Purchase card payments 💳

If you need a one-off item/service purchasing via a departmental purchase card, please email the relevant contact:

• For lab/tech related purchases: Dave at dave.hay@york.ac.uk

• For student related purchases (including for PhD students): Rachel at environment@york.ac.uk

• For staff related/misc purchases: Annabel at environment-pa@york.ac.uk

• For staff/student Amazon purchases, please use the Amazon purchase request form.

Please send proof of approval from the budget holder, as well as the work order. For all purchases on a core work order over £1,000, these also need to be approved by Lucy at environment-dhfo@york.ac.uk. Please make sure you read the University's purchasing guidance ahead of your request.

Other Events 🎫

🎫 Environment/Natural World events at York Festival of Ideas, 1st - 14th June

Dr Sarah Mitchell (Head of Events and Deputy-Director, York Festival of Ideas) would like to share a selection of this year's Festival programme, which is being delivered either online or in-person. The vast majority of these are free to the public.

This year the programme includes a number of Environment/Natural World events, which might be of interest to staff and/or any partners/networks you may have

🎫 International Peatland Science Conference, 18 - 21 Sept 2024: Registration and call for abstracts deadline TODAY!

The Peatland Science Centre (PSC) of the University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf invites you to the International Peatland Science Conference (iPSC) from September 18-21, 2024 in Freising, Germany. We are pleased to announce that our conference website, including registration for the iPSC "Peatlands and Ecosystem Functions", is now online. We have put together a comprehensive session-program with excellent national and international participation and look forward to an important peatland-conference. Over the course of two days, scientific and practical topics related to peatlands will be discussed, and on the third day, excursions to the peatlands of Bavaria will take place. The conference provides a forum for the exchange of the latest research results, innovative approaches, and proven practices in peatland management. The call for abstracts is open until 31st May 2024. Registration for the conference without an abstract is possible until July 15. You can find all further information on the conference website:https://www.hswt.de/en/newsroom/event-calendar/detail/peatlands-and-ecosystem-functions-ips-conference Do promote the conference within your network.

Good News and Media Engagement ⭐

⭐ Following on from a recent paper in STOTEN, Ed Garrett has an article in The Conversation about saltmarsh carbon accumulation. There's also a press release about the work here.

⭐ Sarah Bridle facilitated a two day workshop in Bristol for researchers and food system stakeholders interested in applying for scoping study grants from the AFN Network to devleop project ideas around supporting the agri-food sector's transition towards a net zero UK.

⭐ On Saturday 25 May, Sam Buckton led the first excursion of the newly reformed York Naturalists group around St Nicholas Fields Local Nature Reserve. Participants included Prof Alastair Fitter, UoY alumna Jane Thomas and several current UoY PhD students, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust staff, and other local naturalists. Interesting finds from the day included the Nationally Scarce Cow Parsley Leaf Beetle Chrysolina oricalcia, a relative of the famous Tansy Beetle.

⭐ The pre-print of the paper 'Transformative action towards regenerative food systems: A large-scale case study' authored by Sam Buckton, Ioan Fazey, Suzanne Om, Sarah Bridle, Rebecca Newman and many others in the FixOurFood research programme continues to be one of the most downloaded papers on SSRN (as measured over the last 60 days).

⭐ On 22nd May, FixOurFood hosted a workshop with members of North Yorkshire Council and its wider stakeholders to explore the value of actors in the food system working together towards system transformation, and how such partnerships could be enabled by governance. The workshop was facilitated by Rebecca Newman, with Ioan Fazey, Sam Buckton and Suzanne Om as co-facilitators. Lee Eyre and Rebecca Goodman also participated.

⭐ On 23rd May, Ioan Fazey and Sam Buckton facilitated a Three Horizons conversation in an online executive forum ('Mastering Disruption in the Exponential Age', hosted by Jonah Larkin) with CEOs of tech, financial and other companies, to explore the challenge of adapting to advances in AI and what future AI-aligned companies would look like. E&G Honorary Fellow Kris Kluver also participated.

⭐ New perspectives paper - 'The urgent need for designing greener drugs', has been scheduled for publication in Nature Sustainability on 05 June 2024. Co-authors are from around the world - Professor Tomas Brodin , Professor Kathryn Arnold, Professor Alistair Boxall , Professor Bryan Brooks , Dr Daniel Cerveny , Dr Manuela Jorg , Dr Karen Kidd , Professor Klaus Kümmerer , Dr Unax Lertxundi , Dr Jake Martin , Dr Lauren May , Dr Erin McCallum , Dr Marcus Michelangeli , Charles Tyler , Professor Bob Wong and Professor Gorka Orive.

Research Opportunities and Updates 🔬

🔬 Enhancing Research Culture: Conversations between academia and industry

When: Friday 14th June, 11am-1pm

Where: B/T/005

The next session of our Enhancing Research Culture project is coming up on Friday 14th June, 11am-1pm in B/T/005, titled Conversations between academia and industry. 

Come along to this event to hear from our panellists who have spent significant time working in industry and have experience collaborating and working with academics. There will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions to the panel and network over lunch. 

The speakers for this session are:

• Dr Richard Law, Chief Business Officer, Exscientia

• Dr Radha Parmar, Science and Technology Consultant Biologics - EMEA, Twist Bioscience

• Professor Jason Snape, Professor in Sustainable Healthcare and Environmental Sustainability, University of York

• Professor Helen Sneddon, Professor of Sustainable Chemistry and Director of the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence, University of York

• Dr Katerina Steventon, Business Development Manager, Skin Centre, Hull York Medical School

• Dr Hebe Bevan OBE, CEO and Founder of UtterBerry Ltd (via zoom)

 You can find out more about our speakers on the speaker profile document. 

If you would like to attend please sign up via this google form. We can then order the right amount of lunch. Hot drinks will be provided at the start of the session, please bring your own cup.  

If you are unable to attend in-person, we plan to live stream the session on the day and also have a recording to share after the session. Please indicate in the google form if your preference is to attend in-person or via live-stream. We will also send you a calendar invite.

There is also a new online learning resource about research impact that we want to make you aware of. Available to all staff, Research Impact: Creating Meaning and Value is an online, self-directed learning resource which covers the fundamentals of research impact. The course is suitable for researchers and support staff at all career stages, whether you’re new to research impact or already have some experience. It features interactive activities and examples from a breadth of research disciplines. The course has been specifically designed so you can dip in and out of the modules whenever it suits you, and is split into 5 modules which cover topics including planning for impact, engagement with stakeholders, and evaluating impact. The course will also be available to postgraduate researchers in spring 2024. For more information contact impact-and-ke-training@york.ac.uk 

🔬 British Academy seeking to commission 10 discussion papers on Net Zero

The British Academy is seeking to commission up to ten discussion papers that will contribute to our Net Zero Governance policy programme. You can find the full details and terms of reference here. The deadline for proposals is 7 June 2024.

The papers will provide crucial evidence to inform the programme on how, why and when governance matters on net zero, and practical mechanisms that enable effective direction, oversight and delivery for organisations and institutions committed to delivering net zero. This can be explored through the perspective of leaders and the perspective of publics. The authors will be invited to join policy events convened by the Academy in the coming months.

Do share this opportunity among your network with researchers focused on the net zero agenda, especially if they are working on existing projects or emerging evidence on this topic.  

We will be running an open webinar on Zoom on Friday 31 May at 10:00 (BST) for anyone interested in the call to hear a short presentation from us on the call, and space to ask questions on any aspect. If you would like to join the webinar, please email policy@thebritishacademy.ac.uk and we will provide the Zoom link.

In September, we are also planning to convene researchers working on net zero governance through knowledge exchange events to support sharing existing and emerging research across SHAPE disciplines – please let us know if you would be interested in attending by emailing policy@thebritishacademy.ac.uk

Do you have an item to share in our next newsletter?

Great! Please add it to the Research, Teaching, Outreach and Good News Spreadsheet. Please use the most relevant tab for the activity/news and ensure that the description details are written out in full as you would like it to be presented. If your item does not fit the spreadsheet, please email it to environment-pa@york.ac.uk by 12:00 next Thursday.

Thank you for your help in making the newsletter a great way to catch up on all of the Department's latest news and activities

Department Events

🌲 Reminder: Next Professorial Inaugural Lecture Series next Thursday!

A reminder that the next and final installment of the 23/24 Professorial Inaugural Lecture series will be held on Thursday 30th May, 15:00-16:00 in ENV/005, followed by refreshments in the Foyer. There we will hear from Profs. Lindsay Stringer and Claire Hughes.

If you need the Google calendar invite to be resent, do let Chloe know (environment-pa@york.ac.uk). We hope to see you there

Other Events

🎫 Environment/Natural World events at York Festival of Ideas

Dr Sarah Mitchell (Head of Events and Deputy-Director, York Festival of Ideas) would like to share a selection of this year's Festival programme, which is being delivered either online or in-person. The vast majority of these are free to the public.

This year, the programme includes a number of Environment/Natural World events, which might be of interest to staff and/or any partners/networks you may have.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Making the Difference Award WINNERS!

Many Congratulations to our May 2024 Making the Difference Award Winners, announced in this month's Dept Staff Meeting by Roland:

🏆 Samarthia Thankappan 🏆

🏆 Sally Beckenham 🏆

Congratulations to all the other 17 nominees for this round - a record, I believe!

You can read more about how our core values have been exemplified in our MTD award nomination process this round on the Wiki.

Good News and Media Engagement

⭐ Congratulations to DEG/LCAB PhD student Andrew Gibson who joined Professors Emily Boyd (Lund) and Karen O’Brien (Oslo) in the opening plenary at ‘Human geographies of climate change adaptation’ conference at the University of Bergen, Norway, 15-16 May. Andrew gave his very well received talk ‘Informations Horizons as limits to Climate Change Adaptation’ to a packed auditorium and a highly engaged discussion.

⭐ Christopher Lyon gave a session talk ‘‘What do climate projections beyond the year 2100 mean for adaptation?’ at ‘Human geographies of climate change adaptation’ conference, University of Bergen, Norway, 15-16 May. This talk further develops research with Lindsay Stringer and Rob Marchant.

⭐ Anna Gilbert wrote an article detailing her PhD studying microplastics in salt marshes for the spring/summer issue of the Solway Firth's Tidelines magazine.

⭐ Sarah Bridle was interviewed on BBC CWR (BBC local radio for Coventry and Warwickshire) on the impact of climate change and extreme weather on UK farmers.

⭐ MSc Corporate Sustainability and Environmental Management alumnus Jennifer Gitonga delivered her exceptional dissertation research on ESG reporting in Kenya to the Research & Evidence Working Group at the CDP (previously known as Carbon Disclosure Project), a leading civil society organisation that sets global agenda for sustainability reporting and disclosures. The session was well-attended with more than 60 participants and sparked great interest in Jennifer's work, as well as the prospects of further collaboration between the CDP and DEG going forward. Felicia Liu lead on this.

⭐ Congratulations to Smriti Safaya, Erin McDonagh and John Terenzini on a packed house at the Fulford Arms for Pint of Science on 13th May. The organizers for the inaugural York City Nature Challenge shared the city's phenomenal results in the world's biggest global wildlife observation festival! York topped the U.K. Leaderboard with the most number of different species observed over 4 days (1333 species), came 2nd for total number of observations (missed out on 1st place by 34 observations to last year's winners, Birmginham & Black Country), and came 3rd for total number of participants (221 people)! These incredible stats are a testament to the collaboration of many across York's universities and colleges, grassroots groups, local and regional NGOs and the City of York Council - so we just wanted to say a HUGE THANK YOU! Till next year late April 2025, where we'll try to top all 3 categories! If you want to get involved in any part of the planning or have connections to schools and nearby villages and towns, or others who you think would be interested in the City Nature Challenge, please get in touch with Smriti Safaya.

Research Opportunities and Updates

MSCA Postdoc Fellowships 2024 Call - Guidance and Tips for Applicants

The 2024 call for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships is open, with a deadline of 11 September 2024.

York’s MSCA PF Guidance and Tips for Applicants 2024 is now available.  This is a live document and I welcome any feedback that may require amendments to the information provided. 

UKRO have shared the slides and recordings of two information webinars on the scheme which took place on the 14^th and 15^th of May. See:

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 Call Information Webinar: Session 1

 MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 Call Information Webinar: Session 2

🔬 Postdoc fellowship opportunity: Natural-based solutions for recovery of ecosystems from perturbation

The Nature-Based Solutions research cluster at Manchester Met are a multi-disciplinary group of environmental, biological, chemical and geographical scientists undertaking research into the drivers and impacts of ecosystem degradation, and how maintaining, transitioning or restoring habitats can provide solutions to achieving sustainability and promote resilience. Since 2020, the Department of Natural Sciences has attracted over £3 million in research funding from bodies including UKRI, EU and Innovate UK to support research activities. This research has been translated into an excellent track-record of real-world impact, for example our 4* REF 2021 impact case study on the conservation and restoration of damaged peatlands.

Our researchers have expertise working across a wide range of habitats, including tropical forests and drylands, wetlands and marine and coastal habitats. Our current projects range from understanding the biodiversity potential of secondary tropical forests, through community co-design of mangrove restoration, to identifying how restored saltmarsh can deliver multiple natural capital benefits.

More information can be found here!

🔬 XR Stories familiarisation

University of York’s XR Stories, located in the Guildhall, has R&D expertise and facilities support for researchers, including ‘advice, expertise and facilities to help accelerate existing research projects and connect to industry and other audiences. The XR Stories lab is designed as a place of creative experimentation and collaboration. We have a range of cutting-edge technologies to support your ideas including cinema quality cameras, an optical motion tracking system, 3D scanning equipment, and flexible immersive audio provision centered around our LED wall and virtual production test stage.’

They are excited to do a familiarisation event with DEG researchers (I visited them recently and explored their VR set up) as they can support projects and have done amazing work involving environmental themes. If any DEG academic staff and PGRs are interested, they are very happy to provide a familiarisation to a group of us. Please email Chris if you are interested at christopher.lyon@york.ac.uk.

🔬 British Academy visit to York on 10th June - Invitation to Register

This invitation is primarily for staff who are interested in how their research can impact policy, and those looking to increase engagement with the British Academy. This will be an unmissable day focused on the value of arts, humanities and social sciences research in shaping policy and grant making. Hear from the British Academy’s policy team about their work, the importance of SHAPE disciplines (as a counterpart to STEM), how policy work influences grant making, and gain insights into some lesser known funding and engagement opportunities. The British Academy is keen to hear how it can work with SHAPE researchers in key areas of challenge and opportunity, so we hope that you can attend.  This will be an in person event (Church Lane building). Staff are welcome to register for one or more sessions - as outlined below.

More information can be found here.

📩 Do you have an item to share in our next newsletter?

Great! Please add it to the Research, Teaching, Outreach and Good News Spreadsheet. Please use the most relevant tab for the activity/news and ensure that the description details are written out in full as you would like it to be presented. If your item does not fit the spreadsheet, please email it to environment-pa@york.ac.uk by 12:00 next Thursday.

Thank you for your help in making the newsletter a great way to catch up on all of the Department's latest news and activities

Important Information

🧠 It's Mental Health Awareness Week! 🧠

We all have a responsibility to look after our physical and mental health. This year's #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek runs from 13th to 19th May.

This year’s theme is movement: moving more for our mental health. Get involved by finding and sharing your moments for movement this Mental Health Awareness Week with family, friends and/or colleagues. 

Everyone can get the mental health benefits of moving more, it’s all about finding what works for you. 

Find out more: http://mentalhealth.org.uk/mhaw  

#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #MomentsForMovement 

‼️ Printing costs 💰

In the last few months, we have had some increasingly high amounts of printing costs hitting the department.

Please consider whether printing is essential, or if you can provide resources digitally instead.

This is also in line with our core value "We strive for sustainability."

Departmental Events 🌲

🎓 Reminder: Next Professorial Inaugural Lecture Series on Thursday 30th May!

A reminder that the next and final installment of the 23/24 Professorial Inaugural Lecture series will be held on Thursday 30th May, 15:00-16:00 in ENV/005, followed by refreshments in the Foyer. There we will hear from Profs. Lindsay Stringer and Claire Hughes.

If you need the Google calendar invite to be resent, do let Chloe know (environment-pa@york.ac.uk). 

We hope to see you there

Seminar: The Ecosystem Services of Lahore's Urban Parks 🌲

Date / Time: Tuesday 21st May, 13.00 - 14.00  

Location: Room ENV/105A & ENV/105B (Environment Building)

Dr Aysha Hanif (Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Lahore College for Women University and YESI International Fellow) will share findings from her research on the ecosystems services of Lahore's parks, as perceived by the city's park users. Park users at 15 parks located across Lahore were surveyed. Questions explored motivations to visit parks, satisfaction with park facilities, and perspectives on the benefits that parks can provide. The role of socio-demographic factors in the use of parks, and attitudes towards parks, was also investigated. The findings are relevant to policymakers, park managers and others who are interested in addressing park users' needs and preferences in the design and management of urban parks. 

This seminar will explore Lahore's parks, with insights on user perceptions, socio-demographic influences, and the vital role these urban sanctuaries play in shaping community well-being.

Register here

Other Events 🎫

York Pride 2024 🏳️‍🌈

York Pride 2024 will take place on 1st June and will consist of a parade followed by a festival at the Knavesmire.  I'll be organising the university stall in advance of the festival, and hope to have some interactive activities run by staff and students from across the university.  In the past, we have had activities contributed by biology, chemistry, engineering, english and related literature, physics, and psychology several of whom have indicated an interest in contributing again this year.  

We are looking for people from these, and any other departments, schools or individuals who would like to contribute or volunteer.  This is not just an invitation to those who identify as LGBTQIA+ individuals, but is also an open invitation to all friends and allies who like a fun afternoon celebrating diversity and inclusion.

If you are interested please fill in the below short form by 4pm on Friday 17th May to collect details about your name and role in the university (student, academic staff, support staff, vice chancellor etc...), your department, school, office, or section, and whether you would like to coordinate an activity, or volunteer to help out as an individual.

Activities for York Pride 2024

Chris Murphy will contact those who wish to coordinate a new activity to provide advice and help with logistics.  (Please note:  Offers of contributions are welcomed, but cannot be guaranteed space in the stall which may have to be lightly curated if space is limited.  Last year, all offers were accepted.)

NOTE:  The stall will only go ahead this year if there are sufficient volunteers to run a broad stall, so please do offer contributions.

Good News and Media Engagement ⭐

⭐ Congratulations to Alison Dyke et al., whose latest paper developed a methodology for quantifying social and cultural values of treescapes into a functional composite measure to be used by decision-makers.

Research Opportunities and Updates 🔬

🔬 Invitation To Participate In Decolonising The Curriculum Research

Sukhi Bath is a doctoral candidate at SOAS investigating the extent to which UK higher education institutions are decolonising the curriculum and whether this is resulting in transformative change. You can participate in the survey here.

The survey is open to staff working in UK higher education institutions. Sukhi would be grateful if you could circulate this invitation to colleagues in your networks. 

Your participation in the survey is completely voluntary and all responses are anonymous. The survey should take you no more than 15-20 minutes 

If you would like more information about this project, please contact Sukhi at 252578@soas.ac.uk.

Do you have an item to share in our next newsletter?

Great! Please add it to the Research, Teaching, Outreach and Good News Spreadsheet. Please use the most relevant tab for the activity/news and ensure that the description details are written out in full as you would like it to be presented. If your item does not fit the spreadsheet, please email it to environment-pa@york.ac.uk by 12:00 next Thursday.

Thank you for your help in making the newsletter a great way to catch up on all of the Department's latest news and activities

💻 Reminder: Training available! Responding to Students in Distress

When: Thursday 16th May, 10:00 - 12:30

Location: Biology building, B/B/006

Following the success of last year's training exploring how staff can positively respond to students in distress, the Science Faculty Student Wellbeing Team will be delivering the session again on the 16th of May. The session explores a wide range of issues that staff may encounter with students and positive ways to respond. We aim to boost your confidence when supporting students in often challenging circumstances and the training is open to all staff.

If you would like to come along, please complete the registration form.

If you would like to find out more about the training, contact Robert Bennett, our Student Wellbeing Officer, who will be co-delivering the training (robert.bennett@york.ac.uk).

Department Events

🎓 Professorial Inaugural Lecture Series - Latest recording and next lecture

Many thanks indeed to Profs. Sarah Bridle and Andy Dougill for delivering two fantastic lectures this week on their respective career paths and future plans. If you were not able to join us, you can click to following link to watch the recording of the Prof. Inaug. Lecture No. 4. 

The next and final installment of the 23/24 series will be held on Thurs 30 May, 15:00-16:00 in ENV/005, followed by refreshments in the Foyer. There we will hear from Profs. Lindsay Stringer and Claire Hughes.

If you need the Google calendar invite to be resent, do let Chloe know (environment-pa@york.ac.uk). We hope to see you there!

Other Events

🎫 CEDHE Annual Forum

Date / Time: Thursday 23rd May, 10:00 - 15:15

Location: Online

The CEDHE (the education committee of the Institution of Environmental Sciences) Annual Forum (free) takes place online on Thursday 23rd May (10.00 - 15.15). The focus this year is on Innovating Environmental Science Education, with sessions on Skills for sustainability, Climate anxiety and optimism, and Communicating environmental science. You can register here.

🎫 Pint of Science is BACK!

Next Monday-Wednesday (13th-15th May) Pint of Science is taking over various venues in York including Fulford Arms, FortyFive Vinyl Cafe, Red Goat and The Winning Post to talk all things science. There will be talks on tropical parasites, sleep and speech, climate change, AI and games like Dungeons and Dragons.

There really is something for everyone to enjoy in a relaxed, informal environment

Buy your tickets (only £5!)   

🎫 Conference invitation: Carbon and Biodiversity credits

Date: 17-18 July

Location: University of Lincoln

Following the success of the inaugural conference in 2023, the ‘Second Annual Conference on Nature-based Solutions using Carbon and Biodiversity Credit Funding’ will take place on the city centre campus of the University of Lincoln, UK on 17-18 July 2024. This conference is organised by the University of Lincoln in association with the Wildlife Trusts and the IEMA and brings together leading representatives from private, state and non-state sectors with mutual interests in developing carbon and biodiversity credits to achieve common objectives.

The conference is organised on a Panel discussion format to maximise interaction between all delegates. A range of topics will be covered relating to the design, financing and implementation of terrestrial and marine carbon and biodiversity credit schemes in the UK, Europe and worldwide. Panellists represent a diverse range of organisations at the forefront of credit scheme design, finance and implementation, including Natural England, IUCN, Environment Bank, Credit Nature, rePLANET, BMW, Glaxo Smith Kline, the Knepp Estate and the universities of Oxford and Cambridge amongst other high profile institutions from the UK and overseas. Informal meeting spaces are available throughout the conference which also includes an evening drinks reception on the 17 July. This event will be of interest to researchers with interests in this rapidly growing field and afford a unique opportunity to secure valuable contacts and networks.

All delegates are requested to register their attendance on the conference website at https://bccconference.lincoln.ac.uk/delegate-registration/ . Academics and students can purchase tickets at the reduced rate which covers all conference activities alongside refreshments, lunch and evening drinks. Further information on travel and accommodation in Lincoln is available on the conference website.

Please direct any queries relating to the conference to Dr Julian Clifton (jclifton@lincoln.ac.uk).

🎫 ClientEarth Summit: Please join us!

We have our upcoming ClientEarth summit (a free online conference) taking place between 4^th and 6^th June which is an informative and awareness raising set of panel discussions event with speakers from all over the world discussing topics such as plastics and human health, food and farming, biodiversity loss, greenwashing and disinformation and how we can use the law to hold big polluters accountable. More info here and you are welcome to sign up to as few or as many sessions that are of interest.

As mentioned, it is free and open to all so if you think it is appropriate and you are happy to promote it with your network – we would be delighted!

In case you haven’t come across us, ClientEarth is an award-winning non-profit organisation that uses the law to create systemic change that protects the Earth for – and with – its inhabitants.

Good News and Media Engagement

⭐ On Friday, Oli Wilson had the privilege of attending an advance opening of an exhibition called 'Bees: A Story Of Survival' at the World Museum in Liverpool, which features his work. Oli and Rob Marchant worked with the artist Wolfgang Buttress to incorporate Oli's 3D pollen models in the exhibition, where their shapes have been etched into glass blocks. The exhibition is amazing and highly recommended if you're passing through Liverpool this year! The World Museum had almost 700,000 visitors in 2023 (making it the most-visited attraction in the North West) and the exhibition will be touring internationally for the next few years, so it promises to reach a lot of people.

Research Opportunities and Updates

🔬 First-Time MRC Applicants: Your Questions Answered (Focus on Cross-Board opportunities)

Date / Time: Thursday, 23 May, 1-2 pm (UK time);

Venue: B/K/018 Lecture Theatre (Dianna Bowles Theatre)

Hosts: Professor Paul Kaye (Professor of Immunology, Hull-York Medical School) and Professor David Kent (Deputy Head, Department of Biology)

Are you interested in developing a funding proposal in any area of science related to the Medical Research Council (MRC)? 

The Department of Biology is hosting an information session for first-time MRC applicants from across the university. Panellists with experience of securing MRC funding and sitting on MRC panels (IIB and MCMB) will cover key stages of the application process (from the triage process to the panel discussion) and the assessment criteria.

The session will also highlight cross-board opportunities of particular interest to the Department, including the impact of climate change on human health, developing guidance for better research methods, and MRC Centres of Research Excellence (CORE). There'll be an opportunity to ask your own questions. 

The session will be open to academic staff in all Departments. If you have any questions, please get in touch with Christina Brennan, RED Coordinator in the Department of Biology: christina.brennan@york.ac.uk

Please sign up using this Google Form.

🔬 Workshop: Caring Responsibilities in Academia

Date / Time: Wednesday 22nd May, 10:30 - 12:45

Location: B/K/018

The next session of our Enhancing Research Culture project is coming up on Wednesday 22nd May, 10:30-12:45, in B/K/018 on the topic of caring responsibilities in academia. 

This workshop will be about how to balance caring responsibilities with a career in academia. We will hear from academics at different career stages and with different backgrounds about their experiences, struggles, lessons, and advice, among others touching on topics such as having a child at an early career stage, moving abroad to a new institution with young children, as well as an exciting new initiative to help carers maintain some of their lab's research activity while they are on parental leave. There will be an opportunity to ask our speakers questions and to continue the conversation after the panel discussion over lunch.

The speakers for this session are:

• Professor Laura Itzhaki (Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge)

• Dr Miriam Klein-Flügge (Departments of Psychiatry and Experimental Psychology, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University Oxford)

• Dr Eva Kimel (Department of Psychology, University of York)

• Dr Aidan Horner (Department of Psychology, University of York)

• Dr MaryAnn Noonan (Department of Psychology, University of York)

 You can find out more about our speakers on the speaker profile document. 

If you would like to attend please sign up via this google form. We can then order the right amount of lunch. Hot drinks will be provided at the start of the session, please bring your own cup.  

If you are unable to attend in-person, we plan to live stream the talks and Q&A panel on the day and also have a recording to share after the session. Please indicate in the google form if your preference is to attend in-person or via live-stream. We will also send you a calendar invite.

Do you have an item to share in our next newsletter?

Great! Please add it to the Research, Teaching, Outreach and Good News Spreadsheet. Please use the most relevant tab for the activity/news and ensure that the description details are written out in full as you would like it to be presented. If your item does not fit the spreadsheet, please email it to environment-pa@york.ac.uk by 12:00 next Thursday.

Thank you for your help in making the newsletter a great way to catch up on all of the Department's latest news and activities

💻 Training available! Responding to Students in Distress

When: Thursday 16th May, 10:00 - 12:30

Location: Biology building, B/B/006

Following the success of last year's training exploring how staff can positively respond to students in distress, the Science Faculty Student Wellbeing Team will be delivering the session again on the 16th of May. The session explores a wide range of issues that staff may encounter with students and positive ways to respond. We aim to boost your confidence when supporting students in often challenging circumstances and the training is open to all staff.

If you would like to come along, please complete the registration form.

If you would like to find out more about the training, contact Robert Bennett, our Student Wellbeing Officer, who will be co-delivering the training (robert.bennett@york.ac.uk).

Departmental Events

🌲 Sustainability Seminar

Date / Time: Wednesday 8th May at 12:05

Location: Zoom

Speakers: Mary Rice & Katrin Izquierdo

Title: A Career in Government Social Research

The seminar outlines what a career in Social Research with the civil service might look like, as well as outlining the student placement year and potential career paths via the fast stream and mainstream application process. The presentation is aimed at students pursuing an undergraduate degree with minimum 30% research-based modules or for masters students. The presentation lasts approximately 45 mins, with time after for students to ask questions.

📖 Book launch celebrations 🎉

Date / Time: Friday 10th May, 16:00 - 17:30 then 18:00 - 20:00

Location: Environment Building, ENV/005

Adam S. Green (York) and Nancy Highcock (Oxford) invite you to help celebrate their new book, Cities and Citadels: an archaeology of inequality and economic growth. Environment and Geography are hosting two events on Friday 10th May. Please come along to chat with Adam and his co-authors.

Research Forum hosted by the Department of Archaeology: From 4-5:30pm, we invite members of the University of York to join us in the Environment Building (ENV/005) to participate in an informal discussion of the book. The invitation is open, and we look forward to hearing voices from across relevant departments, including Archaeology, Environment and Geography, Economics and Related Studies and History. The Research Forum will be held in the same spirit of discussion and collaboration that formed the basis for the book, a project that combines the often very different voices and viewpoints of its co-authors. Rather than a traditional lecture and Q&A session, we will provide a brief precis of the book, and then ask the non-archaeologists in the audience about how their own research interests may benefit from data from the past—or how our understanding of the past may benefit from advances in debates outside of archaeology. We also welcome participants to have a quick look over the book before the event. Thanks to a generous grant from the University of York, it is fully open-access 

Public Lecture: An archaeology for future economies: From 6-8:00pm, we will introduce the book to the broader public, holding a pair of micro-lectures for the public at the University of York’s Environment Building (ENV/005). We will introduce the book, discuss the relationship between inequality and economic growth in the past, then chart a trajectory of growing inequality that spans millennia, from the first farmers to the Iron Age Origin of Billionaires. Each micro-lecture will be followed by a brief question and answer session, and the event will be followed by a drinks reception.

Find here further details.

🌲 Coming to our senses in a world of transformation: With Christian Houge and Ioan Fazey

Date / Time: Wednesday 15th May, 18:30 - 20:00

Location: Environment Building, ENV/005

Join us in a journey of deep exploration of Christian Houge’s evocative art, engage deeply with your senses, and begin to explore how you, personally and collectively, can play a more direct role in tackling the challenges facing people and our planet.

Places are limited so sign up early!

🌲 YESI International Fellows Seminar Series - Diversifying livelihoods for flood-resilient communities: Alternative sustainable development pathways in the Nigerian drylands

Date / Time: Tuesday 7th May, 13:30 - 14:30

Location: Environment Building, ENV/105X

Join us for the second in our YESI International Fellows Seminar Series with Dr Ummi Khalthum Mohammed from Bayero University Kano, Nigeria. 

This seminar explores the potential of diversifying livelihoods as a key component of building flood resilience within Jigawa State in Nigeria’s drylands.

Register here!

Other Events

🌍 Erle Ellis visit to LCAB

Date / Time: Tuesday 7th May, 15:30 - 16:30

Location: Berrick Saul Treehouse, BS/104

The Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity here at York is delighted to be welcoming Erle Ellis to the Centre next week!

Bio:

Erle Ellis is Professor of Geography and Environmental Systems at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). A Global Highly Cited Researcher, he studies the ecology of human landscapes to inform sustainable stewardship of the biosphere. He teaches environmental science and landscape ecology, which he has also taught at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. He is a Visiting Fellow at Oxford’s Martin School, Lead Author of the IPBES Transformative Change Assessment, Fellow of the Global Land Programme, Senior Fellow of the Breakthrough Institute, and former member of the Anthropocene Working Group. His book, Anthropocene: A Very Short Introduction, was published in 2018.

Talk:

Re-Culturing Nature to Sustain Biodiversity in the Anthropocene - Most of terrestrial nature, including Earth’s most biodiverse landscapes, have been shaped by millennia of sustained human use. These cultured ecosystems, including those sustained by indigenous peoples for millennia, and not natures without people, currently sustain the vast majority of biodiversity. Even Earth’s most intensively used working landscapes, including cities and farms, are crucial to achieving a nature positive future. Transformative changes in the cultural aspirations, institutions and practices that shape societal use and interactions with nature have unprecedented planetary potential to enhance and expand the biodiversity sustaining capacities of the anthropogenic biosphere of the Anthropocene.

🌳 Future Treescapes 24 Conference

Date / Time: Tuesday 11th June - Thursday 13th June

Location: Glasgow University Union and online.

The Future Treescapes 24 Conference is the final event of the Future of UK Treescapes Programme, where we will be sharing the latest research, advancements, tools and recommendations coming out of the programme. With the UK government's ambitious target to plant 30,000 hectares of trees annually over the next 30 years, and the urgent need to address tree establishment and resilience, this conference offers a vital platform to unlock essential knowledge in this field.

Here's what you can expect at Future Treescapes 24:

• Celebrate UK Treescapes: Join us in celebrating the invaluable contributions of the UK Treescapes Programme towards a greener and more sustainable future.

• Collaborate for Sustainable Treescapes: Engage with experts, policymakers, and enthusiasts to address critical decisions on woodland expansion, climate resilience, and environmental challenges.

• Highlight Treescapes' Value: Explore the pivotal role of treescapes in mitigating climate change, enhancing well-being, and enriching the UK's heritage and culture.

• Research Shaping Policy: Delve into core research themes aligned with UK government policies to support the nation's net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target and address environmental threats.

• Turn Knowledge into Action: Collaborate with us to translate research outcomes into practical solutions for end-users and policymakers, ensuring meaningful impacts on woodland expansion and management.

Find out more information about our speakers and agenda, and sign up!

Attendance at the conference is completely free. Feel free to reach out to the team at treescapes@glos.ac.uk if you have any questions or require further information.

🗺️ Pint of Science: Protecting our Thriving Planet: York vs. the World

Date / Time: Monday 13th May, 19:30

Location: Fulford Arms

"Pint of Science: Protecting our Thriving Planet: York vs. the World"

Every April for the last 8 years, people around the world 'compete' to find as many plants and animals in their cities. From 26 - 29th April 2024, York participated in the global City Nature Challenge (CNC) for the very first time to record the biodiversity around our dear city! There is a leaderboard; so how did York do against 700 other cities? What types of birds, trees, mammals, flowers, insects, fungi and other wildlife did we see, and why does it matter for the people of York? And, what happens next?

Grab an event ticket and join Smriti Safaya and her CNC team as they share insights from York's incredible efforts to spark future human-wildlife connections!!

Good News and Media Engagement

⭐ Lindsay Stringer gave a short online welcome address to participants at the final workshop for her Royal Society funded International Collaboration Award on "Improving access to clean and modern energy for cooking while reducing land degradation and biodiversity loss in Nigeria" and Abba and Stella attended in person, providing valuable research assistance. The event held in Abuja on 29 April was very well attended, including by the Vice Chancellor of Bayero University Kano, his Royal Highness the Emir of Nasarawa (who is also the former Minister of Environment) and stakeholders from the three study areas of Kaduna, Nasarawa and Abuja FCT. It received widespread media coverage including https://dailytrust.com/nigeria-lost-size-of-lagos-enugu-fct-to-deforestation-in-20-years-report/and https://thenationonlineng.net/94-4-percent-of-kaduna-nasarawa-households-use-fuelwood-for-cooking-study/ The Nigeria-based co-PI, Prof Aliyu Barau was also interviewed by BBC Hausa and we are awaiting news as to when that will be broadcast. In addition, Lindsay's paper published in Nature Sustainability last year was recognised by the China Geographical Society as the second most important research achievement in Chinese Geography of 2023 (see https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/WiVwnpFYwiOXGTFAJbL4tw - note the article detailing the recognition is in Chinese). The full reference of the paper (which is in English!) is: Li C, Fu B, Wang S, Stringer LC, Zhou W, Ren Z, Hu M, Zhang Y, Rodriguez-Caballero E, Weber B, Maestre FT 2023. Grazing modulates climate-driven ecological thresholds in China’s drylands. Nature Sustainability.

⭐ Chris Malley (SEI) has published a new paper: Improving consistency in estimating future health burdens from environmental risk factors: case study for ambient air pollution. Using a demographic model estimated strikingly different figures for future health burdens than traditional models.

⭐ Steve Cinderby and Jean McKendree (both SEI) have published a paper on glass return and refill schemes in the UK. Surveys showed that industry stakeholders endorse moves to increase the percentage of remelted glass used, as well as supporting local return and refill schemes.

⭐ Sarah Bridle was part of the FDTP Eco-Working Group which led to a report, published this week, outlining progress and future priorities for addressing environmental challenges in the food and drink sector - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/food-data-transparency-partnership-agri-food-environmental-data/fdtp-towards-consistent-accurate-and-accessible-environmental-impact-quantification-for-the-agri-food-industry

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