Future Treescapes 23: Pioneering a greener tomorrow through research and collaboration
15 – 16 June, Mercure Cardiff Holland House Hotel & Spa
Explore the future of UK treescapes at this specialist conference delving into the latest knowledge and innovation from the Future of UK Treescapes Programme.
Discover cutting-edge research and engage in thought-provoking discussions on environmental, socio-economic, and cultural aspects of treescapes.
Join us in sculpting the UK’s greener tomorrow.
Why attend Future Treescapes 23?
Photo by Jake Melara on Unsplash
As the climate and environmental crises intensify, the UK plans to plant 30,000 hectares of trees annually by 2025; and the Welsh government is expanding woodland cover to 25% of the country’s land area by 2050. The Future of UK Treescapes Programme was developed in order to create a body of research and innovation to support this ambitious expansion of tree cover.
Future Treescapes 23 takes place at the midpoint of the Programme, where projects begin to see promising results and focus on developing tools for stakeholders, key takeaways for decision-makers and recommendations for future research.
Join us for a unique opportunity for researchers, stakeholders, and decision-makers to collaborate, connect, and learn about the challenges and opportunities of treescape expansion and management.
What to expect at the conference?
Day 1 – 15th June
Time
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Session 1
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Session 2
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Session 3
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| 09:45 |
Registration
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|
|
| 10:30 |
Introduction
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| 10:45 |
Meet the UK Treescapes Fellows
(Presentations)
Short presentations introducing the UK Treescapes Fellows who are looking to answer some key questions surrounding Treescape Expansion in the UK.
Convenor: UK Treescapes |
|
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12:15
|
Lunch and Exhibition
Selected exhibition stands from our projects. |
|
|
| 13:30 |
Co-planting woodlands: navigating interdisciplinarity through fieldnotes
(Panel discussion)
A panel discussion exploring the experiences and insights gained from a tree-planting activity with a school, highlighting the transformative potential of the research field as a learning space.
Convenor: Kate Pahl, Voices of the Future
Theme(s): Interdisciplinarity, Fieldwork Practices |
Tree histories: People histories
(Panel discussion)
A panel discussion exploring the use of history as a tool for engaging communities, understanding environmental change over time, and informing tree and woodland policy, management, and planning.
Convenor: Annie Tindley, Connected Treescapes
Theme(s): Historical Perspectives, Collaborative Research |
|
| 15:00 |
Break
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|
|
| 15:20 |
An interdisciplinary lens on reforestation
(Panel discussion)
A panel discussion exploring the CASTOR project’s integration of practitioner knowledge and diverse disciplines to address social-ecological complexities and improve the effectiveness of woodland expansion research and its application.
Convenor: Matt Dennis, CASTOR
Theme(s): Interdisciplinary Approaches, Social-Ecological Complexity |
Communicating tree science in troubling times
(Themed Presentations)
A themed session discussing the need for innovative approaches to science communication, addressing challenges such as post-truth politics and anti-science discourses, and exploring ways to engage different audiences, including children and young people, in the context of the climate emergency.
Convenor: Khawla Badwan, Voices of the Future
Theme(s): Science Communication |
Geo-location storytelling walk and talk
(Walking Tour)
An interactive session where the Branching Out team shares stories gathered from communities, discusses the process of engaging artists with research and community development, and explores the role of storytelling in the project’s research and final outcomes.
Convenor: Alma Solarte-Tobon, Branching Out
Theme(s): Community Engagement, Artistic Collaboration
Note: This session will not be available to online attendees
|
| 16:50 |
Close
|
|
|
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| 19:00 |
Dinner
Speaker: Helen Browning (OBE, DL), Chief Executive of the Soil Association and Organic Livestock and Arable Farmer
Note: Attendance at the conference dinner costs £25 per person.
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|
|
Day 2 – 16th June
Time
|
Session 1
|
Session 2
|
| 08:30 |
Arrival
|
|
| 09:00 |
Introduction to day 2
|
|
| 09:10 |
Keynote
Dominic Driver (FICFor, CEnv, MCIEEM), Head of Land Stewardship, Natural Resources Wales |
|
| 09:35 |
Making the most of tree mapping
(Workshop)
A workshop session where participants explore the value and reusability of tree mapping data beyond the lifespan of individual projects, aiming to improve interoperability, integrate with green and blue infrastructure connectivity, and share lessons learned from various Treescapes projects to enhance the impact of these growing datasets. Note: This session will not be available to online attendees
Convenor: Kieron Doick, Branching Out
Theme(s): Data Reusability, Interoperability
Note: This session will not be available to online attendees
|
Tools for justifying and prioritising planting investments
(Themed presentations)
Showcasing different approaches, including decision frameworks, portfolio analysis, and coordinated policies, to aid in landscape-coordinated tree planting investment decisions, addressing multiple objectives and trade-offs for resilient treescapes.
Convenor: Julia Touza, Connected Treescapes
Theme(s): Decision-making, Coordinated Planting |
| 11:05 |
Break
|
|
| 11:20 |
Vulnerability of UK forests to drought and heatwaves
(Themed presentations)
A session to discuss the sensitivity of UK woodlands to droughts, bringing together data from experiments, field observations, and stakeholders to explore the ecological impact and implications for planning the future of UK woodlands, with a focus on forestry and management perspectives.
Convenor: Adriane Esquivel-Muelbert, MEMBRA
Theme(s): Drought Sensitivity, Forest Management |
Restoration, Research and Respect: Breaking down barriers between scientists, foresters and conservationists
(Themed presentations)
Breaking down barriers between scientists, foresters, and conservationists by highlighting examples of collaborative working, mutual respect, and understanding of differing objectives to achieve higher impact outcomes for multiple stakeholders, addressing themes of collaboration and bridging divides in the conservation and forestry sector.
Convenor: Chris Nichols, DiversiTree
Theme(s): Collaboration, Bridging Divides |
| 12:50 |
Lunch and Poster Session
Note: Posters will be on display throughout the conference, but this is the dedicated session.
|
|
| 14:20 |
Finding a practical resolution of the local provenance vs assisted migration debate
(Panel Discussion)
A panel discussion exploring the challenges of planting trees in the context of climate change, discussing the differing approaches of relying on genetic diversity within tree populations and assisted migration, with the aim of providing guidance and finding practical solutions for choosing the right tree species for future planting.
Convenor: Stephen Cavers, newLEAF
Theme(s): Adaptation, Genetic Diversity |
Agroforestry in the UK
(Themed presentations)
Themed presentations to highlight the potential of agroforestry as a multi-functional land-use that combines agriculture with tree planting to drive down greenhouse gas emissions, deliver ecosystem services, and improve livelihoods, while addressing the need for evidence-based research and integrating natural, social, economic, and arts and humanities perspectives.
Convenor: Lynn Frewer, AF Futures
Theme(s): Agroforestry, Multi-disciplinary Research |
| 15:50 |
Wrap up
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|
| 16:00 |
Finish
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Online attendees will be able to join the live stream of the conference and ask questions via the platform.
Additionally, in-person attendees will have the opportunity to join us for a networking dinner on the 15th of June at a cost of £25 per person.
The hybrid conference will be hosted on the 15th and 16th of June 2023 from the Mercure Cardiff Holland House Hotel & Spa. Lunch and refreshments will be provided to in-person attendees. Recorded sessions will be made available for wider audiences following the conference.
