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Cheshire Wildlife Trust hosted a conference of 150 Biodiversity conservationists on behalf of the Cheshire region Biodiversity Partnership on Saturday 21st October 2000.
The Cheshire region has always been one of the most forward thinking and acting regions implementing Biodiversity Action Plans at a local level. The Biodiversity Audit and Action Plans for the Cheshire region were first produced in 1997 and are updated yearly. There are now over 60 action plans written and of these, over a third have active local action groups producing measurable results on the ground.
The conference was aimed at these people to help them understand the process and improve their work and skills by learning and sharing experiences.
The day opened with an opening address from the new Acting Chairman of English Nature, Professor David Norman. David is a keen ornithologist and well known in local circles. His talk, entitled 'Pinstripe Suits and Welly Boots' epitomized the importance of all types of people in making the Biodiversity Action Planning process work.
The morning session was dedicated to understanding the planning process from different levels of perspective and then seeing how this is translated to real effective action locally. The first presentation of this section was given by Hilary Neal, Head of the Biodiversity Policy Planning Unit at DETR. Hilary's speech was well received and she also had the opportunity to take some messages away from the day. The next presentation was a regional perspective given by Dr Anne Brenchley of English Nature NorthWest. Anne has been a key player in the Cheshire region Biodiversity Partnership and also works in the North West Audit and Action Plan process. Finally, the local perspective was covered from two different approaches. Paul Oldfield of Halton Borough Council, another partner in the Cheshire region Biodiversity Partnership, gave us insight into the process from the eyes of local authorities. This was followed by Chris Mahon, Director of the Cheshire Wildlife Trust with the approach for charities and other environmental and voluntary organisations. It showed how the two can work effectively together towards one goal. To move away from the theory into the practice the delegates were then treated to six case studies of local BAP action. Six different situations were highlighted but all showed key points of getting people involved and producing action not paperwork.
During the following lunch break delegates were able to browse the many displays and experience many of the new technologies being developed to educate and inform the BAP process. Key among these were the new Countdown CD-ROM. This year the Cheshire region Biodiversity Partnership have produced the Cheshire region Audit and Action Plan, called Countdown, in CD-ROM format. The new CD featured lots of colour and photos and also a new Junior section designed for use in primary schools. Another popular display was the new Local Record Centre, rECOrd, and a demonstration of the software to be used, Recorder 2000.
The afternoon session was more informal.
Three workshops were run twice, each holding up to sixty delegates. The first
of these focused on funding. Earlier in the day a rough estimate of the cost
of Biodiversity Action Planning was given. The afternoon workshop hoped to raise
some ideas about how to generate this vast amount of money. A panel of experts
from the Cheshire County Council, Cheshire Wildlife Trust and a local heritage
charity hosted the session and delegates were encouraged to share their successes
and frustrations. Many important messages came out of this session. Key among
these were the importance of selling your concept in the right way to the right
people and also how essential it was to demonstrate community involvement and
support.
The second workshop's brief was discussing the stages of setting priorities
and targets and sustaining action and monitoring. A large area to cover and
one which produced lots of good discussion. A list of bullet points was produced
which summarised the excellent work done in this workshop, which was chaired
by John Everitt of The Wildlife Trusts National Office.
The final option was 'Making BAPs Relevant to People'. This was hosted by Dr
Joan Fairhurst who is the Local Agenda 21 coordinator for Cheshire County Council,
Dr Jan Birch, a prominent local member who runs many events for the community
in her home area of Delamere and finally Helen Carey, the preseident of the
Women's Institute and a key supporter of the work for the Cheshire Wildlife
Trust. This group were able to share their experiences and successes and suggest
new ways for people to get their local community involved in BAPs.
After a final summary session the delegates could round the day off with a real ale which had been brewed especially for the occasion by local brewery Beartown. The beer was named 'BAP on Tap' in honour of the occasion and generated a lot of publicity for the conference and the Biodiversity Action Planning process.
Overall the day was a resounding
success. Feedback from delegates indicated they came away feeling positive about
the action that had been achieved and ready to take away their new-found knowledge
and shared experience to move the process further forward still. The event served
extremely well to bring people together and focus them all on a common goal
which can be achieved only if they all play their part in whatever small or
large way that might be. It was probably the only event of its kind ever held
but demonstrated a clear need to BAP practitioners to get together and share
their skills.
One comment from a delegate best sums it up "it is easy to feel isolated
and away from it all. Now I feel like part of one big family."
The second, biennial Tomorrow's World for Local Wildlife 2002 Conference for the Countdown Biodiversity Action Plan process in the Cheshire region, was held on Saturday 12th October 2002 at Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington. The event was hosted by the Cheshire region Biodiversity Partnership and funded by English Nature, a member of the Partnership.
110 delegates representing local and central government, business, local conservation volunteers and academia (including over 30 students from universities in the North West) gathered to enjoy a day of speakers, networking and workshops aimed at progressing action for biodiversity conservation in the region.
The event was chaired by Chris Mahon, Director of Cheshire Wildlife Trust, who gave a global to local perspective to Biodiversity Action Planning by presenting feedback from his recent attendance at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.
The Guest Speaker of the day was Professor David Norman, ex-Acting Chairman of English Nature, Chairman of Cheshire Wildlife Trust's Conservation Committee and former Director of Daresbury Laboratory, who welcomed delegates and reported on progress in Biodiversity Action Planning locally since the last Tomorrow's World Conference two years ago.
Other speakers included Alison Barnes, the Local Biodiversity Action Coordinator for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who talked about the Government's new England Biodiversity Strategy which will be launched on 24th October 2002, and Charlotte Gault from The Wildlife Trusts UK Office who spoke about the state of Local Biodiversity Action Planning in England and where the Cheshire region currently sits within this national context.
Four LBAP Action Group Coordinators
presented case studies about their Groups' work over the past 12 months. These
were:
Harvest Mouse LBAP Coordinator, Penny Rudd.
Chair of the Bluebell LBAP Action Group, Julia
Hancell.
Rick Rogers, Brown Hare LBAP Coordinator.
Roy Leigh, Coordinator of the new Farmland
Bird LBAP.
Over lunchtime the rain stayed off long enough to allow delegates to plant a small "bluebell dell" within the grounds of Daresbury Laboratory and erect a commemorative plaque as a thank you to the Facility for providing such an excellent venue for the Conference.
There was ample opportunity for people to look around the large display area in the Laboratory's Science Centre where organisations ranging from local authorities to wildlife photographers had exhibited their work.
The Managing Director of Promote
Environment, a local design company, was on hand to listen to peoples' views
on the design of a logo for the Cheshire region Biodiversity Partnership, which
his firm has offered to produce free of charge.
After a satisfying lunch provided by the Canteen at Daresbury Laboratory, delegates
took part in two workshop sessions each, from a list of seven topics which included
future thinking for wildlife in the Cheshire region and funding opportunities
for Local Biodiversity Action Plans (LBAPs). At the end of the workshop sessions
each facilitator presented feedback from their two group sessions.
The Countdown 2002 CD was launched at the conference with a display, demo and copies of the CD available for all delegates.
Daresbury Laboratory proved to be
a great choice as a Conference venue, in terms of location, facilities and hospitality.
It had a well-equipped lecture theatre with good acoustics and plenty of space
for workshops and exhibitions. One of the delegates, Ian Percival of MADwildlife
summed up the Conference "An enjoyable and interesting dayÂ….The location
was fantasticÂ…Daresbury labs is a great venue with great facilities".
Outcomes of the Tomorrow's World for Local Wildlife 2002 Conference
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