FINAL CALL: SCOPING WORKSHOPS FOR THE VALUING NATURE NETWORK

The NERC Valuing Nature Network seeks to bring together academics and decision makers from all fields connected with the natural environment. Its first activities are a series of workshops to scope out key issues. Details of these scoping workshops are given below, and in the attached document. Further information and the opportunity to register is given at the VNN website at http://www.valuing-nature.net.

The initial scoping workshops will be held over the course of May 2011 as follows:

· Tuesday 10th May 2011, London – Scoping workshop for Biophysical Scientists

· Wednesday 11th May 2011, London – Scoping workshop for Statisticians and Modellers

· Friday 13th May 2011, London – Scoping workshop for Marine Ecologists

· Tuesday 17th May 2011, Nottingham – Scoping workshop on Human Dimensions

· Thursday 19th May 2011, London – Scoping workshop for Terrestrial & Freshwater Ecologists

· Friday 20th May 2011, London – Scoping workshop on Human Health and the Environment. Please contact Laura Bellingan at the Society of Biology (laurabellingan@societyofbiology.org).

· Monday 23rd May 2011, London – Scoping workshop for Economists

· Tuesday 24th May 2011, London – Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA)

All workshops are free of charge. Registration is now open. We aim to ensure that each scoping workshop embraces a representative diversity of views and participants and will have to select on that basis should workshops become oversubscribed. The intention is to inform all successful applicants at least ten days prior to the date of their workshop.

The scoping workshops are only the first phase of Network activities. Subsequent activities will include a ‘Town Meeting’ bringing together academics and decision makers from across all fields connected with the natural environment. This will be held in London on Friday 24th June so please note this date in your diary and we will write to all those who register with the Network subsequently with further details.