Our forums provide a platform for professionals to join us in discussion around topical challenges and developments from across the environmental sector.

2020 has presented professionals across many specialisms with the challenge of managing unique datasets as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has had a significant impact on the work of environmental scientists, not least the ability to undertake surveys and assessment work during the lockdown period. This rapidly changing environment has required professionals to adapt data collection and assessment methods to reflect the ‘new-normal’, presenting a number of challenges and opportunities related to environmental science datasets.

For many, time spent in gardens, parks, woodlands and coastal environments has increased in day to day life meaning data collected by citizen scientists has significantly increased. This forum will explore examples of how environmental professionals are handling 2020 datasets in the context of long-term monitoring and analysis, the use of alternative surveying methods to supplement data gaps and the identification of new opportunities for data collection presented by the pandemic.

Our speakers

• Professor Christian Rutz, School of Biology at University of St Andrews - The COVID-19 Bio-Logging Initiative: Studying human–wildlife interactions during the “anthropause”
• Dr Emma Heslop, Programme Specialist at Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO - The Global Ocean Observing System
• Dr Claire Carvell, Coordinator of the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - Monitoring pollinating insects and other wildlife during 2020: highs and lows for national schemes

You will have the opportunity to ask questions and network with other environmental scientists, helping to address the uncertainty currently surrounding research in the sector.

This event is free for professional IES members to attend, non-members are welcome to attend for a small fee of £25. A member of the IES team will contact you to organise payment.