Virtual Symposiums

Mon 24 Nov 025 10:00 – 13:00 (UK time)

Explore the latest in hedgehog research with researcher presentations, live Q&A, and a look at exciting studies on the horizon.

Wed 14 January 2026 10:00 – 13:00 (UK time)

Learn about the latest research related to nature-friendly gardening to help you undertake evidence-based wildlife gardening decisions.

Wed 18 March 2026 10:00 – 13:00 (UK time)

Bookings are now open for the 2026 event and get in touch if you’d like to present your case study at the event.

These talks examined BNG challenges: its impact on small sites, variability in habitat assessments, the need to consider bats in planning, and early insights from BNG implementation. They highlighted complexities and opportunities in delivering effective, evidence-based BNG.

Our first BNG event covered policy and metric updates from Natural England, BNG delivery in infrastructure projects, Wiltshire Council’s local authority approach, and The Wildlife Trusts’ habitat banking investment. Together, they showcased strategic, practical, and financial dimensions of successful BNG implementation.

Our 2026 biological recording symposium explored UK wildlife monitoring at various geographic scales, featuring talks on clearwing moths in Mid Wales, landscape-scale tracking in the Chilterns, 30 years of Garden BirdWatch, and national surveillance schemes.

We highlighted how biodiversity data supports wildlife-friendly infrastructure (DBRC), collaboration between LERCs and nature partnerships (Lincolnshire), informed decision-making in the Environment Agency, and Biodiversity Net Gain planning (TfL), emphasizing the vital role of species records in environmental work.

The event explored iRecord’s impact—from empowering local wildlife groups and engaging county recorders, to advancing beetle data collection, improving verification through collaboration, and ensuring future support. Together, they showed iRecord’s vital role in citizen science and biological recording across the UK.

The event highlighted how drones advance ecological surveying and monitoring. It shared practical use-cases and best practices for drone deployment and data analysis.

How do we ensure that conservation efforts are sufficiently funded? Funder trends, credit-based accountancy schemes and income diversification were all explored.

Conservationists delved into research and conservation projects in the UK that are employing camera trapping techniques to study mammals.

Beetle specialists presented recent advances in beetle ecology, taxonomy, and conservation, highlighting rare and threatened species through presentations on field surveys, habitat restoration, and species-specific research.

This event told the stories behind some of Britain’s rarest invertebrates, from Fen Raft Spiders and Short-haired Bumblebees to crickets and the Fisher’s Estuarine Moth, with leading experts from conservation and research.

The presentations covered various environmental initiatives, including Hackney Marshes’ renaturalisation by ReNature London, Butterfly Chalklands conservation by London Wildlife Trust, the Crane Valley urban river restoration led by Crane Valley CIC, and Citizen Zoo’s efforts to enhance Tolworth’s biodiversity.

This event highlighted vital work in understanding and conserving invertebrate biodiversity in the UK: two decades of insect monitoring at UKCEH, a decade of field surveys by Natural England, the importance of protecting Britain’s endemic invertebrates, and efforts to assess earthworm populations.

This symposium brought invasive crayfish control specialists together, featuring a case study on American signal crayfish in England, exploring fish as a control method, barriers to their spread, and genetic ‘immunisation’ strategies. It highlighted innovative approaches to managing invasive species through research and intervention.

A series of talks exploring local wildlife site management: community science supporting Devon’s framework, a case study on Essex sites and development, digital tools for site monitoring, and the challenges and opportunities of preserving wildlife in growing urban areas like London.

This event explored global earthworm diversity and impact: from worldwide species overviews and evolutionary insights using phylogenetics, to South America’s giant wetland worms and the ecological effects of earthworm invasions in North America. It highlighted earthworms’ fascinating roles in ecosystems and scientific research.

This symposium focused on digital engagement in natural history, featuring webinars for large audiences, using learning management systems for teaching, an online botany course, and online training for successful conservation projects. It highlighted innovative approaches to virtual education and conservation.

This event concentrated on developing biodiversity identification resources, including structured training pathways for invertebrates, AI-driven image recognition for species ID, and assessing botanical skills through the Field Identification Skills Certificate. It highlighted advancements in training and technology for accurate species identification.

Prof Dave Goulson and the Buzz Club team explored citizen science through various lenses, including evaluating when citizen science is effective, case studies like the Hoverfly Lagoons project, lessons from bee research, and strategies for volunteer retention in long-term projects.

Our first event featured research-based presentations about hedgehogs, butterflies, birds, and bats. Presentations discussed strategies for optimizing gardens, the benefits of wildlife-friendly practices, and the impacts of bird feeding, highlighting the balance between conservation and human enjoyment.