2026 Scotland Conference: Fieldwork Futures: Innovations in Ecological Practice

CALL FOR PAPERS

(Deadline 29th May 2026) Submit your proposal for a presentation or workshop here: – Fill in form

Conference date is to be confirmed but will be between the 1st October and 9th October in Glasgow.

Ecological practice is changing faster than ever. New technology, shifting regulatory landscapes, evolving guidance, and client expectations are reshaping how data is gathered, managed, interpreted, and presented.

This conference seeks to bring together practical, hands-on insights from practitioners who are out in the elements regularly collecting and analysing data to share their experiences, innovations, successes, and failures, as well as their insights on what is shaping the future of ecology practices.

We invite contributions that reflect current, real-world practice in using field and desktop-based methods in ecology. This is not a conference about policy in theory, it is about the tools, methods, workflows, and decisions that field ecologists are making right now.

The conference will offer a vital forum for practitioners to connect, share insights, and engage with the latest developments. It will be relevant to ecologists, field surveyors, environmental consultants, GIS specialists, ecological data analysts, drone practitioners and developers of ecological monitoring tools.

The key themes will be:

1. Fieldwork Innovation

We welcome talks, case studies and practical demonstrations on:

• Emerging technologies and innovations that are transforming field surveys and learning outcomes.
• Improving efficiency, detectability, understanding and practicality in the field.
• Case studies of novel or experimental methods – highlighting successes and lessons learned from failures
• Navigating new guidance and licensing changes and how these affect survey effort, methods, and on-site decision-making.

2. Data Management in a High-Volume World

As ecological methods become more data-heavy, practitioners are grappling with new challenges in storage, management, analysis, and interpretation. We invite talks, workshops, demos addressing:

• Software solutions for complex analyses e.g. automated or assisted bat call/video analysis
• Machine-learning and AI tools for supplemental species identification
• Storage and management of large datasets, e.g., terabytes of bat video, acoustic recordings, drone imagery, or thermal footage
• Workshops that dive into the detail of Digital approaches for quality assurance, error reduction, and reproducible workflows, Using scripting, R, Python, or GIS to streamline everyday consultancy tasks.
• The balance between AI innovation and environmental responsibility.

3. Communicating Findings: Visualisation & Engagement

Effective ecological consultancy doesn’t stop at data collection—communicating results clearly and persuasively is essential. Contributions may include:

• AR/VR walkthroughs, 3D site visualisation, or immersive habitat models
• Using GIS, StoryMaps, dashboards, and interactive mapping tools
• Tools and techniques for explaining complex ecological processes to clients, planners, or the public
• Examples of how good visualisation changes outcomes for development or community engagement

Submission Types:

We welcome proposals for:

• Standard presentations (20 minutes plus 5 mins Q&A)
• Workshops (60 minutes)

Please use the session proposal and abstract submission form to tell us how you would like to get your messages across and if you have any questions please email training@cieem.net

Submit a proposal for an individual presentation or workshop here: Fill in form

Please contact marketing@cieem.net if you would like to exhibit or sponsor this conference.