Kent Wildlife Conference

Saturday 25th Kent Wildlife Conference

10am to 4pm.

At the Darwin Conference Suite, Darwin College, University of Kent. 

Register by scrolling down and clicking the 'Register' button. Or download a booking form.

Kent is an increasingly urbanised county – especially so when taking into account the Watsonian vice-county of West Kent, which extends well into South-East London. Yet these urban areas can be highly important for wild species, from small invertebrates to larger mammals. A large population also means more opportunities for engaging people in citizen science, whether this means taking a scientific approach to monitoring water quality, or a more creative approach towards engaging people with Kent’s rich coastal habitats. Our speakers will cover all these subjects and more, and we are especially pleased to have with us this year Dr Trevor Dines, botanist, presenter of the Channel 4 series, Wild Things, and author of Urban Plants, the latest volume in Bloomsbury’s British Wildlife Collection series of books.

You are welcome to bring displays or other information about work relevant to Kent’s natural history, and we especially welcome posters detailing recent research work. But please let us know in advance, using the booking form.

The Conference will be held in the Darwin Conference Suite, in Darwin College at University of Kent’s Canterbury Campus, Canterbury, CT2 7NY. Free, ample parking is available all day in the nearby main visitor car park.

 The cost for the day is £22 per person (£15 for students), which includes refreshments and a buffet lunch (vegetarian and vegan dishes included).

When registering, please let us know whether you have any particular dietary requirements (e.g. vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free) or access requirements (e.g. help with hearing) by using the comments box.

You can register and pay here (scroll down and click the 'Register' button), or download the booking form to pay by cheque or bank transfer.

PROGRAMME

10.00   Welcome.

10.10   Wild bees and habitat conservation in urban Tunbridge Wells.
Dr Ian Beavis, Kent Field Club.

10.35   Buzzing in the East End (B.E.E). Scarlett Weston, Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

11.00   Improving partnership working for the proactive monitoring of river health. Josh Hammond, Environment Agency.

11.25 – 11.45    Coffee and poster session

11.45   Thanet Coastal Project: working with local people to safeguard an urban marine environment. Tony Child, Thanet Coast project & Ian Tittley, Kent Field Club.

12.10   Intertidal Allotment: a prototype for bringing together artists, communities and ecosystems. Emma Leach & Andrew Merrit.

12.35 – 14.00 Lunch and poster session

14.00   Project call: a chance for anyone present to publicise and ask for help with wildlife recording projects.

14.15   Mote Park: the Challenges of Managing an Urban Parkland. Alan Frith & Karen Thorp, Maidstone Borough Council.

14.40   From Coast to City: The status of beavers in Kent. Ben Morris, Beaver Trust.

15.05 Urban Plants - untangling the concrete jungle. Dr Trevor Dines, freelance botanist and author of the recent Bloomsbury publication, ‘Urban Plants’.

15.45 Wrap-up and depart

Please note that the programme may be subject to change.

HOW TO FIND THE DARWING CONFERENCE SUITE

From Whitstable, A2, Canterbury and the west enter the university from the A290 follow the road into Giles Lane and turn right into Darwin Road; from Herne Bay, Canterbury and the east enter the university from Hackington Road and follow Giles Lane and turn left into Darwin Road. Darwin College is situated on Darwin Road. For the Conference Suite, on entering Darwin College turn right past reception and through the doors.

You may park for free in the Gulbenkian Theatre carpark on Library Road during daytime, or use the Sports Centre Road area on the opposite side of Giles Lane nearby, which has a larger free parking area for visitors.

A plan of the campus and location of Darwin College can be viewed at

https://www.kent.ac.uk/maps/canterbury/canterbury-campus/building/darwin-college/darwin-conferen

There is a regular bus service to the University from central Canterbury.

The Darwin Conference Suite has step-free, ground floor access with large doors and parking and a bus stop nearby. It is not equipped with a hearing loop, but facilities can be made available for people with hearing difficulties.