2021 has seen the start of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a worldwide initiative to bring focus to ecosystem restoration and resilience. The University of Manchester invites you to join our online webinar on the 7th June from 14:00-16:00 to introduce you to ecosystem restoration projects where we have played an active role. The webinar will delve into the range of benefits nature restoration yields, from improving biodiversity to sequestering carbon, to benefiting local communities and economies.
The first half of the event focuses on scale; tackling restoration locally, regionally, and internationally. Dr Joanne Tippett will start the event by talking about her work developing a National Nature Reserve in Wigan. The event will move onto Dr Emma Shuttleworth who will discuss her work on peatlands in the Peak District then on to Prof Richard Bardgett who will talk about his work on soil restoration in Africa.
The second half will be a panel discussion on ‘Restoration in Practice’ where partners, practitioners, and industry experts will take a fresh look at the factors that make restoration projects successful and how the structures and governance are put in place to make the projects work. Looking ahead the panel will identify common themes amongst restoration projects and give practical recommendations of steps that can be taken to ensure the success of a project.
Agenda
14:00-14:15 - Welcome
14:15-15:00 – Restoration locally, regionally and internationally
Dr Joanna Tippett – Developing a National Nature Reserve in Wigan
Dr Emma Shuttleworth – Restoring the peatlands of the Peak District
Prof Richard Bardgett – Grassland degradation in the Kenyan highlands
15:00-15:45 – A conversation on ‘Restoration in Practice’
John Sanders, Strategic Planning Director , Mersey Rivers Trust
Dianna Kopansky, Coordinator of the Global Peatlands Initiative in the Biodiversity and Land Management Branch at UN Environment Programme
Tim Thorn, Peat Programme Manager at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
15:45-16:00 – Wrap up and close
This event is brought to you by Manchester Environmental Research Institute that connects expertise from natural sciences, health care, agriculture, water and energy from across The University of Manchester to develop solutions for complex environmental challenges.
