Conference 2020: Environmental Monitoring: meeting evidence needs
Programme | Presentations and posters | Venue | Contact
Speakers' presentations and posters are available to download
Speakers' videos are now available
Introduction
A wide spectrum of public sector organisations is engaged in the long-term monitoring and observation of the natural and built environment. The resulting evidence is used by scientists, managers and policy makers to: a) assess compliance with environmental standards, and b) develop a clearer understanding of the causes and consequences of environmental change in order to inform approaches to mitigation and adaptation.
The UK Environmental Observation Framework (UKEOF) was established in 2008 in response to a growing need for closer communication between organisations with respect to evidence needs, improved efficiency of data collection and the sharing of observation plans, programmes and data.
This UKEOF conference brought together public sector providers and analysts of long-term data with researchers and a broad range of stakeholders with interests in environmental change. It provided a range of examples of current activities and the lessons learnt from them, considered opportunities for synergies and efficiencies through more joined up activities and adoption of novel technologies, and attempted to identify areas where important lines of evidence were most lacking and what might be done to address these. Outcomes from the event helped inform UKEOF’s future strategic direction.
Keynote talks were provided by senior representatives from Defra and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and a range of examples of activities and applications were presented by other organisations including the Environment Agency, the UK Space Agency, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Public Health England, the British Geological Survey, the Woodlands Trust and the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. Further opportunities for organisations to promote the nature and outcomes of their monitoring initiatives were available in the form of a lunchtime poster session, and speaker panels addressed questions raised by conference delegates.
Conference programme
Updated 25 February
9.00: Registration - coffee
9:50: Delegates are requested to take their seats in the main hall to ensure a prompt start
10.00: Introduction to UKEOF and the conference – Dr Doug Wilson (UKEOF chair)
Session 1: UK long-term monitoring and observation: providers’ perspectives
10.10: Opening Keynote: Dr Robert Bradburne (Defra). The importance of environmental monitoring and observation in meeting evidence needs
10.35 – 11.50: Series of 15 minute presentations (CHAIR: Dr Ben Ditchburn – Forestry Commission). Speakers will summarise key monitoring activities across a range of domains, and provide examples of the emerging information and its application in informing scientific understanding, management and policy
10.35: Freshwater quality monitoring – Rich Walmsley (Environment Agency)
10.50: Air quality and effects monitoring – Dr Christine Braban (UKCEH)
11.05: Land surface monitoring – Prof. Anna Scaife (University of Manchester)
11.20: Monitoring terrestrial biodiversity – Anna Robinson (JNCC)
11.35: Integrating data across different scales and extents – Dr Peter Henrys (UKCEH)
11.50: Short break
12.00: Panel Discussion with questions from the floor (CHAIR: Dr Ben Ditchburn)
12.30: Lunch and poster session – Posters summarising monitoring schemes, methodologies and examples of application to environmental problems
Session 2 - Application of environmental monitoring and citizen involvement
13.30: Introduction to Session 2 – Dr Doug Wilson
13.35: Keynote: Hans Schutten (SEPA). Evidence, trust and citizen science
14.00 – 15.00: Case studies from stakeholders illustrating the application and value of monitoring data, needs not currently met and how outcomes could be made more relevant to society (CHAIR: Anita Weatherby – National Trust)
14.00: Habitat monitoring – Dr Lisa Norton (UKCEH) (joint presentation with Defra)
14.15: Environmental monitoring and Human Health – Robie Kamanyire (Public Health England)
14.30: Monitoring impacts of “fracking” – Professor Rob Ward (British Geological Survey)
14.45: Monitoring our Woodlands – Christine Reid (The Woodland Trust)
15:00: Short break
15.05 – 15.30: Panel Discussion with questions from the floor. Theme: Are we meeting the UK’s environmental evidence needs? (CHAIR: Anita Weatherby)
15.30: Wrap up session (CHAIR: Dr Doug Wilson)
15.45: Tea/coffee/posters
16.30: Close of conference
Presentations and posters
We added speakers' presentations (videos and slides) and posters to the website.
Venue
The conference took place at Friends' Meeting House, Manchester, UK
Address: Friends' Meeting House, 6 Mount Street, Manchester M2 5NS
Website: https://meetinghousemanchester.co.uk/
Tel: 0161 834 5797
Location: View Bing Map in new window
On the map below, the venue location is shown in relation to the principal rail stations, Deansgate, Oxford Road and Piccadilly. Manchester Oxford Road is the closest.
[Map from Bing Maps]
Contact
For conference enquiries, please contact the UKEOF Secretariat.