an indication of the most up-to-date scientific evidence underpinning the environmental benefits that river woodlands provide for Scotland. It will inform catchment management in Scotland and beyond.
Read the full report here.

New insight into CO2 uptake by forestry

Time horizons matter when planting

A report by the Research Agency of the Forestry Commission, published earlier this year, shows that that a diverse range of woodland types can all make a significant contribution to CO2 uptake over a 100 year period. When considering the shorter term (30 years), faster growing conifer plantations sequester the highest levels of CO2; whereas over a longer period, other types of woodlands, including native broadleaves and naturally regenerated woodlands, start to achieve comparable levels of CO2 uptake. The aim of this report is to inform action that will fulfil commitments to reach 'net-zero' greenhouse gas emissions in the UK by 2050.
Read the summary report here.

£9 million UK 'Levelling-Up' Parks Fund

New fund for parks and urban green spaces

The Westminster Government has announced a 'Levelling-Up' Parks Fund with aim of improving both the equality of access and quality of green space in over 100 neighbourhoods across the UK. It is making the £9 million available in equal grants for the creation or significant refurbishment of green spaces in urban areas that need it most across the UK. For England, the eligibility of places for this Fund has been determined using evidence from Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Mapping Tool.

Find out more about the fund here.

Events

Levelling-Up for People and Nature - Sharing five years of insight from Building with Nature
Webinar, 13th October 2022, 1.30 to 2.30 pm

Building with Nature was launched in 2017 in order to make high-quality green infrastructure integral to placemaking in the UK; maximising benefits for both people and the natural environment. In this webinar, members of the team behind Building with Nature will share their insight into what it has achieved to date. Through practical how-to guidance and drawing on findings from their UK-wide case studies, they will show how it is possible to deliver the levelling-up agenda through a clear and measurable commitment to design quality and placemaking, recognising that “place affects all of us”.
Find out more and register here.

Foundations of delivering net gains for the environment through built development

Brand new online training, dates to be confirmed for the beginning of November 2022
'As mandatory biodiversity net gain is becoming law in England and also increasingly applied in the rest of the UK, attention is turning to how built development can secure net gains for the natural environment as a whole.'

This course is for those who need to know how net gains for the environment can be implemented for projects to deliver added value for clients and customers. It is delivered by experts from WSP, the developers of the NATURE Tool (Nature Assessment Tool for Urban and Rural Environments); a user-friendly and easy to use Excel tool designed to assess the impact of land-use and management change with the aim of achieving net gains for the environment.

Find out more and register interest here.

A New Era for Green Infrastructure?

Conference, Free & Online, 29th November: 9:30am - 3:30pm
Discover how ambitious local leaders, supported by strong national policies, are creating parks and green infrastructure designed and managed to provide innovative city wide cooling systems, multiple health and wellbeing benefits, urban climate resilience, and so much more. Full details and how to register can be found here.

NATURE Tool user technical training

Brand new training course, 8th December 2022, Birmingham
'As mandatory biodiversity net gain is becoming law in England and also increasingly applied in the rest of the UK, attention is turning to how built development can secure net gains for the natural environment as a whole.'

This is a one-day face-to-face course for those using the NATURE Tool in assessments of the net gains for the environment through individual built development projects such as housing, infrastructure, commercial property and conservation projects.

This practical course takes staff tasked with using the NATURE Tool through the process of collating data for use in the Excel tool, through to generation and interpretation of outputs including Quality Assurance.

Find out more and register here.

Natural Capital Finance and Investment Conference 2022

Last chance for early bird tickets!
Conference, 17th October (London) & 1st November (Edinburgh) 2022
Now in its fifth year, the Natural Capital Finance & Investment Conference is a unique forum that brings together representatives from financial services and stewardship of the natural environment to catalyse the emerging nature-based arena in the UK. As nature finance surges into the mainstream, join us in London, Edinburgh and online to gain key insights on the key aspects of natural capital finance and investment. The event is organised in association with the Scottish Nature Finance Pioneers. Find out more and register.

Resources

Video explainer on a natural capital approach

Natural Capital Concepts - introduction & overview

Produced by Natural Capital Ireland, this is a useful slideshow introduction to natural capital concepts and advocates for natural capital accounting systems such as the System of Environmental Economic Accounting - Ecosystem Accounting. SEEA-EA is set to be integrated into Ireland's national accounts with a view to protecting and restoring the value of its natural environment.
Watch the full video here.

Our new website is here!

EKN has a new website to enhance how we service our users

Welcome to our brand-new website! Discover new features, with more to add soon. As we continue to add content and build the site we’d value your feedback via info@ecosystemsknowledge.net

Making Nature Count

Ecosystem Services Valuation Database

The Ecosystem Services Valuation Database (ESVD) has been developed with the long-term goal of providing reliable information on the economic benefits of ecosystems and biodiversity, and the costs of their loss, to support nature conservation, ecosystem restoration and sustainable land management. The ESVD was recently updated to an online interface where you can create an account and extract ecosystem service valuation data, create summary tables, suggest studies and enter data yourself. A new website for the ESVD just launched. Access it here.

A Navigation Through Value Accounting Methods

Capitals Coalition provides new guide to value accounting methods

This new paper, published by the Value Accounting Network, navigates users through the various value accounting methodologies to help find the right combination for them. It recognises the need for consistent but different approaches depending upon needs and aims to clarify the process of selecting methodologies and increase the uptake of value accounting. View the paper here.

Good things to share?

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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