CALL FOR PAPERS
(Deadline 1st May 2026) Submit your proposal for a presentation, workshop or session here: Delivering Ecosystem Services in Practice – Fill in form
We are seeking proposals for presentations for our 2026 Autumn Conference, held in-person at The Grand Hotel, Bristol.
Ecological practice is changing rapidly. Increasingly, ecologists and environmental managers are expected not only to protect biodiversity, but also to demonstrate how nature delivers wider benefits for society. Concepts such as ecosystem services and Nature-based Solutions are becoming central to policy, investment, and land management decisions.
The challenge for many practitioners is not recognising the importance of these ideas but translating them into practical approaches applied in everyday work. How can ecosystem services thinking strengthen project design? How can ecologists communicate these benefits effectively to clients and stakeholders? And how can this approach open up new opportunities for the profession?
This conference will explore how integrating ecosystem services and Nature-based Solutions can strengthen ecological practice and deliver better outcomes for biodiversity, people, and climate resilience. Framing ecological work through the tangible benefits it provides, such as better water quality, carbon storage, flood resilience, soil health, or enhanced wellbeing, can help practitioners communicate more effectively with clients, industry partners, policymakers, and the public.
The audience are particularly interested in real-world case studies, practical tools, and lessons learned from projects that demonstrate multiple benefits. We invite contributions from people who are helping to put these ideas into practice.
We welcome presentations that:
- Highlight practical case studies demonstrating how attitudes can be changed through demonstrable delivery of ecosystem services or Nature-based Solutions
- Share evidence-based insights and lessons learned, including what has worked well in ecological consultancy, land management, or environmental planning, and what challenges remain
- Demonstrate how ecological projects can deliver multiple benefits for protected species, biodiversity, climate resilience, water and soil, food systems, and human health and community wellbeing
- Highlight innovative tools, approaches, or collaborations that help practitioners design, assess, or communicate the wider value of nature to clients, communities, and decision-makers
Themes:
(this is not an exhaustive list – if your work relates to an ecosystem service not mentioned here, please do submit an abstract)
Carbon storage and sequestration: Examples of habitat creation, restoration, and management that deliver carbon benefits alongside biodiversity gains, including the role of soils. Contributions might explore how ecologists can measure, communicate, and integrate carbon outcomes into project design, and how to address trade-offs e.g. where short-term carbon losses are associated with habitat creation.
Nutrient mitigation and water quality: Case studies addressing nutrient neutrality, catchment-scale approaches, wetland creation, peatland restoration, or river, coastal and marine restoration, and the relationship between soil health and water quality. We are particularly interested in projects that demonstrate multiple ecosystem service outcomes.
Natural flood management: Evidence-based examples of natural flood management measures that support biodiversity, climate resilience, landscape and soil recovery. How can ecologists design and communicate these solutions more effectively?
Pollinators and food system resilience: Practical approaches to restoring pollinator habitat. Presentations may include landscape-scale initiatives, agri-environment schemes, or innovative approaches that support both biodiversity and agricultural systems.
Nature, health, and wellbeing: A dedicated session exploring the role of nature in supporting mental and physical health. Contributions may include green infrastructure, community engagement projects, urban ecology, or evidence linking ecological interventions with health outcomes.
Integrated ecosystem service approaches: Tools, frameworks, and methods that help practitioners assess, map, monitor, or communicate ecosystem services. We welcome presentations that demonstrate how these approaches can improve project outcomes, inform decision-making, or support collaboration across disciplines.
