Rewilding – a solution for climate change?
Rewilding will be discussed and explored to celebrate the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) World Environment Day on 5 June 2019 at a rewilding conference in Gateshead.
Rewilding – a solution for climate change, hosted by Climate Action North and sponsored by Resilient Business Systems, will focus on rewilding as one of the potential solutions for mitigating the effects of Climate Change.
Exploring how rewilding can be considered a major influence in tackling climate change and restoring ecosystems, and discussing how to do it, the conference features speakers including Blue Planet Cameraman and Award-Winning Photographer, Doug Allan, and Rewilding Britain Specialist Advisor, Prof Alastair Driver.
Climate North East Action Managing Director, Sharon Lashley, said: “There’s growing interest in rewilding in Britain, and it’s important that we work to find understanding and take action to create ways of living that not only restores the natural world but also our prospects for a sustainable, safe and prosperous world.
“To achieve this goal on the scale that’s needed, rewilding in all its forms must be on the agenda and minds of everyone, not least those in the business world, conservation, farming and community sectors. This conference gives us the opportunity to bring everyone together and explore the opportunities and benefits that large and small-scale rewilding can offer.”
Fife-born Doug Alan first visited the polar regions in 1976, and during the 43-years since has witnessed the effects of climate change, including the impacts that global tourism and human lifestyles continue to have on the planet.
He said: “I’ll be covering successes and setbacks in my presentation at the Rewilding Conference during my own personal experiences exploring the challenges of climate change. I’ve learned to balance climate reality with climate optimism and most importantly, to realise that everyone has to be working together to inspire a change of direction.”
The conference will also welcome speakers: Isabella Tree, Co-Owner Knepp Estate and Author of Wilding, David Hetherington; Author of The Lynx and Us, Sacha Dench, Conservationist, adventurer and motivational speaker; Professor Chris Stokes, Glacier Specialist and Researcher; and will be chaired by Mike Pratt, CEO of the Northumberland Wildlife Trust.
Prof Alastair Driver said: “Almost every square metre of our land has been impacted on by humans in some way over the centuries. This means our cultural links to the landscape are inextricably intertwined with our expectations of that land. It is therefore essential that we engage with local communities and stakeholders in an exemplary fashion if we are to achieve rewilding at scale.
“Only then will we be able to release the full potential of rewilding to mitigate the impacts of climate change – along with all the other long term benefits it can bring for people and nature. This rewilding conference provides the perfect opportunity to showcase some of the pioneering landscape-scale solutions to tackling this critically important issue.”
This event follows the successful conference “Rewilding The Future”, which took place in September and featured leading naturalist and TV presenter Chris Packham.
Sharon said: “It was such a success and showed that there is a growing understanding and a real appetite here in the North East to take a coordinated, cohesive and practical approach to rewilding – this conference will build on this and continue the way forward to ensuring that rewilding becomes second nature.”
Held at the Newcastle Gateshead Marriott Hotel the conference, which is expected to attract around 120 people, will take place from 8.30am until 4.30pm.
The time for talking is over. Today we need to act.