Due to industrial action, this event has been postponed
Who: Dr Paul Jepson, author of REWILDING :The Radical New Science of Ecological Recovery https://iconbooks.com/ib-title/rewilding-2/
When: Thu, 24 Nov 2022, 16:00 GMT
Where: Elliot Seminar Room, Minto House (MIN_2.403) Minto House 20-22 Chambers Street Edinburgh EH1 1JZ OR Online
How to book: Book your place here
Abstract:
The term rewilding has entered the mainstream and is influencing thinking on urban green space management. In this seminar we will position rewilding in relation to approaches to urban nature and biodiversity protection that emerged during the 1980s and discuss whether rewilding offers an opportunity for radical innovation in the design and management of urban green spaces and civic responses to the climate and nature emergencies.
Rewilding has rapidly entered the mainstream of scientific, policy and popular discourse. It signifies a more hopeful environmental narrative and in Scotland is associated with new regenerative visions for the Scottish landscape and land economy. The notion of ‘urban rewilding’ is gaining traction but different groups assign different meaning to the term which can lead to confusion and concern and deaden the transformative potential of the underlying science and practice.
In this seminar, Dr Jepson will introduce a set of rewilding principles developed by European rewilding practitioners and an IUCN task force and contrast these with the approaches and achievements of the 1980’s urban conservation movement. This protected and restored nature in many cities as a civic asset and became normalised in planning as part of UK’s commitments under the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity.
Dr Jepson will then propose that rewilding signifies the emergence of ‘innovation spaces’ where progressive professional from different walks of life come together to ‘shake up the present to shape a better future’ for people and nature. With this thought in mind, Dr Jepson will outline the beginnings of a vision for urban rewilding with a focus on radical demonstration projects that inspire and inform regenerative agendas and (re) connect nature with urban culture, enterprise, life and identity.
Bio:
Paul Jepson is Head of Innovation at CreditNature Ltd, a nature fintech company developing analytics and nature impact tokens to ‘unlock’ investment in rewilding and nature recovery.
He formerly directed the MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management at Oxford University and held senior research fellowships with the Said Business School and Smith School for Enterprise and the Environment. Paul started his career working on urban nature recovery projects in Manchester and Shrewsbury. He is a leading thinker in the European rewilding movement and author of ‘Rewilding: the radical new science of ecological recovery’.
It is a nice article. Thanks alot!