News & Careers

2020 Irish Conference: Conservation Approaches to Benefit Biodiversity: Big Ideas for Big Challenges


21/04/2020


As awareness of the challenges facing biodiversity conservation increases, our work as ecologists and environmental managers will inevitably come under the spotlight. How can we take advantage of new tools and emerging policy approaches that are becoming available to us? Green infrastructure planning, biodiversity net gain, rewilding, ecosystem services assessment and natural capital tools: how do these concepts help us in our work to halt biodiversity loss?

2020irishconference

This conference will explore these approaches, looking at how we can use them in a practical setting to achieve the best outcomes for biodiversity enhancement. We will showcase sector-specific examples of how they are applied across a range of landscapes and habitats. We will also explore how they fit into the planning system and current legal and policy requirements. Delegates will get a bigger picture of biodiversity conservation in Ireland and understand where different approaches are appropriate and how to get the best results in their work.

Bookings Close at 5pm on 21 April.

Due to the current restrictions in place to limit the spread of covid-19, we have made the decision to revise the format of our Irish Conference. The two-day conference organised to take place in Galway will no longer be going ahead and instead the conference will run as a one-day online event from 9.30am to 4.15pm on Wednesday 22 April.

We would like to invite you to join us for the conference and to embrace the new format which we hope will offer a way for our members and the wider ecology community to join together virtually and for CIEEM to continue to offer support and continued learning opportunities to our members during this challenging time. We want to thank you all for your support and engagement as CIEEM work to continue to support yourselves and the sector in the best way that we can.
Programme
9:15 Log on to Zoom
SESSION 1.
CHAIR: Will Woodrow CEcol MCIEEM Vice President (Ireland)
09:30 Welcome, Introduction and Housekeeping
09:40 Keynote Talk: The Theory of Change
Dr Stephanie Wray CEcol CEnv FCIEEM, Managing Director, RSK Biocensus
10:05 Biodiversity Finance: Using a BIOFIN Approach to Assess the National Biodiversity Action Plan
Dr Shane McGuinness, University College Dublin: School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental
Policy
10:30 Green Infrastructure and Ecosystem Services at County Level
Anne Murray MCIEEM, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council
10:55 Update on CIEEM Covid 19 Activities and Advice

11:05 Break
SESSION 2.
CHAIR: Will Woodrow CEcol MCIEEM Vice President (Ireland)
11:35 Conservation of Farmland Biodiversity: Challenges and Opportunities
Daire Ó hUallacháin, Senior Research Officer, Teagasc
12:00 How Agriculture and Ecology Can Work Together: A Farmers Perspective
Andrew Bergson, Tillage Farmer involved in the Danu EIP & Donal Sheehan, Dairy Farmer, The BRIDE
Project
12:25 A Novel Results-Based Approach to Farming for Ecosystem Services
Ryan Wilson-Parr MCIEEM, Hen Harrier Project
12:50 –
13:50
Lunch
SESSION 3.
CHAIR: Max Wade CEcol CEnv FCIEEM CIEEM President
13:50 Achieving Good Outcomes for Biodiversity: The Role of Ecological Assessment
Gerry Clabby, Head of Ecological Assessment, National Parks and Wildlife Services
14:15 Natural Capital and Biodiversity Net Gain Solutions to Help Address the Current Environmental
Crisis
Dr Peter Gilchrist CEnv FCIEEM, Global Solutions and Technology Lead for Biology and Ecology, Jacobs
UK Ltd.
14:40 Break
SESSION 4.
CHAIR: Max Wade CEcol CEnv FCIEEM CIEEM President
15:10 Biodiversity Net Gain: Experiences from GB and NI
Donncha Madden MCIEEM, Arup
15:35 Biodiversity Net Gain: A Big Idea
Dr Julia Baker CEnv MCIEEM, Balfour Beatty
16:00 Questions and Answer Session
16:15 Summary and Close