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This event is kindly being funded by Cotswold National Landscapes through their Farming in Protected Landscapes programme
The biodiversity of arable land throughout Europe is still in decline, despite the efforts of farmers and scientists and the help from agri-environment schemes. This conference hopes to investigate some ways forward for our arable wildlife. The conference is hosted by Fir Farm.
Programme (subject to change)
Day 1
Introduction sessions: 9.45-10.30
Phil Wilson/Jane Parker: Introduction to Fir Farm and the aims of the meeting
Marian Spain, CEO Natural England: The future of farmland biodiversity
Jonathan Storkey: Changes in agriculture and impacts on biodiversity
Status & Trends 10.45-12.30
Phil Wilson: Trends in distribution and diversity in the UK’s arable flora
Gavin Siriwardena, BTO: Farmland birds UK
Julie Ewald, GWCT: Sussex study and invertebrates
Bob Haycock: Welsh farmland birds
12.30-12.45 Field walk introduction
Louis Fell Fir Farm
12.45-14.00 Lunch
14.00-15.00 Field walk – Hill Barn
Phil Wilson, Nick Adams
15.30-17.00 Case Studies
Ed Cross: Abbey Farm, Norfolk
Vaclav Zámečník: Czech partridges
Scott Brown: Cotswolds National Lanscape
17.15-18.15
Stefan Meyer: Arable flora of the Aegean Islands
Day 2
9.30-10.45 Threats and opportunities – towards integrated land management planning
Hannah Gibbons: National Trust properties in SW England
Kelly Jowett: Pollinators
Santi Mañosa: Catalan birds
Denise Dostatny: Poland – arable plant conservation
Stefan Meyer: 100 Fields for the Future – strategic networks in Germany
11.15-13.00
Emily: Communicating biological information
Clive Hurford: What happens when an agri-environment scheme fails
University of East Anglia: Paul Dolman, University of E Anglia
Niamh McHugh/Lucy Capstick, GWCT: Farm clusters
13.00-14.00 Lunch
14.00-15.30 Discussion groups
15.30-16.30 Conclusions from discussion groups
