Launch event

On the 23 March 2023, the BES held an online event to examine the funding of ecological research over the past decade and more, and set an ecological research agenda for the next 25 years.

Speakers at the Future of Ecology launch event
Yadvinder, Bridget, Rosie, Nathalie and Nick (top left to bottom right)

The launch event offered an opportunity for ecologists, funders, journalists, and anyone interested in ecology to hear an overview of the BES’s two landmark policy reports published earlier that day:

  • The Future of Ecological Research in the UK report offers a vision for ecological research over the next 25 years, identifying five priority themes to advance our understanding of the natural world.
  • The Trends in UK Funding for Ecology report analyses the funding available for ecological research in the UK, identifying disparities with other research sectors and highlighting how funding shortfalls could undermine the ability of ecological research to benefit society.

Watch the full launch event

Hosted by broadcaster and journalist Gaia Vince, leading ecologists and authors of the reports discussed the key recommendations.

This event was broadcast live on YouTube at 14:00 GMT on the 23 March 2023.

Launch event speakers

  • Yadvinder Malhi, BES President and Professor of Ecosystem Science at the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford
  • Bridget Emmett, BES President-Elect and Head of Soils and Land Use at the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
  • Rosie Hails, Nature and Science Director at the National Trust
  • Nathalie Seddon, Professor of Biodiversity and Director of the Nature-based Solutions Initiative and Agile Initiative at the University of Oxford
  • Nick Harvey Sky, Policy Officer at the British Ecological Society

Read the reports