Cambridge Conservation Forum

CCF Policy Debrief on Durban Climate Change Conference

Rob Pople — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 16:58:24 +0000

This policy debrief, held on January 10th at UNEP-WCMC, discussed the outcomes of the Climate Change Conference (17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and related meetings) held between 28th November and 9th December in Durban, South Africa. Melanie Heath (BirdLife International) provided an overview of the conferences, Barney Dickson (UNEP-WCMC) explained what happened in terms of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD+) and Rob Munroe (BirdLife) presented on the outcomes in terms of adaptation and ecosystem-based adaptation. PDFs of these presentations are available on the Reports page.

With some 60 participants from a variety of CCF Member organisations, this was one of the best attended CCF policy debriefs/pre-briefs, indicating that there is a need for such discussions of global policy events within the CCF community.

CCF Development Project survey

Rob Pople — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 15:33:48 +0000

The CCF Development Project is an exercise to identify ways to improve ownership of the Forum across the wider Membership and Friendship, and to facilitate communication and interaction around conservation issues amongst conservation researchers and practitioners in the Cambridge area. The project is being led by Ariadna Álvarez Pérez, who is on a 6-month internship supported by the mobility programme Argo Global from the Spanish Ministry of Education, and with guidance from an Advisory Group drawn from across the CCF Committee and Membership.

As part of the project, staff and students of CCF Member organisations and Friends of the Forum are invited to take part in an online survey. All responses will remain anonymous. The deadline to complete the survey has now been extended to Wednesday 15th February.

CCF Annual Symposium

Rob Pople — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 18:54:36 +0000

The 13th CCF Annual Symposium will be held at the Cambridge Judge Business School on Thursday 5th January 2012. The cost, which includes tea/coffee, lunch and the post-symposium wine reception, is £35 per person if paid before 16th December, or £40 thereafter. The booking form and draft programme can be downloaded here.

CCF Conservation Working Party at Hayley Wood

Rob Pople — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 12:07:37 +0000

The second CCF conservation working party will take place on Saturday 10th December at Hayley Wood, a traditional English ancient woodland managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. We’ll be carrying out a variety of habitat management activities suitable for all abilities, so even if you’ve never tried this kind of thing before, please do come along! In addition to the reserve warden, we are delighted that Oliver Rackham – a renowned expert in ancient woodlands, who has carried out numerous site surveys of the wood – will be joining us on the day.

For details of timings, travel arrangements and what to bring, please see the entry in the Events calendar. To book a place, please email Holly Barclay by Monday 5th December, indicating whether you will need a lift, can bring a car, or will make your own way directly to the site.

CCF Christmas Party

Rob Pople — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:14:22 +0000

The CCF Christmas Party will be held at The Castle Inn from 19:00–23:00 on Monday 5th December. Tickets are £9.95 each, to include a buffet dinner and Christmas quiz.

This event is now *SOLD OUT*!

CCF Summer Symposium

Rob Pople — Sat, 14 May 2011 17:41:16 +0000

The CCF Summer Symposium will be held at the Cambridge Judge Business School on Thursday 23 June. The theme of the Symposium is “Landscape and localism: future directions in habitat management”, with the following objectives:
• to debate what the government’s localism agenda might mean for conservation management and nature reserves;
• to share ideas and current good practice around implementing visions and habitat management planning, illustrated by case studies; and
• to discuss ways of rising to the challenge of involving/being led by local people.

The cost, which includes tea/coffee, lunch and the post-symposium wine reception, is £35 per person if paid before 10 June, or £40 thereafter. The booking form and provisional programme can be downloaded here.

CCF Summer Social

Rob Pople — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:23:27 +0000

This year’s Summer Social will take place at the University of Cambridge estate in Madingley from 17:30–23:00 on Wednesday 18th May. The University’s Forestry Consultants and Rural Surveyor will first lead a tour of Madingley Wood (an ancient woodland and SSSI) and the adjoining 800 Wood (planted in 2008 to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the University). The event will then move on to Madingley Hall, where the garden team will lead a tour of the ten acres immediately surrounding the hall (including a two-acre meadow that records suggest dates back to 1871). During the garden visit, Dr. Alex Thornton will tell us about his current research in the garden and woods on “The evolution of corvid intelligence: development, mechanisms and function of cognitive abilities in wild Jackdaws”. The tours will be followed by a buffet supper, and (hopefully!) a session of moth-trapping in the hall gardens to round off the evening.

**This event is now SOLD OUT. Please only come along on Wednesday if you have already confirmed your booking with Holly.**

CCF contribution to Citizenship Day at local secondary school

Rob Pople — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 22:28:28 +0000

Following a call to the CCF network for help with an environment-themed Citizenship Day at a local secondary school, Malcolm Busby from Cambridgeshire Mammal Group, Pamela Abbott from Natural England and former colleague Ron Donaldson hosted workshops for Year 8 students (12–13 year olds) on various aspects of the environment, including the importance of local habitats for wildlife, and potential future environmental scenarios – good and bad. Ron has reported back on his experiences from the workshop on his blog.

In the session on the CCF Vision at the recent Symposium, various people expressed an interest in communicating conservation to the wider community, so if a similar opportunity arises again, please do consider whether you could get involved.

Conservation Ceilidh

Rob Pople — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 16:53:24 +0000

Back by popular demand, the CCF Ceilidh will be held on Friday 4th March at the Cambridge Rugby Club, Grantchester Road, Cambridge, CB3 9ED. A light buffet supper will be available from 19:00, with dancing from 20:00–23:00. Last year’s band, The Ceilidh Allstars, will be back to play the tunes and call the dances. There will also be a cash bar open all evening. Tickets are £12 (“early bird”; before 1st March), £17 (after 1st March) or £8 (under-16s). This price includes food, but not drinks on the night.

For further information or to book tickets contact Holly Barclay. The hall has limited capacity, so please book early to avoid disappointment!

CCI/CCF workshop on carbon management and offsetting

Rob Pople — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 14:52:24 +0000

A joint CCI/CCF workshop, aimed at progressing the thinking on reducing the carbon footprints of conservation organizations across Cambridge, was held at UNEP-WCMC on Thursday 9th December 2010, and attended by a variety of CCI/CCF organizations. The minutes of the meeting, which include a summary of the presentations and overall discussion, are now available here. It was agreed to set up a task force to consider the options and to draft guidance, which is looking to start the process in February. Contact Tristan Tyrrell for further information.