Climate Change: Meeting the challenge for Nature, Wildlife and the countryside: Thurs 25th November – 6pm
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FREE
Panellists:
Henri Brocklebank, Director of Conservation Policy & Evidence at the Sussex Wildlife Trust
Henri has been focused on wildlife in Sussex for many years. She leads the Trust’s work on the Marine Environment and is Chair of the Sussex Kelp Restoration Steering Group (#helpourkelp). She is Deputy Chair of the Sussex Local Nature Partnership and works with a wide range of organisations to promote nature’s recovery. Previously she was Manager of the Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre. She has a Master’s degree in Conservation Biology from the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology and has a degree in Zoology
Baroness Kate Parminter – Chair of the Environment and Climate Change Committee in the House of Lords
Kate grew up in West Sussex. She has previously headed the Public Affairs for the RSPCA, was chair for the Campaign for the Protection of Hunted Animals. She was also the Chief Executive of CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England. She was a councillor on Horsham District Council. Kate has been a member of the House of Lords since 2010. During her time in the Lords Kate has campaigned on a diverse range of issues including the environment, equality, animal welfare and education.
Chris Fairbrother · Landscape & Biodiversity Strategy Lead at South Downs National Park Authority
Chris has over 30 years’ experience in landscape & biodiversity, much of this within ‘Protected Landscapes’. This includes area management plans and countryside access. He previously worked at Natural England on the designation of both the New Forest and South Downs as National Parks and the establishment of their National Park Authorities as new management bodies. His current role includes policy, research and delivery on climate change adaptation and resilience. He has recently produced the Park’s Climate Change adaptation plan and strategy for the South Down National Park. He is also the convenor for the National Park Climate Change & Energy Group. The group works to co-ordinate action on Climate Change across the UK National Parks and step up to meet the range of challenges that it presents for protected landscapes.
Professor Dan Osborn – Chair of CPRE Sussex – the Countryside Charity & President of the South Downs Network
Dan is Professor of Human Ecology at University College London. He is co-Chair of UCL’s Environment Domain, maintaining an overview of the different aspects of environmental research. Dan works closely with the Sussex Community Development Association to encourage people who do not make use of green space to do so to benefit their wellbeing. He co-led the chapter on ‘People and the Built Environment’ in the Evidence Report for the 2nd UK Climate Risk Assessment published in 2016, contributing sections on flooding and the risks coastal communities face from a changing climate. Before joining UCL, Dan had several roles with the Research Council including the cross-government research initiative, Living with Environmental Change. He was chair of the British Ecological Society’s Policy Committee where he helped initiate discussions between ecologists and economists that led to the National Ecosystem Assessment published in 2011 and 2014. Much of his work has involved protecting the health and wellbeing of people and the environment and ensuring that resources are used more sustainably.
Dr Rob Stoneman – Director of Landscape Recovery, The Wildlife Trusts.
Before his present appointment Rob worked for Rewilding Europe. He has expertise in peatland conservation, landscape-scale change, project management and organisation development (not-for-profits). He has a deep interest in urban and marine ecology, as well as archaeology. He was the Chief Executive of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. He was also director of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature. He has a PhD in the study of peatlands, an MBA from Sheffield Hallam University and a BSc in Geography.
Dr Tony Whitbread – Chair of the South Downs Network and President of the Sussex Wildlife Trust
Prior to becoming president of the Sussex Wildlife Trust, Tony was their Chief Executive. He has a PhD in Grassland Ecology and a BSc in Applied Biology. His career has encompassed working for the Nature Conservancy Council and the Royal Society for Nature Conservation. He joined the Sussex Wildlife Trust as Head of Conservation in 1991. At the Trust, Tony played a huge role as a conservation advocate, battling against road building, urban development, the potential expansion of Gatwick Airport and other countryside loss. He was at the forefront in promoting the need for the establishment of the South Downs National Park – a designation realised in 2010. He also played a leading role in establishing the Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre.