Nature North Conference 2024

Please note: a photographer will be capturing today’s event please let them or a member of the event team know if you don’t want to be in the photos.

Meet the speakers

Agenda
9:30 – Arrival & registration 

Refreshments and a chance to catch up with colleagues.

10:00 – Welcome and keynotes

Welcome and opening address:

• Cllr Nick Kemp, Leader, Newcastle City Council

Green Growth for People & Nature: Challenges & Solutions:

• Kerry ten Kate, Non-executive Board Member, Natural England, Non-executive Director, Finance Earth, Trustee of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
• Carol Pyrah, North Trustee for the National Lottery Heritage Fund and CEO of Urban Green Newcastle

Nature North’s ambition and progress to date

• David Renwick, Regional Director – North, Natural England
• Dr Colm Bowe, Development Manager, Nature North

Great stuff’s happening

Session to share updates and achievements connected with driving nature recovery across the North.

The Ouse Burn Way – Anne Reece, Chair, Reece Foundation

Nature and health in Bradford – Dr Rachel Palfrey, Senior Advisor, Natural England

Aire Resilience Company – Keith Davie, Senior Advisor, Green Finance, Environment Agency

Peatland & Paludiculture – Sarah Johnson, Head of Peatland Nature Recovery, The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside

11:30 – Break & networking – refreshments

Delivering for nature & people: breakout workshops

Session to gain insights to, and discuss experiences of, delivering for nature and people.

You will attend one of the following sessions:

1. How can data help us to tell stories/create narratives about nature? Facilitated by the Northern Forest.
2. How can we better understand what corporates need from nature investment? Facilitated by The Great North Bog.
3. How can a pan-northern partnership approach build a successful investable proposition? Facilitated by Northern Coasts & Estuaries.
4. What role can leaders in play in supporting nature-rich and accessible urban green spaces for all? Facilitated by Urban Nature North.
5. How can we address challenges of securing investment for nature recovery to increase scale and pace? Facilitated by Rivers Nature North.
6. How can we capture and build-on what organisations from outside the environmental sector are already doing to support nature recovery networks? Facilitated by Green Northern Connections.
7. How do we best engage with the farming community to utilise their knowledge, ideas and good practice? Facilitated by Resilient Farming North.

13:00 – Lunch & networking – Optional 30-minute tour of the neighbouring Newcastle University National Green Infrastructure Facility

Sharing our thinking – Introduced by: Helen Paterson, Chief Executive of Northumberland County Council

Together we will explore Ideas for collaboration and how we take forward our ambitions.

The panel:

Helen Paterson, Chief Executive of Northumberland County Council

Sue Longstone, Director of Operations North, Environment Agency

Katie Thomas, Senior Strategy Manager – Low Carbon and Environment, York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (YNYCA)

Tom Burditt, Chief Executive, Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside, founder director of the Greater Manchester Environment Fund (Trust)

And finally… Closing remarks: Tony Gates, CEO, Northumberland National Park Authority

16:30 – Depart