John Shaw

I am running my very popular ‘Qualitative Methods in Conservation’ course 11-15th November, and now is the time to sign up! What is it? A five-session course for natural scientists to give you the knowledge, skills and confidence to use qualitative research methods in your projects. Why is it helpful? It’s delivered live, over zoom, in groups small enough so your questions are answered (and there are no stupid questions). We’ll go through everything from project design to data analysis, and you also get an action plan and access to a monthly drop-in to support you as you implement what you learn. Find out more Read more and book your place here: https://lnkd.in/eshxP_DN 📚 Each week I’ll be sharing a useful resource for people working in conservation social sciences. Different weeks might feature books, networks, papers or communities. I’ll tell you about it, why it’s helpful and how to find it. I hope it’s useful, and do let me know if there are resources you’d like me to feature in the future! #Conservation #socialsciences #interdisciplinary #socialscienceresources #conservationsocialsciences #socialscienceresearch

10

Lets hear from Tom Marsh, Cultura Connect Director, on the roles available within land based sectors. The agricultural and forestry industries are closely intertwined, sharing land resources and impacting each other's practices. Both sectors influence soil health, water management, and climate regulation, and the sustainable management of both agriculture and forestry is crucial for maintaining ecosystem health and ensuring long-term productivity 🌳 We are proud to support #Farm24 with Farmers Guardian, and proud to connect top talent with their ideal career ✅ #backbritishfarming #britishfarming #farming #britishagriculture

7

From Natural England: Species Conservation Strategies: Strategic Licencing Hazel Dormouse Pilot Stakeholder Survey. To complete this survey please follow the link:    https://lnkd.in/ethakjnG   This survey is seeking to collect views from organisations who work with, whose work is impacted by, or who have an interest in hazel dormouse species licencing. You do not need to be an expert on the current licencing system or have detailed species knowledge to complete the survey.     Completing the survey takes approximately 30 minutes. All data gathered via this survey will be stored securely and accessed for research purposes only by the research team. Further information on what the survey asks of you and the background of this work can be found at the start of the survey:    https://lnkd.in/ethakjnG   It is important we receive as many responses as possible to achieve a representative sample and achieve actionable results. So please do share this link on to others you think would be interested in this work.     Kind regards,    The SCS Hazel Dormouse pilot team Recovering Species – Species Conservation Strategies Strategy and Government Advice Natural England, Seacole Building, 2 Marsham St, London SW1P 4DF Email: [email protected] www.gov.uk/natural-england

6

A new report launched today urges action and sets out a comprehensive strategy for tackling the issue of invasive non-native species (INNS) in Scotland. Invasive Non-native Species in Scotland: A Plan for Effective Action is published by Scottish Environment LINK and supported by a host of member organisations. INNS constitute one of the five principal direct drivers of biodiversity loss globally, and in Scotland are among the biggest pressures on our biodiversity, with additional significant economic impacts. The report shows that established INNS are spreading across marine, terrestrial and freshwater habitats in Scotland, with new INNS arriving every year. Although there are examples of action on INNS prevention, surveillance, eradication and control to date, success is patchy and best practice is not always followed. However, this report collates thinking across the environmental NGO network in Scotland to propose ten INNS response principles, which should be applied in all future initiatives and indicate how best practice can be defined, adopted and applied. Additionally, specific high priority INNS issues are signalled in the report which should be targeted and prioritised as an essential and urgent element of the collective effort to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. These include the need for a national strategy for rhododendron ponticum management, and firm government-led action to prevent the incursion of grey squirrels into the Highlands. Read the report: https://lnkd.in/eeYibf9s #INNSweek

13

Please take the time to complete this survey! It only needs 10 min of your time and will help develop something everyone can use to benefit knowledge exchange on #speciesconservationtranslocation.

5

🌊 Driving Innovation in Scotland’s Mussel Farming Sector 🌊 So pleased to share that Shell-volution, a pioneering £4.4M project, is officially underway! Supported by the UK Government through the #IslandsGrowthDeal, this initiative will transform the mussel farming sector, which is vital to the economy and sustainability of our region—especially our islands. As our region's anchor academic institution, UHI is delighted to see this industry-led project set to drive ground-breaking research and innovation tackling challenges in the sector. From developing predictive growth models to improving the reliability of wild spat recruitment, #research will be at the forefront of creating solutions that will: ✅ Increase Scotland’s mussel production by 10,000 tonnes annually. ✅ Strengthen rural and island economies by safeguarding and creating jobs. ✅ Promote sustainable practices that contribute to net-zero goals. This ambitious project demonstrates the power of #collaboration, bringing together industry, academia, and public sector partners to secure the future of mussel farming in Scotland. By advancing sustainable aquaculture, Shell-volution will not only benefit local communities but also set a benchmark for global best practices in the blue economy. Huge thanks to Seafood Shetland, the Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers, Scottish Shellfish Marketing Group, and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, as well as UHI Shetland and UHI colleagues. All credit to them for their shared vision and hard work in making this project a reality! #UHIResearch #BlueEconomy #Innovation #Sustainability #ThinkUHI

49

2 Comments

Bridging the Gap between Biodiversity Net Gain and Nature Positive England's mandatory BNG requires developments to follow the Biodiversity Gain Hierarchy and create more wildlife-rich habitats, and to demonstrate BNG by using the statutory Biodiversity Metric. But while BNG is a step forward, it is only the start. There is now a fast-rising momentum for businesses to contribute to the global Nature Positive goal. But how do we get from a project-level BNG to a corporate-level agenda on Nature Positive? This was the question we asked Amy to answer, when Amy undertook her MSc research project with us. Amy dived into the literature, undertook a series of interviews, and collated everything to develop a conceptual framework on the bridge from BNG to Nature Positive. Today Amy is presenting her findings to our Motts team as part of our Lunch & Learn sessions, together with her insights, learnings and recommendations. Thanks so much Amy, it was great to work with you and your research was excellence. Amy Goodship Katie Sharples #BNG #naturepositive #research

135

7 Comments

VisitScotland Vistor Survey Results 2023 Between March - October 2023 VisitScotland conducted over 11,500 face to face interviews and a further 3,000 online surveys were submitted. With the aim of understanding why visitor take a holiday or a short break in Scotland and what their experience is while they are here. It covers the whole visitor journey from inspiration to planning, booking, and their overall satisfaction, advocacy, and likelihood to return. The findings will help us build a better picture of what is particularly important to our visitors and will help inform and drive our activities as a tourism industry going forward. Knowing what our visitors think and what they want is crucial in ensuring Scotland is kept front of mind in a competitive marketplace. InvestFife Business Gateway Fife VisitScotland #Tourism #scotland #scotlandtrip #visitscotland #lovelife #Fifemeansbusiness #KingdomeofFife #hospitality https://bit.ly/3UgPW6T

34

'Conservation practice must rise to the challenge of including not only existing biodiversity values but future ones as well.'   In our May Editorial, Kent Redford and Nigel Dudley propose the creation of a ‘future conservation area’ descriptor that would supplement the existing IUCN protected area management categories and governance types for protected areas. Application would mainly be to areas that are currently neither protected areas nor other effective area-based conservation measures but have the potential to become important conservation areas in the medium term. Targeting future conservation areas might include landfill sites being restored to grasslands, abandoned quarries being restored as wetlands or areas upslope of salt marshes accommodating ecosystem migration as sea levels rise. 🌿 Read their thoughts here: doi.org/mw2h

13

🚜💲NGOs call for increase in Agriculture budget to support #NatureFriendlyFarming A report published by The Wildlife Trusts RSPB and National Trust highlights the pivotal role of farmers and the private finance gap to be filled to support the agriculture sector in meeting environmental targets: 📈 68% more funding required for agriculture to meet environmental targets including England’s 2030 species abundance target as set out in the 2021 Environment Act, and devolved nations’ 2050 net zero targets. 💰 Investment required amounts to £5.9bn per year over 10 years. 🐄 The report advises that money should be spent on ambitious #HigherTier schemes for #HabitatRestoration and #SpeciesRecovery in England, with greater support for upland farmers. 🔎 Recommendations are based on the latest #data gathered by looking beyond income and cost incurred, and takes into account variation across type/size/characteristics of different #farming methods. 👎🏼 As is so often the case, these responses oppose an apparent mindset that undervalues farming, and an approach to land use that silos #FoodProduction from #NatureRestoration - a critical error that needs to be addressed in order for progress to be made. 🤔 Question for the new Government: how’s that #LandUseFramework coming along? https://lnkd.in/egsqQ8Er #RegenerativeAgriculture #NaturalCapital #FoodSecurity Craig Bennett Martin Lines Nature Friendly Farming Network Green Finance Institute #EnvironmentAct #ELMs #LandscapeRecovery #AgricultureBudget #FarmingBudget

19

1 Comment

Theme of my presentation today in Rome was the importance of proper funding for urban tree management to extend the life of existing trees by allocating some of the investment in new urban forestry planting in Europe to sustain what we already have. A further key point was to reflect on the issue that land supply rather than capital funding is the notable limitation for new planting.

61

4 Comments

The Labour government has promised to address the climate crisis and protect the UK's landscapes and wildlife. But what does this mean for the future of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)? SSSIs are crucial for preserving the UK's geological features. However, the current designation process, managed by Natural England, has faced criticism for being cumbersome and lacking collaboration with landowners. In our latest article, we share our experience supporting landowners and managers on Penwith Moors and discuss what the road ahead could look like for SSSIs – including the potential impact of new proposed legislation and the possible locations of new SSSIs. Find out more: https://loom.ly/tsbT_c8

3

🌲🌲🌲 Irreplaceable habitat 🌲🌲🌲 Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has updated its guidance on how biodiversity net gain (BNG) applies to irreplaceable habitat. They have updated it to make it clearer how irreplaceable habitat is dealt with under biodiversity net gain, and to explain what information is needed at planning application stage. The policy around irreplaceable habitat and biodiversity net gain remains unchanged. See here: https://lnkd.in/eZguWqfN #BNG #BiodiversityNetGain #IrreplaceableHabitat

5

Good to see that the government is working with stakeholders from environment, farming, water and waste sectors to understand how to tackle the nature and climate crises 👉 https://lnkd.in/eymMNddy A Multifunctional #LandUseFramework can break down siloes, bring sectors together and resolve conflict among stakeholders for better outcomes. We've been testing how a Land Use Framework could work in practice in Devon and Cambridgeshire. Explore our insights👇 https://lnkd.in/evfzEj-F

3

"A major review into Britain’s water system, including its future resilience and the impact of agricultural sector on the waterways has also been commissioned and is due to report next year, when more legislation is expected to be published." I hope it doesn't pull any punches or waste time covering ground well trodden. We need EA and NE to be given more budget and more enforcement resource as a starter. If The Labour Party could deliver the actions in the #WyeManifesto that would be great: https://lnkd.in/e6FR7xfN https://lnkd.in/eUPDfsPS

24

1 Comment

“Customers have enjoyed the benefits of less investment…” says Water UK’s David Henderson on BBC Radio 4 Today programme, 8.25am, 8/10/24. I get his point and, to be fair, the full quote is below, but customers did not want lower water bills at the expense of rivers and seas being more polluted, and wildlife diminished. The stand-off over the size of water bills between water and sewerage companies and the government’s regulators is not helping. On the one hand companies have treated water bill payers as cash machines. On the other, Ofwat, the government’s economic regulator, has been environmentally-clueless. The government's obsession with deregulation and cutting its Environment Agency doesn't help. We’re constantly given the false choice of either low bills and more polluted and nature-depleted waters, or higher bills with perhaps a little less pollution, and nature in better condition at some vague point in the future...maybe. Here’s Henderson’s reply to Amol Rajan’s question about customers having to pay more now to make up for past failures to invest in fixing water pipes, upgrading creaky sewage plants etc: “Well, I’m afraid you’re right. It’s either the state pays or the customers pay. Customers have enjoyed the benefits of less investment than we think has been needed over the last fifteen or so years. “That’s why bills are about 20 per cent lower than if they had merely risen with inflation. So, now we have to play catch up, and unfortunately, because we are investing now and not ten years ago, interest rates are much higher so the costs is going to be greater…” Aside from blame games between Ofwat and Water UK, Mr Henderson didn’t get to say that some companies admit NOT investing enough in the past even within bill levels Ofwat set.

2

2 Comments