Conference Agenda

An opportunity for sharing ideas and lessons learnt. A relaxed opportunity for networking and informal discussion on the topic of strategic mitigation approaches.

Kicking off the agenda with a big topic. Rewilding on heathlands; understanding the processes, addressing the opportunities and challenges. How can we rewild, how can we provide connectivity and how can we manage the fragmented heathland landscape?

Partnerships are a big theme for the conference and the focus of session 2. Making partnerships and how we work with people. How can the economics of heathland management, involving communities and members of the public, achieve common goals?

A day spent visiting the UK's first 'super' National Nature Reserve at Purbeck Heaths. The NNR was declared in 2020 and brings together several different land owners and organisations, specifically; RSPB, National Trust, Dorset Wildlife Trust, Forestry England, Rempstone Estate, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation and Natural England. It spans 3,331 hectares and covers a range of habitats from coastal dune and saltmarsh to acid grassland, valley mires and the largest low lying wet and dry heathland. A key management tool for restoring important natural process is the Purbeck Wild Grazing Project, in which a third of the NNR is now a single open grazing unit for cattle, pigs and horses. The area is an important destination for tourists, and central to the NNR has been tackling the issue of sustainable tourism. Topics ranging from low carbon, diversity, economy and nature connectedness are addressed with the involvement of the local councils, schools, outdoor adventure activity providers and local food and drink producers.

The field trip will include talks from:
• The NNR partners
• The local grazier
• Local food and drink providers – and we will be sampling their produce!
• Outdoor recreation providers to discuss their working relationships
• Environmental management contractors to demonstrate their techniques
• Bournemouth University discussing the monitoring undertaken
• Dorset Dogs on their involvement on recreation management.

The theme this morning is the monitoring of success and failure. Discussing how species monitoring and interventions are monitored.

Turning our attention to the challenges of climate change on heathlands, both for our wet and dry heathland.

The final session takes a look at the latest thinking and examples of the ecology and management of heathland.