British Ecological Society

Land use impacts us all, whether you're an ecologist, an energy producer, or a parent. 🌍 At #BES2024, our public debate in Liverpool explored how we balance creating habitats for biodiversity with the space needed for homes, food, and energy. Key takeaway? Collaboration across sectors is essential to find solutions for a sustainable future. Stay tuned as BES continues these vital conversations into 2025. 

Today's IPBES #TransformativeChangeAssessment report highlights the benefits to taking immediate action to address the biodiversity crisis as well as the pitfalls of inaction. Commenting on the report, Dr Helen Wheeler, Associate Professor at Anglia Ruskin University and a lead author, said: “The IBPES Transformative Change Assessment asks us to think in fundamentally different ways about our approach to people and nature for the benefit of both. We need to urgently address the way our systems and structures contribute to biodiversity decline and disconnection from nature. “As societies, we need to fundamentally evaluate our visions for the future and their likely consequences. As ecologists we need to think beyond our own training to understand the intersections between justice, biodiversity and sustainability and be open to learn from a wide range of knowledge systems including those of Indigenous peoples. “We need to approach our ways of thinking and living with humility and foster deep human-nature connections and learn from cultures and peoples who are stewarding nature in more sustainable ways.”

Are you an early career researcher looking for workshops on policy? 🤔 🗓️ 📍 Then, join us on 30 January 2025 at the BES office for a policy training workshop. Get your tickets here: https://lnkd.in/eVmTEwu4? We will use London's urban ecologies to examine current environmental policy in England and explore the broader science-policy interface.   Buy your tickets for £5, only for BES members. Students who are not yet members can sign up for a year's free membership 👉 https://lnkd.in/eSS3jDdd

Today sees the launch of the IPBES #NexusAssessment, a landmark global assessment of the interlinked crises of biodiversity loss, climate change, health, food and water. "The Nexus Assessment demonstrates that biodiversity is essential to human existence, supporting our water and food supplies, our health, and the stability of the climate." said Dr Caroline Howe (Imperial College London), our new Vice-President and a Lead Author on the report. “A shift to nexus-wide governance with positive outcomes for people and nature is challenging, but feasible. We need to move from siloed governance to governance that is more integrative, coordinated, inclusive, and equitable."    Dr Sebastian Dunnett, BES member and Fellow for the Nexus Assessment added that the new report "highlights the failures of approaches to date that target just one element of the interlinked nexus of crises of biodiversity, water, food, health, and climate change.   "An example of this urban nature-based solutions which often focus exclusively on one element of the nexus. Many such schemes target water retention to mitigate urban flooding while neglecting the positive impacts they could have for biodiversity, climate, and human health. A nexus approach would consider how species and site selection could maximise benefits more broadly. "When the complex relationships between different crises are understood and acted on, policy returns are multiplied for the benefit of people and nature.”    You can check out the full report here 🔗https://lnkd.in/d__2Hn6m

Introducing BES Fellowships. As the oldest Learned Society for ecologists in the world, our prestigious Fellowships (FBES) are prized as a mark of professional excellence in the field of ecology. Applications open in January 2025 Find out more👇 https://lnkd.in/e39Fi5Fb

We're thrilled to welcome you to #BES2024! 🎉 Connect with fellow ecologists and celebrate the innovations that come out of this week 🌿 Don’t forget to tag us and share your favourite moments from the Annual Meeting. We can't wait to see what inspires you! ✨

Did you catch our CEO Hazel Norman on BBC Radio Merseyside this morning? Catch up with today's breakfast show to hear Hazel talk about #BES2024 and some of the exciting research on show! 📻 (1:23:00) https://lnkd.in/eU5NVJ6K

Have you ever wondered what kind of research impacts real-world policy and practice? 💭   The Journal of Applied Ecology's new Virtual Issue showcases a range of articles that have led to management changes or have been highly cited in online policy documents! 📚   Read more: https://lnkd.in/d6hCQJeY     You can also hear about the author’s own experiences of sharing their research with stakeholders and the wider public in the journal’s latest blog post: https://lnkd.in/d8F4AeXH

We're celebrating 60 years since the Journal of Applied Ecology launched! 🎊   The journal's latest Editorial explores how 44% of authors surveyed have generated real-world impact by sharing their research with policy and practice circles 💭   Take a look here: https://lnkd.in/dKas4ayC

Is nature recovery being held back by housebuilding? Are existing safeguards like BNG working? The Environmental Audit Committee has an open call for evidence regarding reforms to planning policy and housebuilding targets and how these might affect environmental protections. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or, even better, reply directly to the EAC’s call for evidence here👇 https://lnkd.in/etH2-uJ8 Interested to learn more about how UK housebuilding targets will impact nature? Sign up for our roundtable event at the Museum of Liverpool on this very topic on the 9th of December. Hear more from experts and discuss the issue with other leading ecologists in the field. Grab your ticket now!🎟️👇 https://lnkd.in/evpJPNdR