NbSI Director speaks at the UK’s first People’s Assembly for Nature
NbSI Director Professor Nathalie Seddon is taking part in the first People’s Assembly for Nature (PAN), being held 11-13 November in Birmingham, as one of two academic advisors, speaking on the issue “What is nature and why do we need it?”. Watch a recording of the talk on YouTube.
The PAN is a citizens’ assembly that brings together a broadly representative group of people from across the country, as part of the People’s Plan for Nature, to look at the question “What should we do to protect and restore nature in the UK?”. 100 people from across the UK have been selected to develop a plan and a set of recommendations to help protect and restore nature in the UK.
Speakers on this first PAN weekend include Sir David Attenborough, and Tony Juniper CBE, Chair of Natural England. NbSI Director Prof Seddon will provide an overview of nature and biodiversity (as a property of nature) and why they are important from a scientific perspective. Seddon will also highlight that how nature is perceived and valued varies in space and time, and among different cultures. Equally, although some see nature as that which isn’t human, from a biological (and in many cases, cultural) perspective, humanity is part of nature. These talks will contribute to honest conversations, finding common ground and making recommendations for the protection and restoration of nature in the UK.
The People’s Plan for Nature is a UK-wide initiative run by Involve, UK’s public participation charity, powered by WWF, the National Trust and the RSPB. Prof Seddon is one of two academic advisors, working alongside Professor Pete Smith, University of Aberdeen. Academic Leads are specialists in the topic area that the citizens’ assembly is considering, with leads working with the Assembly on the core topic areas that have been identified for the assembly to focus on. These topics are the Path to Net Zero, Food & Farming Reform, and Reversing Biodiversity Loss. As an academic advisor, Prof Seddon helps develop the content for the citizens’ assembly and in particular the evidence that participants hear.
Learn more about the Plan and Assembly on the People’s Plan for Nature website, and watch Prof Seddon’s talk on Youtube.