The annual meetings of the BES Invasion Science Special Interest Group
The British Ecological Society (BES) hosts several Special Interest Groups (SIGs). These groups are run by ecologists within the BES community, and provide a space for networking and collaboration within a particular subject.
The Invasion Science Special Interest Group is a BES SIGs aiming to provide a network to connect researchers and practitioners both nationally and internationally, who work in the field of invasion science.
The last annual meeting of the Invasion Special Interest Group was held in June 2024 in Newcastle, UK, alongside the Great Britain Non-Native Species Secretariat (GB NNSS) Annual Stakeholder Forum, which was held the following day. Fifty-five delegates attended these meetings, including academics, practitioners and policy makers from across the UK and beyond.
During the meeting, two keynote speakers delivered excellent talks, highlighting opportunities to share knowledge among nations and opportunities for collaboration among academics, practitioners and policymakers. In particular, Prof. John Wilson (South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI)) discussed South Africa’s response to the IPBES IAS Assessment and actions towards addressing the Global Biodiversity Framework Target 6.
Moreover, Prof. Aileen Mill (Newcastle University) spoke about how to navigate the intersection of invasion science research and policy. The meeting also included 17 lightning talks, which were reflective of the work being undertaken in the UK in invasive species research and management.
Three excellent workshops were linked to the meeting. These workshops were focused on building collaboration and mapping activities against the Great Britain Invasive Non-Native Species Strategy, and investigating how academia can better inform policy and invasive species management in South America.
The next annual meeting will take place in June this year, and is provisionally titled “Building on improving the contribution of invasion science to policy and management”. This meeting will follow on from the 2024 event by bringing together researchers, policymakers and practitioners to discuss the latest research findings, policy implications and management strategies. As last year, this year’s event will be held in the same location and on a consecutive day as the GB NNSS Annual Stakeholder Forum, which will promote attendance from people from a range of sectors. These events will continue to provide opportunities for knowledge exchange, enabling attendees to share ideas and build collaborative relationships in the invasion science sector in the UK and beyond.
Join us
Members of the group:
Katie O'Shaughnessy, Chair
Steph Bradbeer, Communications
Guillaume Latombe, Communications
Mike Fowler, Treasurers
Olaf Booy, Policy Rep
Josie South, Events Rep
Susan Canavan, Early Career Rep
Rebecca Giesler, Early Career Rep
Danai Kontou, Events Rep
Tomos Jones, Events Rep
Josie South, Events Rep
Victoria Domingeuz Almela, Postgrad Rep and Social
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