Esmeralda ICP

ESP World Conference 2017: Shenzhen, China

Wed, 19 Apr 2017 18:38:00 +0300

The ESP World Conference for 2017 will take place from 11 to 15 December in Shenzhen, China.The central theme of the upcoming world conference will be "Ecosystem Services for Eco-civilization: Restoring connections between people and landscapes through nature-based solutions". The conference keynotes will highlight diverse aspects of this overarching theme; the program and break-out sessions will largely be determined by the participants and provide ample space for the many ESP working groups, national networks and SERVICES-teams to get together and bring the Ecosystem Services science, policy and practice further.

Call for Sessions

30 April is the deadline for the submission of session proposals. Session proposals should be submitted through the online session proposal submission form. Click here for more information about session proposals.

For more information: http://www.espconference.org/espconference2017

II CONFERENCE OF THE PROGRAMME ON ECOSYSTEM CHANGE AND SOCIETY

Fri, 30 Sep 2016 16:32:00 +0300

The 2nd Conference of the Programme on Ecosystem Change and Society (PECS) will take place from 7-10 November 2017 in Oaxaca City, Mexico.

PECSII- 2017 will advance from the momentum and insights gained during the PECS 2015. Eighteen transdisciplinary projects and five cross-cutting working groups have been endorsed within PECS projects, which together cover a wide range of social-ecological case-studies around the world.

Research across these case studies is adaptive and transdisciplinary and combines different knowledge systems and perspective. These features will ultimately, and ideally, allow for the guiding research questions of PECS to be co-designed and co-evolved together by researchers and stakeholders.

To register and find out more, visit: http://www.pecsii.org/

IUFRO Landscape Ecology Working Party Conference

Thu, 22 Dec 2016 10:14:00 +0200

UFRO Landscape Ecology Conference 2017 will take place from 24 - 29 September 2017 in Halle, Germany under the theme "The Green-Blue Nexus: Forests, Landscapes and Services".

Forests are key ecosystems for the maintenance of biodiversity and the sustainable provision of ecosystem services. Still, there are in our understanding of the functional role of forests at ecosystem and landscape scales.

The meeting theme, "The Green-Blue Nexus", addresses the conflict between provisioning services (the "Green"), such as timber / biomass and forest by-products (food and fodder) and regulating services (the "Blue") (e.g., cleaning drinking water, flood and erosion regulation) in relation to other impacts on biodiversity and the supporting structures and key ecological processes that enable the supply of these services.

Find out more on the confernce website: http://iufrole2017.eli-web.com/

ESEE conference 2017 Budapest

Fri, 30 Sep 2016 11:11:00 +0300

The next biannual conference of the European Society for Ecological Economics will be organized in Budapest, from 20 to 23 June 2017. Various conference topics are related to ecosystem services, including "Imitating and learning from nature", "Ecosystem services: complexity, financialization, trade-offs, valuation", "Natural resource management", or "Biodiversity and ecosystem services in the policy arena". The conference is also open to special session proposals.

Upcoming deadlines

Deadline for special session proposals: 7 October 2016,
Deadline for abstract submission: 25 November 2016.

For more information, visit the official conference website: http://esee2017budapest.org/

Evidence-based planning for greener cities

Wed, 10 May 2017 14:28:12 +0300

A Conference on 'Evidence-based planning for greener cities' on 13 June 2017 in Paola, Malta will discuss how science and the mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services can inform city planning and policy-making, in order to improve urban quality of life.

The conference is organised by the 'EnRoute' project of the European Commission in cooperation with the Maltese Presidency of the EU and the Maltese Institute of Applied Sciences, Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology.

Registration is possible here: https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/ConferenceEvidenceForGreenerCities

EU Green Week 2017

Tue, 18 Apr 2017 11:47:00 +0300

EU Green Week 2017 will take place from 29 May to 2 June with the theme of 'Green jobs for a greener future'. It will focus on how EU environmental policies are creating green jobs and contributing to economic, sustainable and socially responsible growth in the EU. It will also highlight the demand for new types of green skills in many professional sectors.

In addition to a high level conference in Brussels, the programme will also feature a series of partner events and actions taking place across Europe. As well as being invited to take part in person, stakeholders and the general public are encouraged to become 'virtually' involved by participating in a wide range of on-line and social media activities.

More information is available here: http://www.eugreenweek.eu/

European Geosciences Union Assembly 2017

Tue, 25 Oct 2016 13:41:00 +0300

The General Assembly 2017 of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) is held at the Austria Center Vienna (ACV) in Vienna, Austria, from 23–28 April 2017. The assembly is open to the scientists of all nations.

FOr more information, visit the official event's website.

International Scientific Conference on Ecosystem Services, Sofia 2017

Fri, 04 Nov 2016 18:15:00 +0200

The international scientific conference "Mapping and assessment of ecosystem services - science in action" aims to bring together researchers from different countries to discuss the scientific aspects of mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services. It will be focused on the methods for mapping of ecosystem services, the challenges and problems of their implementation in the national assessments related to MAES. The program includes plenary sessions with keynotes and workshops on the main conference topics:

- Mapping of ecosystems

- Assessment of ecosystem’s condition

- Mapping and assessment of ecosystem services

Biophysical perspectives
Socio-cultural perspectives

More information is availabe on the official conference website.

Sfécologie2016, the 2016 International Conference of the French Ecological Society

Tue, 12 Apr 2016 16:05:00 +0300

Sfécologie2016, the 2016 International Conference of the French Ecological Society, will take place in Marseille (France), from 24-28 October 2016. Local organizer is the 'Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d’Ecologie' (IMBE).

Following the former successful events (Ecologie 2010 in Montpellier and Joint Meeting British Ecological Society/Sfé 2014 in Lille), Sfécologie 2016 will promote and support exchanges around the latest developments in research and the most exciting challenges raised from the different disciplines of ecology, sharing scientific evidences, confronting experiences, developing collaborations around the Mediterranean Sea, across Europe, across the world.

The 4-days programme will be extensive, including 5 plenary speakers, thematic sessions and 14 symposia as well as inviting social events (conference outline here).

For more information visit the official event's page.

Ways to Green Infrastructures – Today and tomorrow

Fri, 22 Jul 2016 15:06:00 +0300

The international conference "Ways to Green Infrastructures – Today and tomorrow" will take place on 20 & 21 October 2016, in Zaragoza, Spain. The event is a unique opportunity to learn about the state of the art and the way green infrastructure is heading in Spain and Europe.

The meeting will involve professionals of renowned international acclaim from different fields of work, who will be presenting success stories, techniques and strategies with the aim of creating more sustainable urban environments. In doing so, "Heading Towards Green Infrastructure – Present and Future" will become one of few Spanish forums to discuss the progress of green infrastructure from a global and multi-discipline standpoint.

Its mission is to foster an exchange of ideas and experiences, as well as encouraging the sector's players and society as a whole to get involved. With this in mind, a series of roundtables have been organised, where attendants can pose questions, put forward ideas and voice their opinions.

The meeting is organised by Zaragoza City Council through the Life project Zaragoza Natural, which the city is taking part in.

To learn more and register, please visit the official event's page here.

3. ESMERALDA Workshop Prague

Fri, 09 Sep 2016 17:50:38 +0300

ESMERALDA WORKSHOP III
"Testing the methodology across Europe"
26. – 29. September 2016
Prague, Czech Republic

European Ecosystem Services 2016 Conference

Wed, 27 Apr 2016 13:41:00 +0300

The European Ecosystem Services 2016 conference will take place from 19 to 23 September 2016 in Antwerp, Belgium. The theme 'Helping nature to help us' focuses on the important role that healthy ecosystems play in supporting human well-being and the protection of nature.

This conference will be the biggest European event in 2016 that links science, policy and practice on ecosystem services and natural capital. It will have a strong focus on practice and implementation.

The conference programme offers an attractive mix of:

keynote presentations from policy, practice and science;
a networking day where businesses, practitioners, policymakers and researchers meet and showcase their work;
interactive sessions to demonstrate working examples of ecosystem services and natural capital;
field excursions to see ecosystem services in action; and
scientific sessions.

Key dates:

Registration opens on 2 May 2016.

Call for abstracts - 1 Apr - 15 May 2016.

To register and find out more about teh event, please visit the official website.

Assessment and Economic Valuation of Recreational Ecosystem Services of Landscapes in EU Member States

Thu, 30 Jun 2016 17:16:00 +0300

The workshop Assessment and Economic Valuation of Recreational Ecosystem Services (RES) of Landscapes in EU Member States will take place at Leibniz Universität Hannover, Germany, on September 12-13, 2016. The workshop picks up the challenge of assessing and valuing ecosystem services as stipulated by target 2, action 5 of the EU Biodiversity strategy (i.e. Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services – a process commonly abbreviated as MAES, http://biodiversity.europa.eu/maes).

The objectives of the workshop are:

1. To bring together and discuss the best available knowledge concerning RES of landscapes in EU member states, that is spatial analysis and quantification of potentials, estimation of demand as well as actual use, and economic valuation,

2. To synthesize commonalities and differences, current bottlenecks and new ideas for further research to advance the theory and practice of RES mapping, assessment and economic valuation in the context of MAES, including suggestions for harmonizing the diversity of approaches,

3. To develop material and insights for a joint publication effort on the topic such as a special issue or joint paper, depending upon the interest of participants,

4. To initiate and enhance across EU member states’ knowledge exchange and cooperation around RES assessment and valuation approaches.

The workshop is planned as a 1,5 day meeting addressing (i) approaches and methods for assessing and mapping potentials of RES of landscapes, (ii) approaches and methods for modelling the demand as well asactual use of RES, and (iii) approaches and methods for the economic valuation of RES. A final session (iv) will integrate the results and discuss future steps of cooperation.

If you wish to join us, please fill in the registration form available in the conference flyer and send it to hermes@umwelt.uni-hannover.de until July 31, 2016. If you wish to present a paper or a poster, please add a short abstract (max. 300 words). The number of participants will be restricted to ensure a reasonably size for collaboration. Therefore, only an early registration will assure your place. We will distribute a preliminary program, local information and assistance for travel and accommodation in the first half of August.

International conference: Scenarios and Models of Biodiversity and Ecoystem Services in Support of Decision-Making

Tue, 12 Apr 2016 16:43:00 +0300

The international conference on Scenarios and Models of Biodiversity and Ecoystem Services in Support of Decision-Making will be held at the CORUM, Montpellier, France, from 23 to 26 August 2016.

The conference covers scenarios and modelling applications in marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. It intends to mobilise experts in all relevant disciplines of natural and social sciences as well as policy makers and practitioners. Conference topics focus on:

Exploring recent advances in modelling human impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services
Addressing the use of scenarios and models for decision support
Mobilising observations of biodiversity and ecosystem services for model development and testing
Capacity building for developing scenarios and models and for their use in decision making
Horizon scanning and addressing gaps in knowledge

Deadline for abstract submission is the 01 June 2016
Early bird registration fees apply until the 26 June 2016

Registration and abstract submission are now open on the conference website: scennet2016.sciencesconf.org

33rd (International Society of Limnology) SIL conference: Science for sustainable freshwater use

Mon, 25 Jan 2016 17:54:00 +0200

The 33rd (International Society of Limnology) SIL conference "Science for sustainable freshwater use" will be held from 31 July until 5 August 2016 in torino, Italy.

Our planet is under pressure due to increased demand for freshwater. The availability and suitability of water resources are threatened by human influences, directly, through globally unbalancing the slow and fast water cycles and impairing water quality, and indirectly through the adverse effects of climate change. Many freshwater ecosystems are deteriorating in quantity and quality. As a result, an increasing number of people are chronically short of water.

In this context, limnology must represent the answer to the planetary water crisis as we need more science and more scientists to urgently face a sustainable and effective freshwater recovery. This need can be satisfied only improving our knowledge in Limnological Sciences and the people awareness of what science can do for a more sustainable use of freshwater ecosystems.

More information available here: http://www.sil2016.it/

Applied Geoinformatics (AGIT) Congress

Fri, 10 Jun 2016 17:36:00 +0300

The Applied Geoinformatics (AGIT) Symposium and AGIT EXPO will take place from 6 to 8 July 2016 to provide a platform for the exchange of trends and ideas in the area.

AGIT is the platform for high-quality lectures, practical workshops, topics and symposia.

During the event, ESMERALDA partners Hermann Klug (PLUS) and Benjamin Burkhard (CAU) are organising a Special Session on "Analysis, Assessment and Mapping of Ecosystem Services". The session will take place on 7 July, more information here.

Learn more on the official webpage.

3rd Pan-European IPBES Stakeholder Consultation (PESC-3)

Tue, 12 Apr 2016 09:25:00 +0300

The "3rd Pan European IPBES Stakeholder Consultation (PESC-3)" will take place on 14-16 June 2016 in Leipzig, Germany. The event is organised as a bottom-up contribution of European and Central Asian experts to the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

Objectives of the conference are to inform participants about current developments in and around IPBES, to strengthen the capacities for IPBES stakeholder engagement across the ECA region, and to deliver comments on the first order draft of the IPBES Regional Assessment for Europe and Central Asia to IPBES.

Among the presenters are:

Marine Elbakidze, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, LA of ECA Assessment
Joseph Settele, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, CLA of Pollination Assessment
Laurence Perianin, IPBES Programme Officer at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Anna Varga, Centre for Ecological Research Vácrátót
Cosmas Kombat, IPBES Young Fellow, University of Bayreuth
Felice van der Plaat, Programme Management Officer, IPBES Secretariat
Hilde Eggermont, IPBES National Focal Point of Belgium, Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences

For more details, please visit the conference website.

BEES Young Ecosystem Services Scientist Day

Tue, 10 May 2016 14:24:00 +0300

The BElgium Ecosystem Services (BEES) network is organizing a BEES Young Ecosystem Services Scientist Day scheduled to take place on 10 June 2016 in BELSPO, Brussels. Why this first BEES young scientists day?

For researchers - on the crossroads of ecology, economy, governance and sustainability, exchange with peers is essential for research quality.
For stakeholders and decison makers - PhD and Junior postdoc projects represent emerging topics in different research groups and platforms.
For research impact and relevance - exchange between stakeholders and researchers in early phases of projects or research lines is highly beneficial.

BEES contributes to the quality of research and decision making in the long run, by connecting early stage researchers, relevant policy makers and stakeholders.
The BEES Young scientists day will not be a series of ex cathedra presentations: the aim is to stimulate informal exchange using group debates, short 3 slide pitches and personal networking moments.

Researchers:
Submit a 300 word abstract by May 10th via this link <http://goo.gl/forms/3xrg3BLXpC>. Contributions on ecosystem services, natural capital and broad related issues from all disciplines are welcomed.

Interested participants:
For subscription as participant, please register via this link <http://goo.gl/forms/k2LvXDdY1P>

Citizen observatories for water management conference

Mon, 25 Jan 2016 17:56:00 +0200

From 7 to 9 June 2016 the city of Venice will host an International Conference titled: "Citizen Observatories for Water Management". The Conference will focus on the potential of Citizen Science in the European water innovation landscape, and in particular in the fields of flood risk management, environmental monitoring and meeting the challenges of the Water Framework Directive (WFD).

The Conference will be an opportunity for actors in the field of science and innovation to exchange experiences on the development, implementation and use of new technologies to bring water-related issues closer to citizens.

Introduction

Citizen observatories are emerging as a virtual and physical place where citizens and decision makers cooperate to gather and share information to promote innovative and shared solutions. Strategic decisions and policies that impact society and the environment require intensive data collection and interpretation. Such information provides an important basis for long term planning as well as short term response (e.g. to flooding, drought, pollution events, cyanobacterial blooms).

The COWM 2016 conference will explore the role and opportunities for active citizen participation in environmental monitoring and policy making. The event will provide opportunities to engage with researchers, policy makers and practitioners actively involved in improving our understanding of citizen science initiatives. Participants will discuss the growing potential of Citizens’ Observatories in empowering the society and improving the resilience at the community scale.

The meeting will bring together social scientists, surveyors, engineers, scientists, and other professionals from many countries involved in research and development activities in a wide range of technical and management topics related to citizen observatories and their impacts on society and how to maximize the benefit of data emerging from citizen observatories.

More information available here: http://www.conwater2016.eu/index.php/en/

Evidence based policy making for sustainable cities: The EU Urban Agenda, Nature Based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Wed, 16 Mar 2016 09:28:00 +0200

This workshop aims for strengthening synergies between the EU Urban Agenda, the EU research agenda on Nature Based Solutions and the potential of Urban
Green Infrastructure. We will show and discuss the potential of using spatially explicit data for evidence based local policymaking. Thus enhancing the awareness for and acceptance of nature based solutions and green infrastructure in the local policy arena.

The Netherlands and the European Commission/JRC have recently carried out a study amongst some EU member States on the policies, data and indicators that are currently used at a local level regarding Green Infrastructure. We also inventoried the needs that local communities/cities express with regards to urban green infrastructure. On May 31 we will present the results of our study, whose main objective is to draw lessons on how to map urban green infrastructure and ecosystem services, with a view to ease their inclusion in policy setting. We want to discuss with you how to build further on these results. We want to bring cities and other relevant stakeholders (policy-makers, urban planners, landscape architects, etc.) throughout Europe together to exchange knowledge and experience. In order to feed the results of our findings in the networks of cities, national governments and science. We kindly invite you for the workshop "Evidence based policy making for sustainable cities", hosted by the city of Utrecht and the government of The Netherlands, in close cooperation with the European Commission, in the light of the Dutch EU presidency in 2016. In the course of April you will receive further information on the program and registration.

Context of the conference

Through the EU Urban Agenda national governments, cities, European institutions and other stakeholders will be working together for a sustainable, innovative and economically powerful Europe that offers a good quality of life (Urban Agenda) One of the promising developments in this perspective is nature-based solutions. These are understood as living solutions that are inspired or supported by nature, which are costeffective, simultaneously provide environmental, social and economic benefits and help build resilience, in particular in cities (H2020 Nature Based Solutions). Urban green infrastructure is one of the carriers of nature-based solutions. To increase
the awareness and acceptance of nature-based solutions it is essential to increase the evidence base of their effectiveness. The European working group on mapping and assessing of ecosystems and their services (MAES) works on the development of this evidence base. In the context of the MAES working group a pilot has been executed with regards to the use of spatially explicit data on urban green infrastructure. The pilot has resulted in a framework for the use of these data in local policy making. This may be with regards to climate resilience, social cohesion, health or other relevant issues. The work program 2016-2017 of Horizon 2020 includes calls for more than 130 mio. EUR on nature-based solutions (in SC 5) and re-naturing cities (in SCC-2). Also in this context the use of spatially explicit data may be very relevant.

Together with the European working group on Green Infrastructure we want to exchange experiences, learn and increase the evidence base between cities throughout Europe.

Program outline

The program is aimed at representatives from local and regional policymakers, scientists, the private sector and civil society, as well as policymakers from national Member States and the EU Commission.

The workshop will be a mixture of plenary sessions and breakout sessions. It will overview the Urban Agenda, Nature Based solutions and Urban Green Infrastructure and how they may interact. It will go deeper into the findings of the MAES urban pilot which points out data and indicators that can be used to develop GI policy in cities. The pilot aims at providing guidance and examples on how to translate concepts for the enhanced delivery of multiple ecosystem services into concrete action. It will show the potential of using spatially explicit data for policymaking. We will share and discuss experiences and lessons learned, and discuss the needs for further developments. There will be opportunity to present showcases.

From the discussions, key messages will be derived that can form a basis for dialogue with policymakers on needs regarding local, national and European policy as well as on scientific knowledge and skills. The discussions may lead to a better understanding of the importance of spatially explicit data-use for local policymaking and the need to further cooperate on this.

It is the aim to involve local authorities, national authorities, science, business, and civil society from different backgrounds, sectors and Member States, as well as policymakers from Member States and the European Commission.

2016 Asian ESP Conference: Ecosystem Services for Nature Based Solutions

Thu, 14 Jan 2016 17:01:00 +0200

From 30 May – 3 June 2016 the Korean network on Ecosystem Services (KESNET), together with the Ecosystem Services Partnership and many Asian partners, will organise a training (30-31 May) and conference (2-3 June) to "Reconnect People with Ecosystems to achieve Nature-based Solutions for Environmental and Socio-economic Problems" in Ansan City, S.Korea (see: http://www.espconference.org/asia2016 ). More than 15 Countries will be represented and engage in over 15 Thematic Workshops.

Oppla Webinar - Ecosystem Services Mapping: practical applications

Fri, 20 May 2016 10:51:00 +0300

An Oppla Webinar focused on "Ecosystem Services Mapping: practical applications" is taking place at 11:00 CET on 25th May. This session will be focusing on the benefits ecosystem services mapping for practitioners and decision makers.

Guest presenters are:

Nuria Marba, speaking about the importance of spatial distribution of ecosystem services in Posidonia meadows. Nuria is based at the CSIC in Spain and works with actors in the Balearic Islands in Mediterranean Sea on the importance and conservation of seagrass areas and their related ecosystem services. She currently contributes to the OPERAs project.
Sander Jacobs, speaking about mapping ecosystem services in Flanders. Sander works at INBO and is engaged in the Belgium Ecosystem Services Community of Practice. He also contributes to the OPENNESS project. Sander has been very actively involved in the ecosystem services assessment for Flanders and in reviewing the limitations of mapping methods.
Benjamin Burkhard, speaking about mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services across European biomes, states and policies. Benjamin is a leading scientist on the mapping of ecosystem services. He is Secretary General of the Ecosystem Services Partnership (ESP) and works at Kiel University, Germany. Benjamin is currently leading the European Horizon 2020 project ESMERALDA, which aims to facilitate European Member States fulfilling their ecosystem services mapping obligations within the European Biodiversity Strategy.

For more information and to register, plese go to the official event's announcement.

Beyond Woods: The multiple services provided by Europe's forests

Fri, 18 Mar 2016 16:03:00 +0200

The Policy Conference "Beyond Woods: The multiple services provided by Europe's forests" will take place on 23 May 2016 in Brussels, Belgium.

Do you know the many services which Europe's forest ecosystems deliver to us? Are you working to ensure that the prosperity and benefits provided by forests to citizens will continue for the future?

Then this event is for you: to meet key players in the field, get new insights, follow the debates, and have your say on what

needs to be done and how the EU can help.

Find out more and register online: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/forests/conference.htm

Community of practice on ecosystem services in Denmark?

Fri, 29 Jan 2016 16:42:19 +0200

Should we have a community of practice on ecosystem services in Denmark?

On the agenda is:

• Status on mapping and assessment of ecosystem services in Denmark
• Presentation of the Esmeralda project
• Examples of communities of practice from other countries

The meeting takes place at IGN/KU, Rolighedsvej 23, 1958 Frederiksberg from 14.00 to 16.00. Registration required!

Invitation (In Danish) attached.

Sustainable Land Management: Final Conference 2016

Wed, 23 Dec 2015 09:42:00 +0200

The BMBF Research programme "Sustainable Land Management" Final Conference will take place from the 7th to the 9th of March 2016 in Berlin, Germany.

Deadline for registration: 1 February 2016

More information is available here.

IPBES Fourth Plenary

Thu, 25 Jun 2015 10:19:00 +0300

The fourth session of the IPBES Plenary is now set to be held from 22 to 28 February 2016 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

So far only a provisional agenda for the fourth session of the Plenary is available.

The deadline for registration has been set for 15 September 2015.

More information to follow.

Global Bioeconomy Summit 2015

Tue, 26 May 2015 10:30:00 +0300

The Global Bioeconomy Summit 2015 will take place on 25 & 26 November at the Berlin Congress Center (BCC), Berlin, Germany.

Food security, sustainable development, economic growth and the conservation of scarce natural resources – the promises of bioeconomy are manifold. The Global Bioeconomy Summit is the first community building platform to discuss bioeconomy policies globally. This summit builds on the post 2015 development goals to start a multilateral agenda setting process for a sustainable bioeconomy. For this purpose the German Bioeconomy Council invites more than 500 leaders from policy, research, industry and civil society to Berlin.

For more information about the congress and registrtion, please visit: http://www.gbs2015.com/home/

The World Forum on Natural Capital

Thu, 02 Jul 2015 10:49:00 +0300

The World Forum on Natural Capial will take place on 23 & 24 November 2015 in Edinburgh. The World Forum on Natural Capital will bring together the leading players and the latest developments in this rapidly evolving field.

The World Forum offers an opportunity to hear the latest developments, learn from real-life case studies and connect with leading players to help shape the emerging dialogue.

Early Bird registrations are now open.

For more information on schedule, spekers, registration etc., please visit the official event's website.

Nature-based Solutions to Climate Change in Urban Areas and their Rural Surroundings: Linkages between science, policy and practice

Wed, 01 Jul 2015 11:58:00 +0300

The Europena Conference "Nature-based Solutions to Climate Change in Urban Areas and their Rural Surroundings: Linkages between science, policy and practice" will take place from 17 to 19 November 2015 in Bonn, Germany.

The event is a joint European Conference held by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) and the European Network of Heads of Nature Conservation Agencies (ENCA) in co-operation with the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) / German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv).

Climate change has significant impact on society and biodiversity in Europe. Urban inhabitants are most likely to experience climate change effects directly because currently 73 per cent of Europeans live in urban areas. Here, management of urban ecosystems offer sustainable and cost-effective solutions to climate change mitigation and adaptation while contributing to human well-being.

This European conference will bring together experts from science, policy and practice to highlight and debate the importance of nature-based solutions to climate change in urban areas and their rural surroundings. Emphasize is given to the potential of nature-based approaches to create multiple-benefits.

The conference is divided into three main areas (day 1: science, day 2: practice and implementation, day 3: policy and business), each of which will be opened by keynote speakers including:

Hans Bruyninckx (Executive Director European Environmental Agency, EEA)
Wilhelm Krull (Chair of the H2020 expert group on nature-based solutions and re-naturing cities, Secretary General Volkswagen Foundation)
Georgina Mace (University College London – UCL, Director of Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research)
Christine Wamsler (Lund University, Centre for Sustainability Studies)
Nataša Jazbinšek (Head of Department for Environmental Protection City of Ljubljana and Head of working group for European Green Capital programme 2016)
Wolfgang Teubner (ICLEI Regional Director for Europe)
Kurt Vandenberghe (Director for Climate action and resource efficiency at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Research and Innovation)
Chantal van Ham (IUCN – EU Programme Manager Nature Based Solutions)
Dirk Sijmons (Delft University of Technology)

Keynote speeches are complemented by plenary presentations given by leading experts in the fields of urban biodiversity, climate change, and socio-economic effects of nature-based solutions, interactive sessions and a poster exhibition.

Deadline for abstract submission is 24 July 2015 (abstract submission guidelines)

Registration:

Early bird registration deadline: 18 September 2015

Final registration deadline: 30 October 2015

For more information and to register please visit: http://www.ecbcc2015.com/

8th ESP World Conference

Tue, 02 Jun 2015 11:57:00 +0300

The Ecosystem Services Partnership (ESP) is a worldwide network, founded in 2008, to enhance the science and practical application of ecosystem services. To facilitate the needed dialogue between scientists, policy makers and practitioners ESP organises an annual international conference in different parts of the world.

8th ESP World Coference will be held in South Africa from 9-13 November 2015 and is hosted at a very special location: Spier Wine farm and Conference Centre in Stellenbosch.

The central theme is ‘Ecosystem Services for Nature, People and Prosperity’. The conference will pay special attention to the public and private sector dialogue on how the ecosystem services concept can be used to support conservation, improve livelihoods and engage the business community.

Call for abstracts

The call for all abstracts is open. The deadline for abstract submission is approaching soon; for oral presentations 30 June,and for posters 31 July. To prepare your abstract submission, we advise you to have a look at the workshop overview webpage. To submit an abstract we ask you to select three workshops that best suit the theme of your abstract. When a workshop states 'CLOSED' it means no voluntary contributions can be uploaded to that workshop.

ESP8 Program

All workshop descriptions have been uploaded onto the website and can be viewed on the workshop overview page. Please note that this is overview can still be subject to change.

Registration

Registration for the conference is possible at the registration page.
Early Bird registration ends 31 August.

Conference flyer

The flyer can be downloaded here.

For more information and for registration, please visit the conference website: http://espconference.org/espconference2015

PECS 2015 Conference

Tue, 02 Jun 2015 11:54:00 +0300

PECS 2015 will take plave fro 3 to 5 November 2015 at Spier in Stellenbosch, South Africa, and will gather scientists from various disciplines, from within and beyond the PECS network, to share cutting-edge research insights on social-ecological dynamics in the Anthropocene. The conference will engage and involve multiple stakeholders concerned with sustainable development and who are interested in developing new solutions and strategies. The conference is intended to highlight PECS achievements and ambitions, and to synthesize and integrate PECS-related research to provide a basis for a future social-ecological research agenda, especially in light of Future Earth.

PECS 2015 will be complemented by several side events such as topical workshops with regional focus and methods workshops. It will also include a science-policy-practice dialogue, involving a total of around 100 participants, building on a South African series of workshops and the broader Future Earth project on "Seeds of the Good Anthropocene".

For important deadlines, registration and further information, please visit the conference official website: http://www.pecs2015.org/

ESMERALDA stakeholder workshop on ecosystem service mapping in EU member states at national level: identified gaps and possible solutions

Tue, 16 Jun 2015 19:00:00 +0300

The "ESMERALDA stakeholder workshop on ecosystem service mapping in EU member states at national level: identified gaps and possible solutions" will take place from 13 to 16 October 2015 in Riga, Latvia.

The workshop aims to bring together the key stakeholders for all ES Member states to gain an overview on the progress in implementation of EU Biodiversity Strategy targets for mapping and assessment of ecosystem services, identification of gaps in data, knowledge, skills and capacities of the Member States as well as discussing the possible solutions and needs for support.

The target group of the workshop: representatives of the competent authorities in charge for ES mapping and assessment at national level, including national contact points for MEAS process; ESMERALDA project partners.

Contacts:

Anda Ruskule, Baltic Environmental Forum - Latvia, tel. +371 67357548,
e-mail: anda.ruskule@bef.lv

Dace Strigune, Baltic Environmental Forum - Latvia, tel. +371 67357560,
e-mail: dace.strigune@bef.lv <mailto:dace.strigune@bef.lv> – for
organisational matters.

Leena Kopperoinen, Finnish Environment Institute SYKE, tel. +358 295
251 296; email: leena.kopperoinen@ymparisto.fi

Science for the Environment 2015

Mon, 27 Jul 2015 09:59:00 +0300

Science for the Environment 2015 will take place from 1 to 2 October in Aarhus, Denmark. Science for the Environment 2015 is the Third International Conference on Environmental Monitoring and Assessment.

Together with the Partnership for European Environmental Research (PEER), Aarhus University invites researchers and practitioners to attend the conference and discuss the future challenges and opportunities for environmental monitoring and assessment.

Some of the main questions are:

How to best evolve environmental monitoring, in order to make use of new and smart technologies for improved and cost-effective monitoring?
How do we assess and document the value of data and knowledge of environmental ecosystems?

For further information, please visit:
http://dce-conference.au.dk/

Seascape Ecology: Connecting land, sea & society

Mon, 25 May 2015 09:57:00 +0300

The annual ialeUK conference will be held from 7– 8th September 2015 at The University of Edinburgh, with the option to attend a field excursion on 9th September. The conference will appeal to people working in research, policy and practice and will include opportunities for discussion and interaction as well as a social programme in Edinburgh.

Seascape ecology is the application of landscape ecology to the marine and coastal environment. This conference will focus on the emerging shift towards linking both sides of the coastal margin, and how this can help to restore habitat connectivity and protect coastal and marine systems from environmental degradation.

The conference will explore the use of terrestrial, coastal and marine approaches to map seascape, measure spatial pattern and understand drivers of change. The use of seascape ecology to understand the interaction between nature and culture in the future management of coastal systems will also be explored.

More information at: www.iale.org.uk/conference2015

Also visit iale.org.uk or follow @ialeUK for the latest news. Contact the conference organisers by sending an email to conference2015@iale.org.uk

9th IALE World Congress July 5-10, 2015 Portland, Oregon USA

Mon, 25 May 2015 10:13:00 +0300

The 2015 World Congress is a joint meeting between the International Association of Landscape Ecology World Congress (WC) and the U.S. chapter of IALE (US-IALE), and will be held at the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower in Portland, Oregon, July 5 - 10, 2015.

The theme is: Crossing Scales, Crossing Borders: Global Approaches to Complex Challenges. The meeting will bring together nearly 1,000 leaders in landscape ecology from around the globe, including educators and practitioners in the fields of geology, ecology, biology, geography, and landscape preservation and design, dedicated to preserving and protecting our natural resources.

Highlights of the 9th Annual IALE World Congress will include in-depth, hands-on workshops, thought-provoking plenary sessions, over 50 special symposia and contributed papers, oral presentations and posters, scientific excursions, and ample social and networking opportunities.

Several symposia during the event will be co-organised by ESMERALDA partners:

S14. Bridging Cultural Landscapes and Landscape Ecology - Tobias Plieninger, Nynke Schulp, Peter Verburg

S44. Ecosystem Services: Supply, Flows and Demands in and Between Landscapes - Benjamin Burkhard and Felix Müller

S52. Ecosystem Services in Land Use Planning and Land Use Policy: How Does Scale Aspects Affect Information for Supporting Decision Processes? - Christine Fürst, Sandra Luque, Carsten Lorz, Christian Albert

For a full list of all symposia see: http://www.ialeworldcongress.org/symposia.html

More information about the event is available here.

Course: Introduction to the Natural Capital approach: InVEST and RIOS

Tue, 12 May 2015 18:37:00 +0300

The Université de Genéve announces a course called "Introduction to the Natural Capital approach: InVEST and RIOS" that will take place from July 2-4 2015.

This 3-day training will include an overview of ecosystem services approaches (first day, free), followed by two days of technical training on two of the Natural Capital Project’s software tools, InVEST and RIOS (350.-). This course is organized jointly by the Natural Capital Project (www.naturalcapitalproject.org) at Stanford University and the Institute for Environmental Science (www.unige.ch/ise) at University of Geneva.

Goals:

Introduce participants to the InVEST ecosystem service mapping and valuation tool, including how it works and its capabilities and limitations. After the training, participants will have basic familiarity with InVEST, including how to run select models, troubleshoot, and interpret and communicate results.
Introduce participants to the RIOS (Resource Investment Optimization System) tool for supporting the design of cost-effective investments in watershed services.
Provide hands-on exercises during days 2 and 3, in which participants will practice applying the Natural Capital Approach via case studies on RIOS and several InVEST models. The models that this course will focus on are: Sediment Retention, Nutrient Retention, Water Yield, and Crop Pollination.

For questions please contact: anthony.lehmann@unige.ch

Kick-off meeting of ECOPOTENTIAL

Fri, 08 May 2015 16:56:00 +0300

The official kick-off meeting of the EU funded Horizon 2020 project ECOPOTENTIAL will take place on 25-26 June 2015 in the ancient Valentino Castle on the bank of the Po river in Torino, Italy.

The main objective of this project led by the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) is to making Earth Observation and Monitoring Data usable for ecosystem modelling and services. This will also be done in selected Protected Areas in Europe, with a strong focus on mountain ecosystems, including a specific pilot site in the Carpathians. The project will make an important contribution to the work of the Group on Earth Observation (GEOSS) as well as UNEP Live.

More information and agenda to follow.

ESMERALDA Kick-off Meeting

Wed, 29 Apr 2015 11:06:00 +0300

The ESMERALDA project kick-off meeting will take place from 05 to 07 May 2015 at the University of Kiel, Germany.

Mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services (ES) are core to the EU Biodiversity (BD) Strategy. They are essential if we are to make informed decisions. Action 5 sets the requirement for an EU-wide knowledge base designed to be: a primary data source for developing Europe’s green infrastructure; resource to identify areas for ecosystem restoration; and, a baseline against which the goal of ‘no net loss of BD and ES’ can be evaluated.

In response to these requirements, ESMERALDA aims to deliver a flexible methodology to provide the building blocks for pan-European and regional assessments. The work will ensure the timely delivery to EU member states in relation to Action 5 of the BD Strategy, supporting the needs of assessments in relation to the requirements for planning, agriculture, climate, water and nature policy.