10th to 12th September, 2024 at Springfield Country Hotel in Dorset

Conference Agenda

Provisional conference agenda 2024...

10th September 2024

10:00 - 12:30 Registration

10:30 - 12:30 - Discussion group: Strategic mitigation approaches

Facilitator: Stephen Fry, independent heathland consultant

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

12:30 - 13:30 Lunch

13:30 - 13:45 Welcome to the National Heathland Conference 2024

Stephen Fry, independent heathland consultant

13:45 - 15:30 - Session 1

Session chair: Clive Chatters

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?

How “wild” can heaths be?

Speaker: Prof. James Bullock, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

Invertebrate heath-forest connectivity

Speaker: Dr Scott Pedley, Manchester Metropolitan University

Urban heath challenges, specifically for Nightjars

Speakers: Terry Elborn, Bournemouth Christchurch Poole Council & Brian Cresswell, Lotek

15:30 - 15:45 Tea break

15:45 - 17:30 - Session 2

Session chair: Frances McCullagh, Natural England

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?

Latest from Cannock Chase partnership working

Speaker: Georgina Sharp, Cannock Chase SAC

Latest from Pebblebed partnership

Speaker: Kim Strawbridge, Pebblebed Heaths

An introduction to the Purbeck Heaths National Nature Reserve

Speaker: David Brown, National Trust

17:30 - 19:45 Break and evening meal

(The hotel is NOT open for bar meals during the evening as previously stated).

19:45 - 21:30 Panel discussion: With conservation veterans

Facilitator: Stephen Fry, independent heathland consultant

11th September 2024

Purbeck Heaths NNR

Coordinator: David Brown, National Trust, and partners

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.

18:30 - 19:30 Evening meal

(All day 2 delegates are automatically booked for dinner.)

19:30 - 20:30 - After dinner: Who are heathlands for?

A discussion on the challenges of access and engagement on heathlands, focusing on barriers faced by different groups in society, including those created by conservation organisations, and how we address these to improve nature connectedness.

12th September 2024

9:00 - 10:15 - Session 3

Session chair: David Brown, National Trust

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

Condition monitoring, and is it time to redefine heathland?

Speaker: Frances McCullagh, Natural England

Place-based pilot: Purbeck favourable conservation status

Speaker: Chris Panter, Footprint Ecology

10:15 - 10:30 Tea break

10:30 - 12:30 - Session 4

Session chair: Nick Sibbett, The Landscape Partnership

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

Climate change adaptation and microclimates in lowland heaths

Speaker: Marijke Thoonen, Research Institute for Nature and Forest

Palaeoecology for conservation: A case study of heathland management at Chobham Common

Speaker: Ben Siggery, Surrey Wildlife Trust / University of Surrey

Peat restoration, what have you got and what can you learn from it? Case study: Wishmoor Valley Mire NFM Pathfinder Project

Speakers: Dr Mike Simmonds, University of Reading & Ben Habgood, Surrey Wildlife Trust

12:30 - 13:15 Lunch

13:15 - 15:15 - Session 5

Session chair: Neil Sanderson, British Lichen Society

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

Sand Lizards: Exploring the implications of rare species recovery for heathland managers

Speaker: Paul Edgar, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation

Managing Silver Birch without pesticides at Bucklebury Common

Speaker: Alex Cruickshank, Sundew Ecology

Pesticides and herbicides

Speaker: Toby Taylor, RSPB

15:15 Round-up and goodbyes

Latest News

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    Information for delegates

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    Booking open!

    8th May 2024: We’re delighted to announce that booking is open for the National Heathland Conference 2024. 10th to 12th September, 2024 at the Springfield Country Hotel, Wareham in Dorset….

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