Workshops

Please sign up for the workshops when you register!

All workshops will run from 09:30 – 14:00 on Wednesday 26 April at a cost of £10

Using the Ecosystem Services Toolbox
Jane Lusardi, Senior Specialist in Natural Capital and the Ecosystem Approach & Ruth Waters, Deputy Chief Scientist of Natural England.

With an ever-increasing body of evidence being developed around ecosystem services, it can be daunting to include and consider this information in decision making and management of the natural environment. Natural England has been working with BESS and other partners to develop tools and materials to assist those engaged with managing natural systems using the Ecosystem Approach.  This workshop will present and explore some of those tools that we have developed with a practical delivery focus in mind.  The tools that we will be showcasing include the Ecosystem Services Transfer Toolkit and Evidence Summary Sheets which present the latest information on management for ecosystem services, natural capital mapping, the Ecosystem Services Mapping Gateway, as well as our review of economic evidence of benefits to support decision-making.

Ecosystem services, valuing nature and participatory decision making
Rob Fish

It is difficult to imagine the application of an ecosystem services perspective to policy and decision making processes without recourse to the idea of participation. Stakeholders and publics enter the fray of this perspective in a variety of guises: as data inputs into models; as enlightened recipients of information; as well as critics and companions in its work. These roles are based on a much larger set of assumptions about why it matters to speak and engage with people. This workshop, run in conjunction with the Valuing Nature Programme, explores the critical, creative and practical challenges and opportunities that arise when linking interests in participation to ecosystem service based approaches to natural resource management. Rob will be drawing on his own experiences of conducting applied participatory research, including a recent dialogue process evaluating public views on the potential for using ecosystem services and valuing nature concepts in policy and decision making cycles.  Coverage of the workshop includes: General history and rationales of a participatory approach; Common models and styles of participation, key considerations; Overview of techniques for fostering a participatory approach; Participatory decision making from an ecosystem services perspective;  Ecosystem services and participatory processes,  working with concepts and language; Participatory valuation of ecosystem services: exploring ‘analytic-deliberative’ processes; Overview of key resources and opportunities for follow-up with the Valuing Nature Network.

Developing a Primer for Ecosystem Services Research – THIS WORKSHOP IS NO LONGER RUNNING