Climate Change

Our climate change challenge and the enormous human benefits of drinking water supply, carbon security, flood risk management and wellbeing, not to mention the scale of nature recovery required needs an approach bigger and better than present.

The Great North Bog initiative is hoping to provide this approach across the 7,000 sqkm upland peat of the North of England.

If we are really going to tackle the environmental challenge in front of us this is the scale, we need to work at, so it speaks on a national scale, able to influence policy directly from the Bog to Westminster.

Online event

5th July 2021 - 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm

Answering Climate Change on a Big Scale - The Great North Bog

Introduction followed by a short interviews from partners in Great North Bog. A Short presentation on the National Parks Partnership net Zero project and a Q & A session with those who originally came up with the Great North Bog Concept.

Event Chair

James Stuart

Convener
Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park

James is currently the founder and director of One Planet Consulting, Convener of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, a Non-Exec Advisor to Scottish Forestry and a member of Tees Valley Combined Authority Audit Committee.

James has been leading teams for more than two decades. Having studied Oceanography in Southampton, his first career was as an Infantry Officer in the Highlanders, seeing active service in Bosnia and Iraq and receiving the Chief of Joint Operations Commendation and the US Army Commendation Medal respectively for his work in theatre.

He has since led two sports governing bodies, a life and chemical sciences SME and been MD of Entrepreneurial Scotland. Across each of these roles James has developed a deep interest
in the rural economy, conservation and sustainability and has been an active part of the strategic leadership for Scottish Tourism.

James has held a number of non-executive and voluntary role across this time too including having been a Board member of the Scottish Sports Association, a member and chair of the Scottish Football Association’s Judicial Panel, a member of the leadership group for the £1Bn Conservation Finance Challenge and former chair of National Parks UK.

Event Panel

Chris Dean

Head
Moors for the Future Partnership

Chris has an MSc in Countryside Management and has worked in countryside management for more than four decades. Over the years, Chris has worked for the Countryside Agency and Calderdale Countryside service, among others. Since 2002 Chris has led the Moors for the Future Partnership (MFFP) team in the Peak District and South Pennines. To date, the organisation has raised £40 million to restore what is an environmental catastrophe of degradation across this blanket bog landscape. The Partnership is presently delivering the largest LIFE programme grant ever awarded to a UK conservation project, MoorLIFE 2020.

Paul Leadbitter

Peatland Programme Manager
North Pennines AONB Partnership

Paul is the Peatland Programme Manager at the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Beauty (AONB) Partnership located in Northern England. He holds a Master of Science degree in Forestry from Lakehead University in North-western Ontario, Canada and undergraduate degrees in Geography and Environmental Science from Nipissing University in Ontario, Canada. Paul has been working in the nature conservation and protected areas world for over 25 years and has a keen interest in wetland ecosystems. As Programme Manager in the North Pennines AONB over the past 15 years Paul has led a team of peatland specialists to restore 40,000 hectares of degraded peatlands in England’s largest blanket bog system. Paul has extensive experience in project development, seeking financing for conservation work, delivering results on the ground and using practical experience to support policy development.

Dr Tim Thom

Peat Programme Manager
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

Dr Tim Thom is the Peat Programme Manager for Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. He established the Yorkshire Peat Partnership in 2009 with the aim of restoring all of the badly degraded blanket bogs across the Yorkshire Region of England and has overseen the restoration of nearly 35,000 ha of upland peatland which is about 33% of the total area. Tim developed the Pennine PeatLIFE project in partnership with the North Pennines AONB and is one of the founder members of the newly formed Great North Bog initiative which aims to restore all of the upland peatland in the north of England. The Yorkshire Peat Partnership is also now turning its attention to the restoration of lowland agricultural peatlands All of Tim’s work is evidence led and the Yorkshire Peat Partnership supports and funds applied research projects to inform restoration and Tim is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Manchester.

Naomi Conway

Development Director
National Parks Partnerships

Naomi Conway is Development Director for the UK’s National Parks, providing strategic leadership for national partnerships between the commercial sector and the parks. In this role she has developed partnerships with Columbia Sportswear, Forest Holidays and CLIF. Prior to this, she was Head of Development at the National Portrait Gallery, and also Development Director at the Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts.

Climate Change resources

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Links

Peatland Restoration Forest of Bowland

Summary: An article outlining the global importance of peat and the restoration projects being carried out in the Forest of Bowland. Credit: Forest of Bowland AONB

Peatland Restoration Forest of Bowland

Summary: An article outlining the global importance of peat and the restoration projects being carried out in the Forest of Bowland. Credit: Forest of Bowland AONB

Green Recovery Fund Case Studies

Summary: Examples of projects funded through the Green Recovery Challenge Fund.

Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park ‘Our Mission Zero’

Summary: Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park bring to you ‘Our Mission Zero Route Map which is an organisational plan for achieving net zero ambitions. This might be of interest to other organisations looking to create their own plan.

Biodiversity and Climate change Education Pack

Summary: This new resource contains background information on Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, its special qualities, the main land uses, and provides examples of habitats and biodiversity, highlighting the role of the National Park Authority in mitigating the impacts of climate change. ‘Biodiversity & Climate Change in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park’ has been developed to support the Environmental Science curriculum – National 4/5 and Higher: Living Environment, Earths resources and Sustainability.

Milestone celebrates Vital Conservation Work – 10 years Peatland Restoration 2010 – 2020

Summary: An article outlining the work carried out by Forest of Bowland AONB in partnership with landowners, Environment Agency, Natural England, United Utilities and many others to restore 7ha. Credit: Pendle Hill Landscape Partnership

Milestone celebrates Vital Conservation Work – 10 years Peatland Restoration 2010 – 2020

Summary: An article outlining the work carried out by Forest of Bowland AONB in partnership with landowners, Environment Agency, Natural England, United Utilities and many others to restore 7ha. Credit: Pendle Hill Landscape Partnership

Downloads

Loch Lomond and The Trossachs Case Study Climate Change Peatlands

Loch Lomond and The Trossachs Case Study Climate Change Invasive Species

Celtic Rainforests Wales Conservation Grazing Case Study 2

Decision support framework for peatland protection and the establishment of new woodland

Celtic Rainforests Wales Conservation Grazing Case Study 2

Loch Lomond and The Trossachs Case Study: Climate Change Red Squirrel Conservation

Loch Lomond and The Trossachs Case Study: Climate Change Species Reintroduction