News and events

Help Wanted!

Are you mad about bugs? Authors Peter Marren and Richard Mabey are looking for stories, sayings, songs and even recipes about bug life, for the upcoming publication Bugs Britannica. This is a great opportunity to contribute to an original book about our relationship with invertebrates. Full details are available on the project website at www.randomhouse.co.uk/bugsbritannica/.

The Woodland Trust have launched a 5-year Ancient Tree Hunt, and are looking for help to find and map all the old, fat trees across the UK. To find out about the project and how you can take part, visit the project website at www.ancient-tree-hunt.org.uk.

The National Amphibian and Reptile Recording Scheme (NARRS) is looking for volunteers for several surveys. If you register your interest, you will be kept informed of developments, timetables, training programmes and other plans. You can find out more about NARRS and register your interest at www.narrs.org.uk.

The People's Trust for Endangered Species is looking for at least 10,000 people to help spot molehills as part of their new MoleWatch project. For information or to sign up as a mole spotter, check out the project website: www.ptes.org/molewatch.

Mar 11: Hertfordshire Orchard Initiative invites you to attend a regional orchards event. Action for orchards in the East of England will focus on orchard activity taking place across our region and hopes to identify opportunities for co-operative working. This is a great chance for orchard groups to network and learn more about what neighbouring counties are doing to maintain and restore their orchards. The delegate cost is £10; to register your interest please contact David Curry at david.besorah@hotmail.co.uk

Apr 21: The Floodplain Meadows Partnership is holding a one-day conference at the Open University campus, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes. Floodplain Meadows: a Threatened Habitat will feature speakers from across Europe on species-rich floodplain meadows: research, management policy and restoration. Contact Michelle Duke (m.duke@open.ac.uk) for a registration form.

Jul 1: Gheel, Belgium will be the site of the European Youth Perspective Conference on Biodiversity. 150 people aged 18-30 from all over Europe will gather during five days to learn about, discuss and share knowledge and experience on biodiversity conservation. Full details are available on the conference website.

Sept 13-16: The International Association for Landscape Ecology warmly invites you to their 17th Annual UK Meeting, to be held in Brighton & Hove. The event will bring together scientists from the many fields in landscape ecology with policy makers, planners and practitioners. For details check out the IALE website or contact conference2010@iale.org.uk.

Sept 15-17: The theme for the 2010 Commons Conference is The End of Tradition: Aspects of Commons and Cultural Severance in the Landscape. The event will take place at Sheffield Hallam University. The conference dinner on Thursday evening will feature special guest Professor David Bellamy. Details are available on the conference website, or contact info@hallamec.plus.com or 0114 272 4227.