cieem autumn conference 'skills for the future: understanding the

CIEEM Autumn Conference‘Skills for the Future:

Understanding the impacts of new tools, techniques and approaches’

(1-2 November 2016)

www.cieem.net @InstEcolEnvMan

#CIEEMConf

CIEEM Autumn ConferenceSkills for the Future: Understanding the impacts of new tools, techniques and

approaches

Conference Programme - Day 1: Tuesday 1st November08:45 Registration & Tea/CoffeeSESSION 1 - CHAIR: Stephanie Wray CEcol CEnv FCIEEM, CIEEM President09:30 Welcome, Introduction, and housekeeping09:35 Keynote presentation:

The road to today – what has it been like over the last 25-40 years?Penny Anderson CEcol FCIEEM, Penny Anderson Associates

10:00 Current and future skills of the profession: Feedback from the 2016 members’ surveyDebbie Bartlett FCIEEM, CIEEM Training, Education and Careers Development Committee & Eulalia Gomez Martin, University of Greenwich

10:15 Focus Groups: Future skills needs and potential skills drivers11:05 Tea/Coffee Break11:35 Legislation and policy as skills drivers: The impact of the new Environment (Wales) Act 2016 on how

we address biodiversity issues in developmentJohn Ferry, Jacobs UK Ltd

12:00 A New Habitat Classification SystemBob Edmonds CEnv MCIEEM, Jo Treweek CEcol CEnv MCIEEM, Bill Butcher, Peter Carey, Lisa Norton – UK Habitat Classification Working Group

12:25 Developing mobile field technology to assess SSSIs Andrew Windrum, Natural England

12:50 LunchSESSION 2 - CHAIR: Max Wade CEcol CEnv FCIEEM13:50 Current and future use of eDNA analysis techniques, for ecologists – theory and practical application

Carl Halford & Lucy Cash CEcol MCIEEM, University of Wolverhampton & Crestwood Environmental Ltd 14:15 Carrying out eDNA analysis in the field – is that possible?

Jonathan Cranfield MCIEEM, Herpetologic Ltd14:40 A molecular toolbox for demonstrating ecosystem change

Kat Bruce, NatureMetrics15:05 Tea/Coffee Break15.35 Thermal Imaging

Kayleigh Fawcett, AECOM16.00 Where to focus restoration efforts for ecological networks? The application of decision-support soft-

ware (Condatis).Jenny Hodgson, University of Liverpool

16.25 Systems thinking for environmental management policy and practiceProfessor Andy Lane CEnv MCIEEM, The Open University

16.50 Summary and Close17.00 CIEEM Annual General Meeting19.00 President’s Wine Reception – Crowne Plaza Hotel, Nottingham19.30 Conference Dinner – Crowne Plaza Hotel, Nottingham21.30 Guest speaker: Merrick Denton-Thompson OBE FLI, President – Landscape Institute

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Conference Programme - Day 2: Wednesday 2nd November09.00 Registration & Tea/CoffeeSESSION 3 - CHAIR: Chris Smillie MCIEEM09.40 Welcome, Introduction, Housekeeping09.45 Feedback from Skills Focus Group sessions10.00 Bioacoustics: birds, bats, bugs and beneath the waves

Carlos Abrahams MCIEEM, Baker Consultants10.25 Discussion Topics: Choose 1 from:

a) Getting to grips with the use of Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (SUAVs) in ecological practice. Cameron S Crook MCIEEM, Cameron S Crook & Associatesb) A new era of GIS: user friendly, web-enabled and freeMatt Davies, Maplangoc) Monitoring the effectiveness of mitigation: using research skills in professional practice. Dr Claire Wordley, Conservation Evidence Teamd) Pantheon: Developing an online analytical database for invertebrate conservation Jon Webb, Natural Englande) Metabarcoding: Will it cost you your job? Martyn Kelly CEcol CEnv FCIEEM, Bowburn Consultancy

11.30 Tea/Coffee Break 12.00 Building skills in using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Object-based Image Analysis (OBIA) for

ecological surveysSimon Pickles, North and East Yorkshire Ecological Data Centre and Paula Lightfoot MCIEEM, Newcas-tle University

12.25 Using UAVs and imaging to inform understanding of large-scale processesDr Neil Entwistle, University of Salford

12.50 Lunch

SESSION 4 - CHAIR: 14.00 Remote sensing data – the new frontier of ecology

Ross Johnson, Thomson Ecology14.25 Why freely available Sentinel satellite data is a game changer for supporting integrated land

managementNeil Parker CEnv MCIEEM, Environment Systems Ltd

14.50 From data to decisions: making the most of ‘big data’Jon Blower, Institute for Environmental Analytics

15.15 Break15.45 Conference debate: What could the profession look like in 10 years’ time? Will technology have

changed the profession beyond recognition?Three short presentations by representatives of Academia, Consultancy and the Voluntary Sector fol-lowed by Q&A discussionChris Smillie MCIEEM, Scotland’s Rural College, Max Wade CEcol CEnv FCIEEM, AECOM & Janice Brad-ley CEnv MCIEEM, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust

16.30 Shaping the future: our role as a profession in driving the development of tools, techniques and new approaches to our work.Peter Gilchrist CEnv MCIEEM, Jacobs UK2


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Keynote presentation: The road to today – what has it been like over the last 25-40 years? Penny Anderson CEcol FCIEEM, Penny Anderson Associates This talk will explore past professional working methods and approaches which will be divided along the lines of a project – survey, data analysis and evaluation, report production, working with clients and others. The different tools, techniques, professional standing and working arrangements will be reviewed along the way to set the scene for present and potential future developments.

Legislation and policy as skills drivers: The impact of the new Environment (Wales) Act 2016 on how we address biodiversity issues in developmentJohn Ferry, Jacobs UK Ltd The presentation, through the live case study of the A465, examines the ground breaking new Environment (Wales) Act 2016 and its origins, and explores what it means for addressing biodiversity in development. The Act introduces a new Biodiversity and Resilience of Ecosystems Duty. Welsh Ministers clearly intend this new Duty to have a wider impact than the Biodiversity Duty of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 which it replaces.The conversion to dual carriageway of the iconic A465 Heads of the Valley road is one of the first schemes in Wales to have to comply with the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 and the new Duty. An Ecosystem Approach to promote the resilience of the varied ecosystems the road passes through has been adopted. It utilises techniques such as ecosystem service assessment and methods for non-use intrinsic valuation of natural resources and ecosystems potentially affected by the scheme. Crucially, the approach feeds iteratively into optioneering and other assessments to ensure that the new Duty is fully implemented. The presentation will discuss how this brings into focus the need for an increasingly inter-disciplinary approach and inclusion of abiotic as well as biotic features when addressing the conservation of biodiversity, in terms of connections between and within ecosystems, their scale, condition of ecosystems (including their structure and functioning) and adaptability.

A New Habitat Classification System Bobs Edmonds CEnv MCIEEM, Jo Treweek CEcol CEnv MCIEEM, Bill Butcher MCIEEM, Peter Carey, Lisa Norton – UK Habitat Classification Working Group Habitats are the main unit for monitoring biodiversity and ecosystems and a consistent approach to classification is needed for gathering and storing data and communicating results. The purpose of the proposed UK Habitat Classification is to present a unified hierarchical habitat classification. This classification would be suitable for use across the UK territory, initially in terrestrial, freshwater and coastal areas, integrate with integrate with EU and other UK classification systems, e.g. Annex 1 and Priority Habitat Types and be specifically designed to record habitats digitally using field or remote-sensed data capture. UK Habitat Classification has been subject to initial field testing and practitioner consultation in summer 2015 and is currently being reviewed by an expert panel with a view to providing a public version of the classification in 2017. This is an opportunity to introduce the conceptual framework of the classification to the profession and to seek views on its development.

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Session 1

Developing mobile field technology to assess SSSIsAndrew Windrum, Natural England Common Standards Monitoring methodology and SSSI Favourable Condition Tables have significantly improved the standard and consistency by which the condition of SSSIs is assessed. However, field survey techniques have not kept pace with this development resulting in inefficient time consuming processes for Natural England ecologists already faced with a heavy workload.The recent rapid advance of mobile technology has the potential to significantly improve how we capture, interpret and share survey data. To this end Natural England is developing an app for tablets to support the condition assessment of 1000+ habitats and species on its 4000+ SSSIs.This presentation summarises the current challenges faced by Natural England in undertaking condition assessments, introduces the new technology it is designing to help address this, its pitfalls and benefits, and describes future developments that should further improve the quality of survey data captured and how it is both shared and used.

Current and future use of Edna analysis techniques, for ecologists – theory and practical application Carl Halford & Lucy Cash CEcol MCIEEM, University of Wolverhampton & Crestwood Environmental Ltd This presentation will include a technical overview of the theory, the laboratory analysis process and interpretation of the raw data of the testing of pond water samples for the detection of Great Crested Newt environmental DNA (eDNA). The current applications and limitations of this technique will be discussed, with the aim of increasing the understanding as to how to most effectively utilise the technique. The current research and development work being undertaken to develop new assays for different species will also be covered, focusing on the current research project aimed at the development of an eDNA detection assay for a UK protected species, being carried out at the University of Wolverhampton. (by eDNA Scientist, Carl Halford of the University of Wolverhampton and Crestwood Environmental.The presentation will also include a review of the technique and its application in the field, common assumptions and problems that have been observed. The analysis of the laboratory data and how this relates to the physical environment and behavioural ecology of Great Crested Newt will also be discussed including some recurring unexpected results.The presentation will also go on to discuss the practical use of eDNA for other species and how this may be used in combination with other field survey techniques.

Carrying out Edna analysis in the field – is that possible?Jonathan Cranfield MCIEEM, Herpetologic Ltd Environmental DNA has recently become another survey tool for locating the presence of animals and plants living within water bodies (ponds, lakes and rivers) The technique has been adopted for the detection of great crested newts in the UK. The future of the technology includes shifting the analysis to multiple taxa (species) and bringing the analysis into the field. Analysing the results within days, hours or even minutes could be beneficial for field ecologists studying water bodies. This presentation looks at whether amphibian DNA (North American Bullfrog) can be detected, from water samples, from within the field (very close to the bankside).

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Session 2

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A molecular toolbox for demonstrating ecosystem changeKat Bruce, NatureMetrics Baseline assessment and measurement of change in ecological communities is integral to impact assessment, biodiversity offsetting, and environmental management for conservation. However it is extremely difficult to do well in practice. Molecular techniques represent a powerful new addition to the environmental manager’s toolbox, allowing fast, sensitive, non-invasive detection of rare and cyrptic species, and rapid characterisation of whole communities of organisms. However, they are not a silver bullet and it is really important to understand the different types of approaches and their suitability for different applications. Kat’s talk aims to help ecologists navigate the world of ecological DNA and decide when molecular methods might augment conventional approaches. Kat will outline the different categories of methods, from single-species eDNA detection to community metagenomics, their respective limitations, and examples of appropriate use-case scenarios for each. In particular, showing how high throughput sequencing (metabarcoding) of invertebrates can yield high resolution, statistically powerful datasets, giving examples of the types of insight that can be gained even in the absence of species names.

Where to focus restoration efforts for ecological networks? The application of decision- support software (Condatis) Jenny Hodgson, University of Liverpool Species and ecosystems have limited capacity to survive climate change, especially in industrialised landscapes where natural habitats are fragmented, populations are small, and it is difficult for species to colonise new sites. In response to this challenge, many organisations are placing increasing emphasis on ecosystem restoration, and aiming to build a functioning ecological network which will be resilient to future shocks. Decision support tools can be invaluable to synthesise complex, spatial data and help to prioritise limited resources to make networks “bigger, better and more joined up” on an unprecedented spatial scale.We have developed a new piece of software, Condatis, to show which habitat arrangements might maximise connectivity over very long distances. Condatis is based on novel theory on how the spatial pattern of habitat affects the speed of species’ range expansion into fragmented landscapes. Condatis was developed in partnership with 7 major UK conservation organisations, who shaped its functionality and design so that it was as user-friendly as possible.

Thermal Imaging Bat Surveys Kayleigh Fawcett, AECOM Thermal imaging can be used to survey for bats on a range of projects including infrastructure, development schemes and wind farm projects. Thermal imaging is an innovative method being used to complement standard bat survey and monitoring programmes. This cutting-edge technique can be used to collect data on bat flight events, flight lines, flight behaviour and roost emergence/re-entry. Thermal imaging has a higher detection rate than other visual and acoustic methods and is particularly useful where long range detection is required; for this reason, it has been found to be particularly useful for linear infrastructure schemes and in areas where access closer to survey areas is constrained. Used alongside standard acoustic techniques, thermal imaging can provide a clearer picture of how bats are using the landscape and to more clearly assess potential impacts of changes to the landscape. In some circumstances, use of thermal imaging also offers both an increase in data quality and reduction in costs of the survey, by reducing the number of surveyors required for manual visual/acoustic surveys.

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We have validated two methods of finding the most efficient places to add new habitat. If the feasible areas for restoration are known and limited, they can be ranked by their contribution to long-distance connectivity. If the aim is to find “bottlenecks” in the network regardless of the feasibility for restoration, then these can be pinpointed using the network “power” metric. Condatis has been trialled in several conservation case studies, including prioritising among stakeholder-suggested restoration areas, and highlighting connectivity problems in proposed development projects.

Systems thinking for environmental management policy and practice Professor Andy Lane CEnv MCIEEM, The Open University This presentation outlines the use of systems thinking in environmental management and suggests how CIEEM could specifically include systems thinking, or significant features of it, as part of its approach to environmental management policy and practice within its competency framework. Environmental management at both policy and practice levels often involves working across significant geographical areas with different stakeholders and dealing with a large number of completing issues changing over time that give rise to complexity. This diversity and complexity may be reflected the fact that environmental management features within the name and work of three professional bodies in the UK, each of which has a framework of skills or competencies expected of their members. While these professional bodies all claim to provide an integrated and/or interdisciplinary approach to their frameworks, the over-riding impression of the various frameworks is a focus on systematic approaches to using discrete, structured scientific and technical knowledge, rather than a more flexible, versatile, interconnected approach that uses systemic methods and managing skills in contested and challenging socio/ecological/ technical contexts. Such systemic methods and skills have been argued to be essential for dealing with the relationships between specific disciplines and dealing with the major complexities of human activity systems (including the differing wants, needs and perspectives of those involved with complex environmental situations and how those wants, needs and perspectives may be expressed and managed). Is it time that CIEEM took a lead in promoting systems thinking within environmental management.

Session 3Bioacoustics: birds, bats, bugs and beneath the waves Carlos Abrahams MCIEEM, Baker Consultants New technology is rapidly expanding the ability of biologists to record sounds from an increasing variety of animal species in an ever wider range of environments. Bat calls can now be recorded, identified and georeferenced on your mobile phone. Bird song can be recorded for weeks on end, to identify levels of breeding activity and pinpoint rare species. Whales can be tracked moving through the oceans based on their vocalizations. You can even tell the temperature by counting the chirps of crickets. The technology to do this is becoming more affordable and easier to use, and massive amounts of acoustic data can now be stored and analyzed electronically. As an additional tool alongside more traditional survey techniques, bioacoustics offers a valuable new way to gather scientific data or develop ecological baselines for environmental impact assessment. As ecologists we need to expand our use of acoustic techniques and better understand how to interpret the information gained. The presentation will cover current uses of bioacoustics methods across a range of taxa, and look at potential future applications for this valuable survey method.


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Discussion Topics - Wednesday 2nd NovemberGetting to grips with the use of Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (SUAVs) in ecological practice Cameron S Crook, Cameron S Crook & Associates There has been an explosion in the use of SUAVs in recent years with a wide variety of aircraft available both off-the-shelf and in kit form, ranging from small hand-held quadcopters, to large, multi-rotor craft capable of carrying large cameras and other equipment. In professional practise, civil SUAVs are mostly used for general aerial photography and filmmaking, but they have considerable potential for use in Ecological Survey and Assessment. To help prepare habitat maps or monitor vegetation, most practicing ecologists rely upon satellite imagery supplied by Google Earth, Landsat, or in some cases, aerial photographs taken from light aircraft. But with the help of graphic technology and specialist analysis software, SUAVs are capable of producing high resolution orthophotographs using both visible and infrared light (NDVI), at a fraction of the cost of using conventional aircraft, and at much higher resolution than commercial satellite photography can provide. Other potential uses of SUAVs include: the inspection of land beyond survey sites where access is difficult or permission unavailable; general site mapping and image capture using oblique photography; close inspection of the upper parts of buildings to assist with bat surveys; and detailed 3D site modelling and the creation of 360 degree panoramas. In this workshop, an overview of the types of SUAV currently available, their safe operation, relevant laws and regulations, available software, and potential use as a tool to aid in ecological survey and assessment work will be given, along with several real life examples.

A new era of GIS: user friendly, web-enabled and free Matt Davies, Maplango We are entering a new era of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) when user friendly, web-enabled and free systems are democratising access. As barriers to entry fall away, there has never been a better time for ecologists to visualise, explore and analyse spatial data. Freely available desktop systems like QGIS now match the functionality and usability of commercial products and have been adopted by governments, businesses and NGOs around the world, slashing the cost of spatial analysis. Alongside open-source desktop systems, user friendly web-based mapping platforms like Carto now allow users to create interactive web-maps with drag-and-drop functionality.The new developments in GIS are happening in the context of open-data. Driven by an agenda to increase accountability of government and maximise value from publically owned data, enormous amounts of freely available (open) data can now be added to your GIS and can provide great insight.In this session, Matt will showcase some of the functions of QGIS, Carto and associated technologies. He will demonstrate how they can be used to support a range of projects such as ecological survey work, green infrastructure planning, ecosystem service assessment, landscape-scale conservation and land management.Matt will explore some of the most useful open data portals and will demonstrate how open data can be accessed and integrated into the new geo-spatial technologies. Matt will reflect on the skills needed for non-GIS specialists to take advantage of the new technologies and data availability so they can confidently implement mapping projects in the workplace.

Monitoring the effectiveness of mitigation: using research skills in professional practice Dr Claire Wordley, Conservation Evidence Team Mitigation is often implemented without a strong evidence base to support it, or one mitigation method is chosen over another without strong evidence for making that decision. At Conservation Evidence, we collate global scientific research on mitigation methods to make evidence easily accessible for decision making.

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We also aim to strengthen the evidence base for mitigation methods by supporting and enabling CIEEM members to measure the effectiveness of mitigation options and to publish the results to share them with other practitioners. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of research targeted to have the maximum conservation impact for biodiversity that will feed back into your own work.In this session, we will identify the most important mitigation questions that CIEEM members need answered and identify opportunities to answer some of these. We aim to explore the possibility of forming a group of CIEEM members that can share skills and assess the effectiveness of mitigation actions. We have the opportunity to provide some ongoing support to CIEEM members in experimental and/or monitoring study design, statistical analysis and writing papers for publication. This session will hopefully form the start of a collaborative relationship between groups of consultants, and between consultants and academics, where we can all pool our skills and knowledge to ensure conservation decision making and action on the ground is more effective.

Pantheon: Developing an online analytical database for invertebrate conservation Jon Webb, Natural England Pantheon is an analytical tool being developed to assist invertebrate nature conservation. Users import species lists of invertebrates (called “samples”) into Pantheon, which then analyses each species, attaching trait values, assemblages, scores and codings against them. The outputs are user-driven and different results can be produced, giving indications of the ecological needs of species, site quality based on the invertebrates in the sample, an up-to-date conservation status and more. This information can be used to assign quality to sites and assist in management decisions.It is a joint Natural England (NE) /Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) project focussing on species primarily found in England. To date, over 12,000 species have been typed to habitats and resources by NE specialists. It will be maintained and housed by CEH. This is about a quarter of the total macro-invertebrate fauna (estimated at 37,000), limited to those taxa and families where there is enough ecological information to give a fair level of coding accuracy. The discussion session will include background information to the project followed by an online demonstration of the prototype and a Q&A session.

Integrating metabarcoding and ‘streamcraft’ for improved ecological assessment in freshwaters Martyn Kelly FCIEEM, Bowburn Consultancy The Environment Agency has funded development of a Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) method to assess ecological status using benthic diatoms. Primers for the RbcL gene have been developed suitable for high-throughput sequencing, and a library of barcodes developed. Parallel analyses by conventional and NGS means showed broad agreement in outcomes and allowed the Trophic Diatom Index to be recalibrated for use with molecular data. This produces a classification of ecological status that is close to that produced by the current method and full-scale implementation is a real possibility. The shift to metabarcoding makes sense when the data are seen as one part of a broader campaign of evidence gathering; however, it raises questions about the role of the field biologist. Algae, in particular, are not well-understood by many who use the data nor by stakeholders. Seen in this light, a shift from data generated by highly-skilled analysts to data generated by molecular sequencing is of little consequence. In both cases, fieldwork itself adds little to the process beyond providing a sample. Once this has been collected, the process can be automated and outsourced. The prospect of decisions being made without any intervention from a biologist who has visited the site is a real possibility. One alternative is to combine the potential of metabarcoding with complementary field data to both broaden the evidence base and provide a stronger link with stakeholders. A new rapid assessment tool based on macroalgae shows potential for this purpose and examples of how it can be combined with diatom analyses will be presented.


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Using UAVs and imaging to inform understanding of large-scale processes Dr Neil Entwistle, University of SalfordAccurate dynamic modelling of landform change in fluvial systems has been hampered by the detail and accuracy of the underlying digital elevation models (DEMs), with many early river modelling studies founded on a coarse representation of channel geometry. Infrared aerial and terrestrial LIDAR systems have improved DEM detail across dry areas of the channel and valley bottom but these techniques do not capture topography across submerged features. The last few years has seen a proliferation in the availability of small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (sUAV’s) linked to aerial survey and these approaches offer an increasingly accurate and efficient alternative survey method for extended river reaches that can capture in-channel bathymetric data alongside measurement of bar and floodplain surface topography. This presentation utilises data obtained from a small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to highlight technological developments in photogrammetry and how these data can be used to usefully define DEM geometry, bar and bed sediment character and hydraulic habitat and these are used to reflect sub-bar scale flow and sediment transport processes through repeat survey, development of morphodynamic models (CAESAR Lisflood), etc. Encountered issues from 36 months of UAV surveying are discussed relating to general DEM elevation accuracy, bed level correction across submerged surfaces and vegetation detection and removal.

Building skills in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Object-based Image Analysis (OBIA) for ecological surveysSimon Pickles, North and East Yorkshire Ecological Data Centre, Paula Lightfoot MCIEEM, Newcastle University, Dr Catherine Scott, Natural England, Dr Clare Fitzsimmons & Prof Nick Polunin, Newcastle University Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be valuable tools for ecological surveys. They offer a cost-effective and very flexible way of obtaining high resolution imagery, which can be processed using specialist software to produce GIS-ready outputs for further interpretation. Object-based image analysis (OBIA) is an increasingly popular method for interpreting remote sensing data; users create automated workflows to segment imagery, creating ecologically meaningful objects which are then classified based on their spectral or geometric properties, relationships to other objects and contextual data. However, the cost of equipment, training and software licenses, together with lack of time to develop and test robust survey and data analysis methods, can all present barriers to the uptake of these tools and technology within the sector. Simon Pickles will give an overview of the work involved in developing professional UAV ecological survey capabilities in a small organisation, with a particular focus on training and skills acquisition. Paula Lightfoot will present a case study of academic-commercial collaboration which has developed novel methods for multi-resolution coastal habitat mapping using UAVs and OBIA, and discuss plans to facilitate wider uptake of these methods through further collaboration, skill development and knowledge transfer.

Session 3 - Continued

Remote sensing data – the new frontier of ecology Ross Johnson, Thomson Ecology Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be valuable tools for ecological surveys. We feel that remote sensing data is the next frontier for ecology. The UAV presents an affordable and accessible vehicle through which to capture data at the scales that most UK ecological consultancy works on.

Session 4

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Why freely available Sentinel satellite data is a game changer for supporting integrated land management Neil Parker CEnv MCIEEM, Environment Systems Ltd Mapping ecosystems and valuing natural capital area in response to policy needs. The protection and sustainable management of natural resources remains an important focus for government being enacted through international commitments, domestic policy and legislation. Climate change brings uncertainty in how it will affect nature and land management; potential outcomes need to be identified and appropriate actions taken to keep a resilient environment. Maps, models and indicators of change can provide evidence to help deliver action on the ground and monitor environmental change. In this context, the approach to mapping and monitoring needs to consider the whole landscape. Moving from the assessment of particular sites to the management of whole landscapes and recognising the connections between the air, land and water. Currently there is a major ‘data gap’ in delivering such an approach because most of the available data for creating maps is localised, for example concerning a protected site, or is compiled specifically to address a particular issue such as the range of a specific habitat, when a more integrated approach is needed. Sentinel 1 and 2 satellite data is now readily available, is free to obtain, provides frequent coverage of large areas of optical and radar imagery. It is a game changer, as through innovative mapping approaches, remote sensing enables the shift from site based monitoring and mapping to a catchment or landscape scale, for example finding semi-natural habitats in agricultural landscapes and providing measures related to their condition.

From data to decisions: making the most of ‘big data’ Jon Blower, Institute for Environmental Analytics The Institute for Environmental Analytics (www.the-iea.org) is a new environmental “big data” analytics centre, led by the University of Reading and involving 20 partners from the private and public sectors. We focus on addressing challenges across many industry sectors by gathering and integrating data from numerous sources, turning these data into useful and actionable information. Data sources include satellite missions (including the huge volumes of free data being made available through the Copernicus programme), sensors, mobile devices, biodiversity data, socioeconomic data and many more. New tools and techniques in data analysis and visualisation are needed to handle such diverse and rapidly-evolving data effectively, and to engage a wide variety of stakeholders (including the general public) in decision-making. In this presentation I will present a number of case studies from the IEA’s portfolio of projects, including topics such as insurance/reinsurance, environmental consultancy, retail supply chains, public sector policy and managing the natural and built environments. The presentation will also reflect briefly on the skills that the industry increasingly requires to use such large and diverse data sources effectively.

We have used aerial/satellite imagery extensively, for example to produce ecological mapping along vast areas of the South West coast and a 100ha site in Saudi Arabia. This experience led us to developing our UAV capabilities so we could collect the data ourselves. In this talk we will present some case study data which we have captured in order to investigate how geospatial analysis of UAV imagery can be used to inform on and monitor ecological changes and developments on a site. We will explain the process of capturing the data in the field and then go through the different geospatial datasets we are able to produce from the UAV imagery (such as mosaicked image tiles, Digital Surface Models, 3D point clouds and video footage). We will then explore how we can interrogate these datasets geospatially to derive ecological information. We will also explain how historic datasets (such as past aerial imagery and 3D data height data) can then be analysed and compared to the current UAV datasets in order to monitor changes over time. Finally, we will look at the potential future uses for other imaging technologies, such as Near Infrared imagery to provide information on plant health and species identification, and thermal infrared imagery for monitoring of wildlife.

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Andrew WindrumAndrew has worked for Natural England and, previous to that, English Nature for almost 20 years in various roles but principally focusing on the management, protection and monitoring of Sites of Special Scientific Interest. In the last two years he has set up and run the Natural England Field Unit which undertakes survey work across the country and advises on site management. As part of this role he has helped develop the Natural England Site Survey (NESS) app to support condition assessment work on SSSIs.

UK Habitat Classification Working GroupThe UK Habitat Classification Working Group is a group of consultant and research ecologists collaborating in the development of a new classification system for UK Habitats. Jo Treweek and Bill Butcher are lead consultants at eCountability Ltd. a practice specialising in ecosystems approaches to biodiversity assessment and accounting. Bob Edmonds is a Principal Ecologist at SLR Consulting Ltd. Peter Carey is an affiliated lecturer at University of Cambridge and a consultant ecologist, working principally on habitat mapping and condition assessment. Lisa Norton leads Centre for Ecology and Hydrology’s Countryside Survey Programme.

John Ferry John is a Chartered Hydrogeologist and works within the Biodiversity and Water Environment team of Jacobs Sustainable Business Unit in Edinburgh. John was Anglian Water’s public health scientist for 6 years, Environmental advisor to the Fiji Government for 3 years and led the strategic partnership for environmental aspects of the MOD Defence Training Estate for 10 years. He has been active in the development and protection of land, water and wetland resources in UK, Africa, Jordan, Mexico and the Caucasus. His long and interdisciplinary experience across many sectors has led him to his current interest in natural capital.

Dr Debbie BartlettDr Debbie Bartlett is a chartered Landscape Architect (Management division) and ecologist working part time for the University of Greenwich as programme leader for the CIEEM accredited MSc in Environmental Conservation. Her research interests include protected areas, ecosystem services of invasive species, restoration, woodland management and agro-ecology. She is UK representative for the EuroCoppice COST Action and is actively involved in restoration projects in South East Asia.

Eulalia Gomez MartinEulalia Gomez Martin graduated from the University of Valencia in 2013 with a biology degree. After a year in the aquatic ecology laboratory at the Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, she moved to the UK to study the MSc in Environmental Conservation at the University of Greenwich. She graduated with distinction completing her thesis on ecosystem service evaluation in Kutch district, Gujarat, India, funded by the British Council. She recently completed a research assistant contact and is currently working as a Land surveyor for MHTC. Debbie is currently seeking funding for a PhD continuing research into ecosystem service evaluation.

Penny Anderson BSc MSc CEcol FCIEEM Penny established her ecological consultancy in 1972, and mostly retired in 2013, so she has personal experience over a long period of ways of working and professional development. Penny is an expert field ecologist, principally a botanist. She has gained extensive experience in assessing the value, potential, restoration and management needs of all kinds of habitats, especially moorland, heathland and grasslands. She has presented evidence to House of Lords Committees and to many inquiries as part of ecological impact assessments and has developed innovative mitigation schemes. She has pioneered habitat creation, restoration and rescue techniques.

Biographies

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Carl Halford Carl is an Environmental DNA analysis scientist, working on a collaborative research project between the University of Wolverhampton and Crestwood Environmental Ltd., an Environmental consultancy business based in Wolverhampton. He was the project manager responsible for establishing an environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis service for the detection of Great Crested Newts at Crestwood, following the established protocol. Carl is now developing and testing a similar eDNA assay for the detection of the Water Vole. He has a BSc in Biological Sciences and an MRes in Molecular and Cellular biology, both from the University of Birmingham.

Lucy Cash Lucy is a Principal Ecologist with 18 years’ experience in the field of ecological consultancy and conservation. She has specialisms in Herpetology and freshwater environments and hold a number of protected species licences, EPS Licences and Registered Consultant for GCN LICL. Lucy has worked in a number of different sectors in ecology including National Infrastructure, renewables, private and commercial development and more recently minerals and waste and conservation research projects.

Jonathan Cranfield Jon is Director and senior ecologist at Herpetologic Ltd. A consultant who specialises in amphibian and reptile conservation for 16 years. A registered consultant, under the Low Impact Class License for Great Crested Newts, who is very keen to develop useful tools for use in the field involving eDNA, thermal imaging and drone technology to monitor species and habitat status.

Kat Bruce Kat is co-founder and CEO of NatureMetrics, a company that provides DNA-based monitoring services for ecologists and environmental managers. She has a PhD in DNA metabarcoding for biodiversity assessment, a first degree in Wildlife Biology, and spent several years as a tropical field ecologist. She started working on NatureMetrics in 2014 and set up the company in collaboration with Prof. Douglas Yu from University of East Anglia and Prof. Alfried Vogler, with the aim of making powerful high-throughput sequencing technologies available and accessible to end users.

Kayleigh FawcettDr Kayleigh Fawcett, Senior Ecologist based in the AECOM’s Nottingham Office. Kayleigh is a Level 2 Thermographer with six years’ experience of using thermal imaging techniques with bats. Kayleigh has used thermal imaging technology in academic research projects as part of her PhD research on a variety of bat species in Denmark, Belize and Canada. Over the past three years she has been using and developing thermal imaging techniques to survey for bats on a variety of projects.r Kayleigh Fawcett, Senior Ecologist based in the AECOM’s Nottingham Office. Kayleigh is a Level 2 Thermographer with six years’ experience of using thermal imaging techniques with bats. Kayleigh has used thermal imaging technology in academic research projects as part of her PhD research on a variety of bat species in Denmark, Belize and Canada. Over the past three years she has been using and developing thermal imaging techniques to survey for bats on a variety of projects.

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Claire WordleyClaire worked on increasing the use of the Conservation Evidence project. This involves communication about evidence based conservation, promotion of the Conservation Evidence database, and providing support to practitioners who want to test conservation interventions.Prior to this she worked for the RSPB, looking at the evidence base for management options for seabirds in marine protected areas.Claire did her PhD at the University of Leeds under the supervision of Professor John Altringham, working in the Western Ghats of India. She focused on changes in bat species composition and functional diversity between different plantation types, forest fragments and riparian corridors.

Matt DaviesMatt Davies is a professional ecologist and geographer with 20 years’ experience in the UK environment sector. He began his career at JNCC, providing GIS and database support on marine and coastal projects. He then worked at the capital’s Environmental Record Centre, GiGL, where he managed a multi-disciplinary team that supported wildlife recording groups and integrated their data into government, business and third sector decision making. In 2015, he founded the geo-spatial consultancy MAPLANGO to help organisations collect, analyse and visualise spatial data so they can make better informed decisions.

Cameron S CrookWith over 25 years’ experience, Cameron is a practising ecologist based in northwest England with a specialist interest in botanical, vegetation and habitat survey methodology. As a former aircraft engineer he has recently begun to investigate the use of small unmanned aerial vehicles (SUAVs) to aid in the mapping and monitoring of habitats and plant communities, as well as to assist in the surveying of buildings, trees and other structures, and the assessment of ponds and other habitat located on difficult terrain or otherwise inaccessible land. Alongside his regular ecological work, he currently runs Aeroecology Ltd, a specialist aerial survey consultancy.

Carlos Abrahams MCIEEMCarlos has been an ecologist and environmental manager for 25 years, with most of that time spent in consultancy. On the side, he is also a lecturer at Nottingham Trent University. His first project as a consultant was the M6 Toll road, and he’s tried to stay away from projects that big ever since (with partial success). Carlos’ key area of expertise is aquatic ecology and wetland creation and management. In the past he has carried out research on habitat selection by wetland invertebrates, the landscape ecology of amphibian communities and the vegetation communities found in reservoir drawdown zones. And he also created a very big new gravel pit wetland near Derby. However, he is going to ignore all that today and talk instead about bioacoustics – about which he knows practically nothing…

Andy Lane CEnv MCIEEMAndy is a Professor of Environmental Systems at The Open University where he teaches and researches the management of complex environmental situations, using systems ideas in both. He adopted an action oriented research approach to investigating the attitudes, intentions and behaviours of the main participants in rural and urban situations such as the introduction of agri-environment schemes, the growing of GM crops, the manging of hedgerows and the recycling of organic wastes to land. Andy has just completed a six-year stint on the Training, Education and Career Development Committee; helping develop CIEEM’s Competency Framework.

Jenny Hodgson Jenny is a conservation biologist, particularly interested in how we can conserve biodiversity in landscapes dominated by human activities. She has exploited large volunteer-collected datasets and population models to address questions such as: What is the best way to arrange landscapes so that wild species have sufficient habitat, both now and in the future under climate change? What part should be played by legally protected areas, other green spaces and farmland?

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Jon WebbJon has worked in the field of ecology since 1996, for the most part, as an entomologist for Natural England. He leads on dead wood and wetland invertebrates for Natural England and studies beetles in detail.

Martyn Kelly FCIEEMMartyn Kelly is a freelance environmental consultant with a particular interest in the unfashionable end of biodiversity. He has worked with regulators in the UK and beyond to develop methods for assessing ecological status using diatoms, and with the European Commission on the intercalibration of ecological assessment methods. Current projects include work for the European Commission to harmonise nutrient standards around the EU and translation and revision of a German guide to diatom identification. When not being paid to work on algae he paints them and writes about them at www.microscopesandmonsters.wordpress.com.

Paula Lightfoot MCIEEMPaula is currently in the final year of a PhD at Newcastle University’s School of Marine Science and Technology. Funded by NERC and Natural England, Paula’s research focuses on developing methods for mapping and monitoring marine habitats through object-based image analysis of remote sensing data, including multi-resolution optical imagery, acoustic data and LiDAR. Prior to starting her PhD, Paula’s career in biodiversity data and nature conservation included roles at the National Biodiversity Network, a local Wildlife Trust, a local authority and a biological records centre.

Neil EntwistleAfter completing a BSc Environmental Geography degree, NeiI spent a year in industry working with Greater Manchester Waste before moving to North Carolina, USA. Returning to undertake a PhD in the ‘Geomorphological effectiveness and maintenance of a riffle-pool sequence’. Since joining the University of Salford after the completion of his PhD he works primarily within the Ecosystems and Environment Research Centre specialising in the field of fluvial geomorphology and hydromorphology through the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Lidar and GIS. He teaches at all undergraduate levels, and has supervised 6 PhD students and 14 Masters by research students.

Ross JohnsonWith a background in both geospatial technology and ecological study, Ross has been working closely with the Geospatial Team at Thomson Ecology to further enhance and develop the consultancy’s geospatial services, particularly the use of UAVs and the resulting imagery. Ross is the Bid Manager at Thomson Ecology and as such is seeking to identify and develop practical uses for UAV technology within the ecology sector that could help Thomson’s clients gain even more value from their ecological data and to reduce health and safety risks associated with some forms of ecological work such as tree climbing or working in high risk environments.

Simon PicklesSimon spent his early career working on plant biomechanics for ICI in Berkshire and the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland (DANI).A restructuring of the Northern Irish civil service, the consequence of a sudden out-break of peace, ensured a return to England, and an unexpected opportunity to help establish a University of Leeds degree programme at Askham Bryan Agricultural College in York. Simon remained at the College as Senior Lecturer in Applied Plant Biology throughout the 1990’s. In 2002, Simon joined the North and East Yorkshire Ecological Data Centre as its second Director.

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Peter Gilchrist CEnv MCIEEMPeter held a research fellowship in ecology at Canterbury and a senior lectureship in conservation biology at UCLAN before joining Jacobs UK Ltd; a global consultancy company. Peter is a Director of Operations based in Edinburgh and leads the Biodiversity and Water Environment Business for Jacobs. Peter’s portfolio has included a range of nationally important infrastructure projects and delivering biodiversity and sustainable solutions for projects in the UK, Europe and the Middle East. Peter sits on the European Education Committee for the Society of Conservation Biology and is recognised by the European Investment Bank as an international expert on the Habitats Directive. He is an expert witness and has supported private and public sector clients at public inquiry, parliamentary inquiry and Scottish ministers in parliamentary committee.

Janice Bradley CEnv MCIEEMJanice has worked as an ecologist for more than 25 years in the public, private and charitable sectors and have extensive experience of scrutinising development applications, of large scale habitat re-creation, and wildlife law and species protection. She has worked as a Principal Ecologist in an environmental consultancy and in the mining industry, undertaking EIA and reclaiming mineral sites to priority habitats. As Head of Conservation for the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, Janice has responded to several hundred mineral and waste applications, contributed to policy development to conserve biodiversity, provided conservation advice to landowners, driven the development of our Living Landscape programme and, recently, taken over the management of our 1600Ha of reserves. Janice has a BSc in Biology and an MSc in Countryside Management.

Chris Smillie MCIEEM After gaining a degree from Leicester University, Chris spent the 1990s working for the Scottish Wildlife Trust, SEPA and Scottish Water. After an MSc, Chris studied mine wastes in his PhD. From 2004, Chris conducted EcIAs in the UK, the Middle East and North Africa. From 2010, Dr Smillie was employed as a senior lecturer at Nottingham Trent University before moving to Scotland’s Rural College. Chris sits on the CIEEM Training, Education and Career Development committee and the Academic Special Interest Group. He is the External Examiner for the University of South Wales and Bridgend College.

Max Wade BSc (Hons) PhD CEcol CEnv FCIEEMMax is Technical Director (Ecology) at AECOM with over 20 years of professional ecological experience in environmental protection and the management of a wide range of habitats, invasive non-native species, endangered species and ecosystems. Max’s research expertise, much of which was undertaken as Professor of Ecology at the University of Hertfordshire, includes the development and delivery of wildlife conservation with an emphasis on invasive non-native species management, risk assessment, institutional issues and policies. He is a co-author of the “Field Guide to the Invasive Species of Great Britain” and a convenor and teacher on training courses.

Jon BlowerJon Blower is the Chief Technology Officer for the Institute for Environmental Analytics (IEA), a new partnership of academic and commercial organisations. He has a background in geoscience with a degree in Natural Sciences from Cambridge and a PhD in physical volcanology from Bristol. After working as a software engineer he joined the University of Reading in 2003, and the IEA in 2015. He leads a number of collaborative projects in the area of environmental informatics and visualisation, applying advanced techniques in information technology to make environmental information more accessible and useful for researchers and decision-makers.

Neil Parker CEnv MCIEEMNeil is an environmental scientist specialising in ecosystem service assessment and ecological impact assessment. Neil has experience of working throughout the UK and internationally on both infrastructure development projects and ecosystem services. Working at Environment Systems Ltd Neil works with software developers, remote sensing scientists and other ecologists to develop and apply evidence in support of land use change and management. He is a Chartered Environmentalist, a full member of CIEEM and is currently a member of the CIEEM Welsh section committee.

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With major infrastructure projects on the go and in the pipeline, this is the perfect time to join us and use your expertise to help deliver the best possible ecological outcomes.

Sign up today to join our network of subcontracted ecologists and see what opportunities are available in your area.

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