Confluence is the bi-annual newsletter of the Westcountry Rivers Trust. Confluence is packed with all of the latest news on the work of the Trust and what is happening in river restoration and conservation across the Westcountry.
The Spring 2011 edition focused on all of the major projects that the Trust had underway at that time.
The document discusses various effects of global warming from different perspectives. It notes rising sea levels will flood coastal lands, displacing communities and damaging economies. Conflicts between countries over resources and migrants could arise. Cultural clashes may also occur as populations integrate. Glacial melt will initially cause floods but later water shortages as fresh water sources diminish. Changing ocean currents could disrupt global climate patterns and create more extreme weather. Securing fresh water sources and preventing conflicts over scarce resources will require international cooperation and strong leadership.
The proposal recommends transforming Busa Farm in Lexington into a professionally managed community farm called Lexington Community Farm (LCF). LCF would be run by a non-profit organization and overseen by a board of directors. A paid farmer would manage the agricultural operations with help from volunteers and seasonal employees. LCF would be a working farm that sells produce through a CSA program and farm stand. It would also donate some produce to local food pantries. In addition, LCF would offer educational programs and be open to the entire Lexington community for recreation. The proposal argues that LCF requires no financial support from the town and would provide greater benefits than alternative uses like ball fields or housing.
Can You Dig it: Meeting community demand for allotmentsElisaMendelsohn
Allotments provide numerous individual and community benefits. They promote physical and mental health by encouraging exercise and time spent in nature. Allotments also educate about nutrition and food production while reconnecting people to where their food comes from. Local authorities are recognizing these benefits and supporting allotments through various community projects.
This document summarizes a proposed sustainable development plan for a slum area in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The plan addresses issues of overpopulation, lack of infrastructure and services, and environmental degradation. It proposes improvements such as increased housing space per household, improved access to water, sanitation and healthcare, additional educational and economic opportunities through activities like urban agriculture, fish cultivation, and a biogas plant. The plan outlines implementation over 2 years, with consultation of stakeholders, construction of facilities, and establishment of economic activities. It provides estimated costs and identifies responsible authorities and organizations. The goal is to create a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable community through this comprehensive development approach.
Matt is a board member of the Village Cooperative, an urban farming co-op in Salt Lake City. In 2021, Utah experienced one of its worst droughts in 20 years, forcing the Village Cooperative to pivot and focus on less water-intensive crops. While building healthy soil with compost has helped the farm withstand the drought, invasive weeds and high water prices subsidized by property taxes present unique challenges for urban farming in drought conditions.
The document discusses the Green Movement and the Catholic Church's position on environmentalism. It begins with definitions of "green" and states the thesis that the Church encourages contribution to the Green Movement and respect for creation. It then addresses some disadvantages and opposition to the movement, such as costs and unwillingness. The document outlines religious aspects supporting environmentalism, including quotes from the Bible and popes. It concludes that the Church completely supports the Green Movement as a way to respect dominion over the Earth.
Why Doing the Right Thing is the Right Thing to Do - Steven G. Jones 11.21.14Holland & Hart LLP
This presentation discusses Chevron's response to two pipeline releases in Utah - one at Red Butte Creek in 2010 and one at Willard Bay in 2013. It summarizes Chevron's immediate cleanup efforts, costs incurred, and additional mitigation projects. The presentation notes that by taking proactive responsibility, Chevron was able to settle damages early and receive credit towards penalties. Public response was positive and recognized Chevron's efforts to go above and beyond in remediation. The key lessons are to respond quickly, take responsibility, conduct thorough cleanup, and fund additional mitigation projects.
The document is the 2002 annual report for the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority. It discusses the Authority's mission to provide a safe and affordable water supply while preserving open spaces. It highlights several projects from the past year, including rebuilding the Lake Whitney Water Treatment Plant, purchasing land to protect watersheds, and supporting community initiatives after 9/11. The report expresses confidence in the Authority's role as a regional leader while acknowledging the new security challenges faced since 9/11.
The document discusses various effects of global warming from different perspectives. It notes rising sea levels will flood coastal lands, displacing communities and damaging economies. Conflicts between countries over resources and migrants could arise. Cultural clashes may also occur as populations integrate. Glacial melt will initially cause floods but later water shortages as fresh water sources diminish. Changing ocean currents could disrupt global climate patterns and create more extreme weather. Securing fresh water sources and preventing conflicts over scarce resources will require international cooperation and strong leadership.
The proposal recommends transforming Busa Farm in Lexington into a professionally managed community farm called Lexington Community Farm (LCF). LCF would be run by a non-profit organization and overseen by a board of directors. A paid farmer would manage the agricultural operations with help from volunteers and seasonal employees. LCF would be a working farm that sells produce through a CSA program and farm stand. It would also donate some produce to local food pantries. In addition, LCF would offer educational programs and be open to the entire Lexington community for recreation. The proposal argues that LCF requires no financial support from the town and would provide greater benefits than alternative uses like ball fields or housing.
Can You Dig it: Meeting community demand for allotmentsElisaMendelsohn
Allotments provide numerous individual and community benefits. They promote physical and mental health by encouraging exercise and time spent in nature. Allotments also educate about nutrition and food production while reconnecting people to where their food comes from. Local authorities are recognizing these benefits and supporting allotments through various community projects.
This document summarizes a proposed sustainable development plan for a slum area in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The plan addresses issues of overpopulation, lack of infrastructure and services, and environmental degradation. It proposes improvements such as increased housing space per household, improved access to water, sanitation and healthcare, additional educational and economic opportunities through activities like urban agriculture, fish cultivation, and a biogas plant. The plan outlines implementation over 2 years, with consultation of stakeholders, construction of facilities, and establishment of economic activities. It provides estimated costs and identifies responsible authorities and organizations. The goal is to create a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable community through this comprehensive development approach.
Matt is a board member of the Village Cooperative, an urban farming co-op in Salt Lake City. In 2021, Utah experienced one of its worst droughts in 20 years, forcing the Village Cooperative to pivot and focus on less water-intensive crops. While building healthy soil with compost has helped the farm withstand the drought, invasive weeds and high water prices subsidized by property taxes present unique challenges for urban farming in drought conditions.
The document discusses the Green Movement and the Catholic Church's position on environmentalism. It begins with definitions of "green" and states the thesis that the Church encourages contribution to the Green Movement and respect for creation. It then addresses some disadvantages and opposition to the movement, such as costs and unwillingness. The document outlines religious aspects supporting environmentalism, including quotes from the Bible and popes. It concludes that the Church completely supports the Green Movement as a way to respect dominion over the Earth.
Why Doing the Right Thing is the Right Thing to Do - Steven G. Jones 11.21.14Holland & Hart LLP
This presentation discusses Chevron's response to two pipeline releases in Utah - one at Red Butte Creek in 2010 and one at Willard Bay in 2013. It summarizes Chevron's immediate cleanup efforts, costs incurred, and additional mitigation projects. The presentation notes that by taking proactive responsibility, Chevron was able to settle damages early and receive credit towards penalties. Public response was positive and recognized Chevron's efforts to go above and beyond in remediation. The key lessons are to respond quickly, take responsibility, conduct thorough cleanup, and fund additional mitigation projects.
The document is the 2002 annual report for the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority. It discusses the Authority's mission to provide a safe and affordable water supply while preserving open spaces. It highlights several projects from the past year, including rebuilding the Lake Whitney Water Treatment Plant, purchasing land to protect watersheds, and supporting community initiatives after 9/11. The report expresses confidence in the Authority's role as a regional leader while acknowledging the new security challenges faced since 9/11.
The document discusses several issues caused by climate change, including droughts and desert expansion, flooding, rising sea levels, changing ocean salinity levels, and rising sea temperatures. It notes that droughts will intensify and new areas will experience drought, deserts will expand as areas dry out, and flooding will increase due to climate shifts and more rainfall. Rising seas will submerge coastal lands and infrastructure and force population migration. Changing ocean salinity from melting glaciers will disrupt marine ecosystems and fishing economies. Rising sea temperatures will alter ocean currents and climate patterns on land and sea.
Using debt swaps to address debt, climate and nature loss post-COVID-19IIED
This document discusses using debt swaps to address the triple crises of rising debt in developing countries exacerbated by COVID-19, climate change, and nature loss. It proposes converting a portion of developing country debt into funding for climate resilience, emissions reduction, and biodiversity protection programs. Debtor countries would manage the funds through their budgets rather than separate trust funds. The document identifies priority countries and calls for an international initiative to establish a technical working group to develop such a large-scale coordinated climate and nature debt swap program over three years.
New York City, NY | Spring 2013 | SIX-MONTH UPDATE ON HURRICANE SANDY RELIEF ...Elizabeth LoNigro
The Mayor's Fund allocated over $10 million toward repairing homes damaged by Hurricane Sandy. As part of this effort, over 1,700 households completed intake for a mold treatment program funded by the Mayor's Fund, which aims to treat mold in 2,000 homes across New York City. To date, mold treatment has been completed in nearly 500 homes, with over 750 currently undergoing treatment. The Mayor's Fund is also supporting mold awareness training and the distribution of over 1,100 mold clean-up kits to help residents safely address mold issues in their homes.
Volunteers from the 2008 presidential campaign stayed in the community after to identify challenges. They determined urban agriculture could empower residents by providing wealth, health, and purpose. In 2009, they founded Historic Westside Gardens (HWG) to establish training programs and gardens. In 2010, HWG obtained a grant to train 10 unemployed residents in urban agriculture over 10 weeks. They celebrated the graduates' success and presented a vision for expanding local food production. However, establishing farming as a business proved difficult for the graduates. HWG refocused on its core mission of using agriculture to help residents change their lives.
The Blue New Deal initiative aims to reconcile economic prosperity with marine conservation by exploring ideas that deliver more and better jobs in coastal communities through activities supporting healthier seas. It sees jobs and environmental sustainability as linked. An upcoming action plan will be co-developed to identify solutions and practical measures to transform coastal development, assessing associated economic benefits and investment needs. The initiative involves discussions with coastal organizations, government, and industry.
Over the past 10 years, Connecticut has experienced 9 major disaster declarations due to increasing hazards from climate change and development. The document discusses how regional planning and recovery must consider impacts on neighboring communities. It also emphasizes using a combination of warning, relief, insurance, and mitigation strategies, as well as acknowledging risk to reduce vulnerability. When rebuilding after disasters, options of repairing, rebuilding, or removing structures require considering incentives, public perception, funding, and potential new uses. The document advocates adaptive planning and reuse of land to improve communities and the environment.
AFNCNB Statement on Energy September 09 2010AFNCNB
This document outlines the Assembly of First Nations' Chiefs in New Brunswick's position on energy development. It expresses that the Mi'gmag and Wolastoqiyik Peoples have inherent rights over their traditional territories dating back thousands of years. These rights must be respected in energy policy. The document sets out guiding principles for sustainable energy development, including requiring free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous peoples for all projects and meaningful involvement of Indigenous peoples in all aspects of energy production and resource extraction.
The document discusses the economy of water in the United States. It outlines four major sectors of the US economy that are reliant on water: extraction, processing, delivery, and information. It also notes that farmers, a staple of the US economy, pay less for water than other sectors. The document concludes by stating that the US needs to address water management issues to sustain economic growth while protecting this vital resource.
Report written by Sue Miller, Whitley Bay Big Local, at the Big Local spring event in Newcastle, organised as part of the Local Trust programme of networking and learning events for Big Local residents. The event took place on Tuesday 20 May 2014.
Dr Digby Race conducted research from 2012-2014 on climate change adaptation and renewable energy options for remote indigenous communities in desert Australia. The research aimed to identify feasible options to enhance community livability and business viability under climate change, and promote adoption of renewable energy. Key projected climate impacts for central Australia included increased heat stress, sickness, extreme weather events affecting infrastructure and services, and reduced agricultural productivity. Indigenous desert communities face challenges of isolation, mobility, and balancing traditional culture with influences of colonization. Dr. Race employed a cross-cultural, participatory action research approach focused on indigenous priorities and perspectives, with the goal of empowering communities to design and sustain their own climate adaptation and energy futures.
Housing Kitsap provides affordable housing opportunities throughout Kitsap County. In 2015, Housing Kitsap saw changes including hiring a new executive director and adopting a new strategic plan focused on growing their affordable housing portfolio. Kitsap County is experiencing high housing costs and low vacancy rates, putting many residents at risk of becoming housing burdened or homeless. Housing Kitsap worked on various projects in 2015, such as installing new heat pumps at Nollwood public housing, operating a housing stabilization program, holding community beautification days, and replacing roofs at Conifer Woods apartments.
The document summarizes policies and programs in Cleveland aimed at developing a local, sustainable food system through urban agriculture. Key points include:
- Mayor Frank Jackson's Sustainable Cleveland 2019 initiative focuses on creating a local food economy and ensuring the city's longevity.
- Cleveland has over 200 community gardens, a dozen farmers markets, 20 urban farms, and 25 CSA programs to address "food deserts" and increase access to healthy foods.
- Zoning changes allow agriculture in residential areas and keeping of chickens and bees with licensing. An urban garden zoning district was also created.
- Incentives promote purchasing from local producers and sustainable businesses. The Gardening for Greenbacks program provides grants up to $5,000
The document outlines policies, programs and initiatives by the City of Cleveland to develop a local, sustainable food system through urban agriculture. Key points include:
- Mayor Frank Jackson's Sustainable Cleveland 2019 initiative aims to transform Cleveland into a thriving, sustainable city with a local food economy.
- Cleveland has over 200 community gardens, 12 farmers markets, 20 urban farms, and 25 CSA programs to address food deserts and build the local food system.
- Zoning and policy changes allow for agriculture and sales of produce in residential areas, small livestock and beekeeping with permits.
- Programs include the Gardening for Greenbacks grants for urban farms, the Urban Agriculture Innovation Zone incubator project, and
This newsletter from APEC provides information on renewable energy and sustainability issues. It includes articles on whether the world is ready for renewable energy, the water cycle, emergency preparedness, and a prize giveaway. It aims to share news and stories on renewable energy, environmental issues, and the green movement with its readers.
Waste management, urban resilience and climate changeBappy Rayhan
Waste management and climate change are serious issues facing Bangladesh, particularly the capital city of Dhaka. Dhaka generates thousands of tons of waste daily from residential, commercial, industrial, and medical sources, but waste was improperly disposed of in the past, polluting water sources and spreading disease. In response, the Dhaka City Corporation has implemented waste collection and transportation programs and developed landfills. However, climate change impacts like sea level rise, cyclones, and flooding have increased migration to Dhaka, exacerbating overpopulation and lack of infrastructure in slum areas. Climate change is projected to severely impact Bangladesh through food insecurity and yield reductions due to water stress from rising temperatures and more extreme weather.
This document summarizes funding from the Continuum of Care program for various areas in Hawaii and Guam. It shows that the Balance of the State CoC in Hawaii (Kauai, Maui, Big Island) received a total award of $1,828,631 in FY 2014 and $2,100,869 in FY 2015, a net increase of $272,238. It also lists specific community agencies, grant numbers, expiration dates, FY 2014 award amounts, FY 2015 requested amounts, and the number of housed clients that would be impacted in the Honolulu CoC and Balance of State CoC in Hawaii as well as in Guam. The total FY 2014 award for Hawaii was
Climate change is increasing temperatures globally and affecting weather patterns. In Wales, summers are projected to become drier and winters wetter by 2080. Sea levels around Wales are also expected to rise 30-40cm, increasing flood risk to coastal areas like the Severn Estuary. Adapting to climate change requires considering impacts to health, infrastructure, natural resources and more. Education resources aim to improve awareness and skills for teaching about climate change.
Older people improving their wellbeing 3 3 [compatibility mode]WRVS
This document outlines a research project that aims to involve older people in the UK in defining and improving their well-being. It will do this through a participatory research approach involving older adults in all stages of the research from design to dissemination. The goals are to understand how older adults conceptualize well-being, identify ways to maximize it, and address barriers. Five pilot sites will trial locally-led activities to support well-being in a mutual and capacity-building manner. Findings will then be widely disseminated to transform support offered by organizations for older adults.
We asked U.S. medical students to “let their voices be heard” and received over 550 responses in the 6th Annual Future Physicians of America Survey. Have you ever wondered how medical students choose their school? Or their greatest concerns are about becoming a practicing physician? Find these answers and more about social media usage, mobile/Epocrates usage, challenges and training.
A few survey highlights:
- 145% increase in Android usage from 2010
- Reliance on mobile references increases 125% since 2009
- Over 1/3 use Epocrates products 3 or more times per day
The document discusses several issues caused by climate change, including droughts and desert expansion, flooding, rising sea levels, changing ocean salinity levels, and rising sea temperatures. It notes that droughts will intensify and new areas will experience drought, deserts will expand as areas dry out, and flooding will increase due to climate shifts and more rainfall. Rising seas will submerge coastal lands and infrastructure and force population migration. Changing ocean salinity from melting glaciers will disrupt marine ecosystems and fishing economies. Rising sea temperatures will alter ocean currents and climate patterns on land and sea.
Using debt swaps to address debt, climate and nature loss post-COVID-19IIED
This document discusses using debt swaps to address the triple crises of rising debt in developing countries exacerbated by COVID-19, climate change, and nature loss. It proposes converting a portion of developing country debt into funding for climate resilience, emissions reduction, and biodiversity protection programs. Debtor countries would manage the funds through their budgets rather than separate trust funds. The document identifies priority countries and calls for an international initiative to establish a technical working group to develop such a large-scale coordinated climate and nature debt swap program over three years.
New York City, NY | Spring 2013 | SIX-MONTH UPDATE ON HURRICANE SANDY RELIEF ...Elizabeth LoNigro
The Mayor's Fund allocated over $10 million toward repairing homes damaged by Hurricane Sandy. As part of this effort, over 1,700 households completed intake for a mold treatment program funded by the Mayor's Fund, which aims to treat mold in 2,000 homes across New York City. To date, mold treatment has been completed in nearly 500 homes, with over 750 currently undergoing treatment. The Mayor's Fund is also supporting mold awareness training and the distribution of over 1,100 mold clean-up kits to help residents safely address mold issues in their homes.
Volunteers from the 2008 presidential campaign stayed in the community after to identify challenges. They determined urban agriculture could empower residents by providing wealth, health, and purpose. In 2009, they founded Historic Westside Gardens (HWG) to establish training programs and gardens. In 2010, HWG obtained a grant to train 10 unemployed residents in urban agriculture over 10 weeks. They celebrated the graduates' success and presented a vision for expanding local food production. However, establishing farming as a business proved difficult for the graduates. HWG refocused on its core mission of using agriculture to help residents change their lives.
The Blue New Deal initiative aims to reconcile economic prosperity with marine conservation by exploring ideas that deliver more and better jobs in coastal communities through activities supporting healthier seas. It sees jobs and environmental sustainability as linked. An upcoming action plan will be co-developed to identify solutions and practical measures to transform coastal development, assessing associated economic benefits and investment needs. The initiative involves discussions with coastal organizations, government, and industry.
Over the past 10 years, Connecticut has experienced 9 major disaster declarations due to increasing hazards from climate change and development. The document discusses how regional planning and recovery must consider impacts on neighboring communities. It also emphasizes using a combination of warning, relief, insurance, and mitigation strategies, as well as acknowledging risk to reduce vulnerability. When rebuilding after disasters, options of repairing, rebuilding, or removing structures require considering incentives, public perception, funding, and potential new uses. The document advocates adaptive planning and reuse of land to improve communities and the environment.
AFNCNB Statement on Energy September 09 2010AFNCNB
This document outlines the Assembly of First Nations' Chiefs in New Brunswick's position on energy development. It expresses that the Mi'gmag and Wolastoqiyik Peoples have inherent rights over their traditional territories dating back thousands of years. These rights must be respected in energy policy. The document sets out guiding principles for sustainable energy development, including requiring free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous peoples for all projects and meaningful involvement of Indigenous peoples in all aspects of energy production and resource extraction.
The document discusses the economy of water in the United States. It outlines four major sectors of the US economy that are reliant on water: extraction, processing, delivery, and information. It also notes that farmers, a staple of the US economy, pay less for water than other sectors. The document concludes by stating that the US needs to address water management issues to sustain economic growth while protecting this vital resource.
Report written by Sue Miller, Whitley Bay Big Local, at the Big Local spring event in Newcastle, organised as part of the Local Trust programme of networking and learning events for Big Local residents. The event took place on Tuesday 20 May 2014.
Dr Digby Race conducted research from 2012-2014 on climate change adaptation and renewable energy options for remote indigenous communities in desert Australia. The research aimed to identify feasible options to enhance community livability and business viability under climate change, and promote adoption of renewable energy. Key projected climate impacts for central Australia included increased heat stress, sickness, extreme weather events affecting infrastructure and services, and reduced agricultural productivity. Indigenous desert communities face challenges of isolation, mobility, and balancing traditional culture with influences of colonization. Dr. Race employed a cross-cultural, participatory action research approach focused on indigenous priorities and perspectives, with the goal of empowering communities to design and sustain their own climate adaptation and energy futures.
Housing Kitsap provides affordable housing opportunities throughout Kitsap County. In 2015, Housing Kitsap saw changes including hiring a new executive director and adopting a new strategic plan focused on growing their affordable housing portfolio. Kitsap County is experiencing high housing costs and low vacancy rates, putting many residents at risk of becoming housing burdened or homeless. Housing Kitsap worked on various projects in 2015, such as installing new heat pumps at Nollwood public housing, operating a housing stabilization program, holding community beautification days, and replacing roofs at Conifer Woods apartments.
The document summarizes policies and programs in Cleveland aimed at developing a local, sustainable food system through urban agriculture. Key points include:
- Mayor Frank Jackson's Sustainable Cleveland 2019 initiative focuses on creating a local food economy and ensuring the city's longevity.
- Cleveland has over 200 community gardens, a dozen farmers markets, 20 urban farms, and 25 CSA programs to address "food deserts" and increase access to healthy foods.
- Zoning changes allow agriculture in residential areas and keeping of chickens and bees with licensing. An urban garden zoning district was also created.
- Incentives promote purchasing from local producers and sustainable businesses. The Gardening for Greenbacks program provides grants up to $5,000
The document outlines policies, programs and initiatives by the City of Cleveland to develop a local, sustainable food system through urban agriculture. Key points include:
- Mayor Frank Jackson's Sustainable Cleveland 2019 initiative aims to transform Cleveland into a thriving, sustainable city with a local food economy.
- Cleveland has over 200 community gardens, 12 farmers markets, 20 urban farms, and 25 CSA programs to address food deserts and build the local food system.
- Zoning and policy changes allow for agriculture and sales of produce in residential areas, small livestock and beekeeping with permits.
- Programs include the Gardening for Greenbacks grants for urban farms, the Urban Agriculture Innovation Zone incubator project, and
This newsletter from APEC provides information on renewable energy and sustainability issues. It includes articles on whether the world is ready for renewable energy, the water cycle, emergency preparedness, and a prize giveaway. It aims to share news and stories on renewable energy, environmental issues, and the green movement with its readers.
Waste management, urban resilience and climate changeBappy Rayhan
Waste management and climate change are serious issues facing Bangladesh, particularly the capital city of Dhaka. Dhaka generates thousands of tons of waste daily from residential, commercial, industrial, and medical sources, but waste was improperly disposed of in the past, polluting water sources and spreading disease. In response, the Dhaka City Corporation has implemented waste collection and transportation programs and developed landfills. However, climate change impacts like sea level rise, cyclones, and flooding have increased migration to Dhaka, exacerbating overpopulation and lack of infrastructure in slum areas. Climate change is projected to severely impact Bangladesh through food insecurity and yield reductions due to water stress from rising temperatures and more extreme weather.
This document summarizes funding from the Continuum of Care program for various areas in Hawaii and Guam. It shows that the Balance of the State CoC in Hawaii (Kauai, Maui, Big Island) received a total award of $1,828,631 in FY 2014 and $2,100,869 in FY 2015, a net increase of $272,238. It also lists specific community agencies, grant numbers, expiration dates, FY 2014 award amounts, FY 2015 requested amounts, and the number of housed clients that would be impacted in the Honolulu CoC and Balance of State CoC in Hawaii as well as in Guam. The total FY 2014 award for Hawaii was
Climate change is increasing temperatures globally and affecting weather patterns. In Wales, summers are projected to become drier and winters wetter by 2080. Sea levels around Wales are also expected to rise 30-40cm, increasing flood risk to coastal areas like the Severn Estuary. Adapting to climate change requires considering impacts to health, infrastructure, natural resources and more. Education resources aim to improve awareness and skills for teaching about climate change.
Older people improving their wellbeing 3 3 [compatibility mode]WRVS
This document outlines a research project that aims to involve older people in the UK in defining and improving their well-being. It will do this through a participatory research approach involving older adults in all stages of the research from design to dissemination. The goals are to understand how older adults conceptualize well-being, identify ways to maximize it, and address barriers. Five pilot sites will trial locally-led activities to support well-being in a mutual and capacity-building manner. Findings will then be widely disseminated to transform support offered by organizations for older adults.
We asked U.S. medical students to “let their voices be heard” and received over 550 responses in the 6th Annual Future Physicians of America Survey. Have you ever wondered how medical students choose their school? Or their greatest concerns are about becoming a practicing physician? Find these answers and more about social media usage, mobile/Epocrates usage, challenges and training.
A few survey highlights:
- 145% increase in Android usage from 2010
- Reliance on mobile references increases 125% since 2009
- Over 1/3 use Epocrates products 3 or more times per day
The document discusses the benefits of exercise for mental health. Regular physical activity can help reduce anxiety and depression and improve mood and cognitive functioning. Exercise causes chemical changes in the brain that may help boost feelings of calmness and well-being.
The document summarizes the development of a Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) partnership in the Cotswold Catchment area. The partnership grew from an earlier pilot project and involves farmers, private sector groups, local communities, and public agencies. It takes a partnership approach to identify ecosystem services provided in the catchment, including water quality, flood control, energy production, and more. The PES framework pays farmers for land management practices that secure these services for beneficiaries. It uses a social learning process where data is shared and management options are jointly discussed and developed. The long-term goal is to implement the PES framework to support sustainable farming practices that maintain ecosystem services in the catchment area.
WRVS in Scotland - Hubs presentation, Margaret Paterson, WRVS Head of Service...WRVS
WRVS in Scotland has 15 hubs, 15 locality managers, 5 area managers, and supports over 11,000 volunteers through 240 services. The organization focuses on integration, personalization, and outcomes through its food and nutrition service model, which addresses issues like loneliness, mental/physical difficulties, medication, food preparation ignorance, changing nutritional needs, economic challenges, and food access - all of which are recognized as major determinants of successful aging according to Kronal et al 2008.
WRVS Scotland Conference #Food4Good David McCulloughWRVS
David McCullough, WRVS Chief Executive's presentation at WRVS Scotland Conference: how can food and nutrition services help tackle loneliness? #Food4Good
Dokumen tersebut membahas tentang mengenali diri sendiri dan orang lain, interaksi sosial dalam keluarga untuk membangun keluarga yang harmonis, serta analisis transaksional yang membedakan tiga status ego yaitu orang tua, dewasa, dan anak.
The document discusses WRVS's eLearning journey and the obstacles they faced in launching their learningWRVS program. Some of the obstacles included a lack of computers, IT skills, communication challenges, and negative perceptions of eLearning. However, feedback from volunteers who used learning modules was positive, with many saying they found it interesting, easy to use, and that it helped them learn and gain insight. Key lessons learned included the importance of project management, encouraging usage of the program, and communicating extensively about it. The document promotes learningWRVS as providing training and learning resources on a variety of topics for locality managers.
Laura Overton, MD of Towards Maturity talked about the benefits of benchmarking your eLearning journeys and how the results of Towards Maturity research help us shape our workshops and respond to the challenges that you face. 28th March 2012 - The Corporate eLearning Consortium Inaugural Meeting
Testing Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES): Experience of the Conservatio...Ecotourism_Romania
Author: Monia Martini (WWF Romania)
Presentation for Topic 3: Practical Tools for conservation and local development
2nd European Ecotourism Conference
23-25 October 2013, Romania
This document summarizes a breakfast meeting about developing a payments for ecosystem services (PES) program in the Cotswold Catchment area. The meeting will include introductions to ecosystem services, talks from potential "buyers" and "sellers" (farmers), and a discussion on how a PES program could work and fit with farm businesses. The goal is to develop an agreed framework for PES and identify new investment opportunities over the next year through partnership and dialogue between farmers and other stakeholders.
This document summarizes a study conducted at Woodhull Medical Center on improving patient safety through implementing surgical checklists called "Time Outs". The study found that adopting checklists to confirm key patient and procedure details before surgeries significantly reduced complications and deaths, cutting rates nearly in half. Over multiple years, the Woodhull study expanded Time Outs to other medical areas and evaluated staff attitudes. The researchers aim to determine how training impacts Time Out quality and whether improvements correlate with safety perceptions. Proper use of checklists was found to shift staff perspective from seeing Time Out as an extra task to recognizing its ability to help ensure safer care.
The document summarizes the work of the Westcountry Rivers Trust to improve fish passage and habitat connectivity in the River Taw catchment from 2009 to the present. Key projects include the ongoing TAW Project to remove barriers to fish migration, improvements at several weirs, and the complete removal of North Wyke Weir to allow unimpeded fish passage. The overall goal is to achieve good ecological status for waterbodies in accordance with the Water Framework Directive by taking a catchment-based partnership approach and addressing obstacles to fish migration.
Healthy ecosystems provide a variety of such critical goods and services. Created by the interactions of living organisms with their environment, these “ecosystem services” provide both the conditions and processes that sustain human life. The awareness of ecosystem services’ importance in human life styles started more than 2500 years ago. Economists have developed different ways to measure the economic value of the nature, all of which required extrapolation or assumptions.
Ignorance, Institutions and Market Failure are the main reasons to the under-protected status of Ecosystem Services. The environment provides critically important services. Some of these are captured by markets, but many are not. They are positive externalities that are therefore regarded by the beneficiaries as free. As a result, many ecosystem services tend to be both under-conserved and undervalued. If beneficiaries had to pay for explicit service provision, however, governments would think differently about their policies and property owners would think very differently about sustainable land management practices. In basic economic terms, payments for ecosystem services (PES) seek to “get the incentives right” by capturing the positive externalities, by providing accurate signals to both service providers and users that reflect the real social benefits that ecosystem services deliver.
Voluntary agreements between buyers and sellers of ecosystem services for cash or other rewards creating markets for ecosystem services which provide incentives and finance to land and resource managers and thereby strengthening conservation and livelihoods are called as PES.
Wide range of potential buyers and sellers are available depending on the ecosystem service. When the market fails to reward on-site ecosystem service providers, or to compensate them for their costs (e.g. changing land use) charge off-site users for the benefits they enjoy (e.g. clean water) PES create a market for natural resources making conservation a more profitable land-use proposition. Information, technical barriers, policy and regulation and institutional barriers are the major challenges in implementing PES.
Creating economic incentives that encourage PES schemes, including environmental taxes and subsidies, transferable discharge permits and environmental labelling, developing specific PES projects with farmers, foresters and/or fisher folks in their region, or their watershed and providing incentives for the private sector to engage in PES schemes are some recommendations for a better PES system.
The natural choice securing the value of natureDr Lendy Spires
This document summarizes a white paper on securing the value of nature in England. It discusses how the UK National Ecosystem Assessment showed over 30% of natural environment benefits are declining. To address this, the white paper proposes an ambitious, integrated approach to create an ecological network across England. It establishes a framework including Local Nature Partnerships and Nature Improvement Areas to strengthen local action and reconnect nature on a large scale. The white paper aims to put natural capital at the heart of decision making and create a green economy where economic growth and environmental health support each other.
The natural choice securing the value of natureDr Lendy Spires
This document summarizes a white paper on securing the value of nature in England. It discusses how the UK National Ecosystem Assessment showed over 30% of natural environment benefits are declining. To address this, the white paper proposes an ambitious approach to create an ecological network across England through local partnerships and nature improvement areas. It aims to move from net biodiversity loss to net gain and establish a framework to support the recovery of nature.
Confluence is the bi-annual newsletter of the Westcountry Rivers Trust. Confluence is packed with all of the latest news on the work of the Trust and what is happening in river restoration and conservation across the Westcountry.
The Autumn 2012 edition was a special edition about the Trust's River Improvement Projects funded by the Environment Agency's Catchment Restoration Fund earlier in the year.
Confluence is the bi-annual newsletter of the Westcountry Rivers Trust. Confluence is packed with all of the latest news on the work of the Trust and what is happening in river restoration and conservation across the Westcountry.
The Autumn 2011 edition contained special features on the Trust's approach to fisheries management and ecosystem services - as well as the usual news updates about all of our work on fisheries, fishing and catchment management.
The Natural Choice: Securing the value of natureGreenSpace
The document outlines the UK government's plan to better protect and improve the natural environment by facilitating more integrated and strategic action. It proposes new frameworks like Local Nature Partnerships to operate across boundaries, Nature Improvement Areas to enhance nature on a large scale, and measures to strengthen connections between people and nature, grow a green economy, and demonstrate leadership internationally on these issues.
Avon Wildlife Trust. Our Vision 2015-2020.Simon Martin
The document outlines the vision and goals of a wildlife trust for 2015-2020 to protect nature across the West of England. The vision is to enable nature to recover on a grand scale by focusing efforts on five landscape-scale priority areas and creating wildlife corridors. The three goals are to create ecological networks through habitat management, inspire communities to care for nature, and champion the value of nature.
The HSBC Climate Partnership was a 5-year, $100 million program involving over 100,000 people. It worked with environmental organizations on projects around the world that protected forests, improved access to water for 32 million people, and helped 10 cities reduce carbon emissions. The partnership trained over 2,000 HSBC employees as climate champions to educate others and implement sustainability projects. It achieved significant environmental impacts and engaged many HSBC employees in its work.
The HSBC Climate Partnership was a 5-year, $100 million program involving over 100,000 people across 46 projects to address climate change. It involved partnerships between HSBC, The Climate Group, Earthwatch Institute, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and WWF. The program expanded access to clean water and protected forests, trained over 2,000 HSBC employees as climate champions, and established a database to track changes in over 150,000 trees across 42 forest areas in 21 countries. The chairman notes that both large and small individual contributions made a difference in tackling climate change through this partnership.
Toward Water Sustainability: a blueprint for philanthropyJennifer Fox
Clean, reliable water is essential for every person, economy, and ecosystem. Around the world and here at home, our freshwater resources confront rising demands and mounting threats due to climate change, overuse, and pollution. This work by leaders of eight US Foundations and a small team provides a blueprint to advancing water solutions in the Western US.
This presentation summarises The Climate Institute’s report, Climate Smart Super: Understanding Superannuation & Climate Risk, which examines the impact of climate and carbon risks on retirement and superannuation savings, especially in Australia. Superannuation funds are often Australians’ biggest or second biggest asset but until now very few have had accessible information enabling them to take an active role in managing that asset against climate and carbon policy risks. This report (and presentation) offers a number of simple steps to assist people to engage with their super funds so that they can move from being accidental to active investors and start challenging the dangerous short term focus in business and politics that threatens retirement savings. For more information, visit www.climateinstitute.org.au/climate-smart-super.html
The document discusses politics and protected landscapes in Wales. It outlines the new Welsh government's commitment to an ecosystem approach and establishing a Natural Environment Framework. It also discusses potential scenarios for the future, including greater centralization versus localization and the role of economic valuation versus spatial planning.
Swim Drink Fish's submission on Preserving and Protecting our Environment for...LOWaterkeeper
This submission outlines Swim Drink Fish's six recommendations to the Government of Ontario for its provincial environment plan and a model sewage-alert policy.
The Australian Red Cross has developed an Environmental Sustainability Strategy to minimize its environmental impact and contribute to addressing climate change and environmental degradation. The strategy aims to reduce energy, water, waste and transportation impacts through actions like conducting audits, setting reduction targets, improving efficiency, and promoting sustainable practices among staff. Implementing the strategy supports Red Cross's humanitarian mission by reducing costs and vulnerability related to environmental issues.
The 2012 Annual Report of the National Wildlife Federation highlights their work in 3 areas: 1) Safeguarding wildlife and habitat such as helping pass the RESTORE Act to restore the Gulf of Mexico and relocating bison to their ancestral homeland; 2) Connecting kids with nature through their goal of getting 10 million more children outside and their Eco-Schools program; and 3) Taking strides to stop carbon pollution like protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and mobilizing public support to limit power plant emissions. The report also provides a financial overview and recognizes affiliate offices and partners.
Environmental Sustainability At Three Wine Making...Carla Bennington
This document summarizes three key points about environmental sustainability and education:
1) Sustainability education teaches students about the environment and how natural systems function to support human survival and well-being.
2) Climate change impacts society in various ways such as affecting rainfall, health, crops and energy supply. Sustainability education helps students understand these climate-related impacts.
3) Ozone layer depletion, a serious environmental problem, is a contributor to global warming. Sustainability education covers topics like the ozone layer's role in protecting Earth from UV radiation.
This document provides a summary of the activities and finances of Devon & Cornwall Refugee Support for the year ending December 2011. It lists the board of trustees and staff members. Total income was £182,212 while expenditures totaled £178,342, leaving a surplus of £3,870. Key sources of income included individual donations, grants, and contracts. The largest expenditure was payroll which amounted to 63% of total costs. The trustees expressed gratitude to funders for supporting the organization's work assisting asylum seekers and refugees.
Wellington's economic growth is rising while tackling emissions like no other...lucianolaranz
Wellington, New Zealand is working to become a carbon-zero city by 2030 through ambitious sustainability initiatives led by the city council and supported by community organizations and businesses. The city has already reduced emissions by 9% while experiencing economic growth. Community projects like Manawa Karioi are restoring native forests and reconnecting residents with nature. Private companies including FarmIQ are also helping farmers measure and reduce emissions. Through refill shops and other eco-friendly businesses, Wellington residents are supporting sustainable practices and alternatives to reduce waste. With targeted efforts across many sectors, Wellington is emerging as a leader in combating climate change through innovative urban sustainability solutions.
This book provides a global perspective on water sustainability issues. It begins with an introduction noting the looming global water crisis and rising demand for water resources. The book is divided into three parts. Part 1 discusses current status and challenges related to water, including rising demand, water and poverty, governance and financing, pollution and health issues, conflicts over water resources, and the impacts of climate change. Part 2 examines nature's water resources including the water cycle and shrinking freshwater stores. Part 3 considers approaches toward achieving sustainability, such as reducing demand, increasing supplies, improving water quality, managing seawater and weather, and improving monitoring, management or aid to developing nations. The book concludes by assessing whether global water sustainability is achievable.
A Brief Note On Marine Pollution And Its EffectsLindsey Rivera
This document discusses the concept of biodiversity, which refers to the diversity of genes, species, and ecosystems within a given area. Biodiversity provides essential goods and services that support human well-being, such as food, water, and regulation of natural disasters. However, human activities are causing mass extinction of species at an alarming rate. Over 17,000 plant and animal species currently face extinction, and biodiversity loss continues to accelerate despite recognition of the problem decades ago. The impacts of human society were once small, but have grown enormously and threaten biodiversity on which humans depend.
On the 22nd June 201, Environmental experts, politicians and representatives from the agricultural sector gathered to discuss how the UK can better manage its soils for the benefit of people and the environment. The conference, Creating resilient catchments: Better Soil Management, was organised by Westcountry Rivers Trust (WRT) and brought together key bodies and individuals to understand the drivers and interests in soil management, paving the way for future collaboration.
The Partnership approach & assessing the benefits of catchment management. 12th & 13th September 2016 at the Rougemont Hotel, Exeter. Following the decision to leave the EU the need to come together to tackle the complex environmental problems we face such as diffuse pollution and habitat fragmentation has never been greater. This conference sets out the benefits and drawbacks of partnership working and the effectiveness of dealing with problems at a catchment scale.
The Partnership approach & assessing the benefits of catchment management. 12th & 13th September 2016 at the Rougemont Hotel, Exeter. Following the decision to leave the EU the need to come together to tackle the complex environmental problems we face such as diffuse pollution and habitat fragmentation has never been greater. This conference sets out the benefits and drawbacks of partnership working and the effectiveness of dealing with problems at a catchment scale.
The Partnership approach & assessing the benefits of catchment management. 12th & 13th September 2016 at the Rougemont Hotel, Exeter. Following the decision to leave the EU the need to come together to tackle the complex environmental problems we face such as diffuse pollution and habitat fragmentation has never been greater. This conference sets out the benefits and drawbacks of partnership working and the effectiveness of dealing with problems at a catchment scale.
The Partnership approach & assessing the benefits of catchment management. 12th & 13th September 2016 at the Rougemont Hotel, Exeter. Following the decision to leave the EU the need to come together to tackle the complex environmental problems we face such as diffuse pollution and habitat fragmentation has never been greater. This conference sets out the benefits and drawbacks of partnership working and the effectiveness of dealing with problems at a catchment scale.
The document summarizes a conference for the Rivers Trust. It discusses the Catchment Based Approach (CaBA), which brings together local stakeholders to identify solutions to water management issues. CaBA has led to increased funding and more integrated, collaborative work. The National CaBA Support Group helps partnerships leverage funding and support catchment plans. CaBA tools like citizen science and online mapping are discussed. CaBA is seen as an effective way to achieve multiple benefits like water quality, flood risk management, and community well-being. Governance of CaBA emphasizes collaboration, social learning, and a systems approach.
The Partnership approach & assessing the benefits of catchment management. 12th & 13th September 2016 at the Rougemont Hotel, Exeter. Following the decision to leave the EU the need to come together to tackle the complex environmental problems we face such as diffuse pollution and habitat fragmentation has never been greater. This conference sets out the benefits and drawbacks of partnership working and the effectiveness of dealing with problems at a catchment scale.
The document describes a local action project that aims to work with local communities to enhance natural capital in urban areas. It does this by providing evidence and resources to support targeting and implementing environmental management actions. The project will conduct a review of environmental assets and natural capital, assess benefits and priorities, and develop an "urban practitioners toolbox" of potential interventions. It will also produce detailed opportunity mapping. The project focuses on areas like Leicester and aims to quantify benefits, identify needs and opportunities, and support partnerships to increase funding and implementation of actions.
The 2015 Catchment Based Approach Conference was held on June 8th at Fishmonger's Hall in London. The focus of the day was the sharing of best practice between partnerships. Nick Paling from the Westcountry Rivers Trust gave a presentation entitled, 'Ecosystem Service benefits in the Urban Environment: Developing a common framework for delivery & communication' as part of the 'Delivery in the Urban Environment' session.
The Defra Local Action Project has been working with local communities to enhance the value of natural capital in our towns, cities and other urban spaces to improve people’s lives, the environment & economic prosperity…For each Demonstration Area we have developed a suite of evidence and information resources to support the targeting and implementation of environmental management or enhancement actions in urban landscapes. On the 18th April 2016 the Westcountry Rivers Trust delivery team met with several key stakeholders and practitioners who work in Manchester to examine the preliminary outputs of the Local Action Project.
The Defra Local Action Project has been working with local communities to enhance the value of natural capital in our towns, cities and other urban spaces to improve people’s lives, the environment & economic prosperity. For each Demonstration Area we have developed a suite of evidence and information resources to support the targeting and implementation of environmental management or enhancement actions in urban landscapes. On the 7th April 2016 the Westcountry Rivers Trust delivery team met with the Thames Estuary Partnership to examine the preliminary outputs of the Local Action Project.
Nick Paling's (WRT Head of Evidence & Engagement) overview presentation to the IFM- and SFCC-hosted 'Mapping Environmental Management Workshop' held in Edinburgh on the 1-2nd March 2016. To meet the growing threats to the environment and biodiversity posed by anthropogenic pressures and climate change; to make the most efficient and effective use of the limited resources available for conservation, and to fulfill our statutory conservation targets, there is now a growing imperative for conservation and fisheries management organisations to analyse and visualise spatial evidence to inform their work and to undertake landscape-scale conservation strategy development. As a result of this increased demand, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have now become a powerful and flexible tool used by many environmental scientists, ecologists and conservation biologists engaged in a wide array of work activities.
Rapid, fine-scale remote sensing to support targeted catchment managementWestcountry Rivers Trust
Nick Paling's (WRT Head of Evidence & Engagement) presentation on the work Westcountry Rivers Trust has been do with the University of Exeter to trial rapid, low-cost remote sensing technologies (with a specially developed smartphone app, a remote controlled drone and fine-grained Structure-from-Motion – SfM – photogrammetric modelling), and assessed the potential of this approach for targeting catchment management interventions designed to mitigate sources and pathways of diffuse agricultural pollution mobilisation at a farm/field scale. The study has also examined the benefits of using this approach compared to the use of freely available topogrpahic data obtained from Tellus SW LiDAR aerial survey (funded by NERC).
Presentation given at the IFM- and SFCC-hosted 'Mapping for Environmental Management Workshop' in Edinburgh on March 2nd 2016.
Collaborative delivery of green infrastructure and water management solutions (e.g. SuDS) in the urban environment can realise multiple benefits including reduced flood risk, improved water quality and biodiversity, greater amenity and enhanced community health and well-being. In March 2016, the CaBA Urban Working Group, in collaboration with the Defra Urban Ecosystem Services Project (www.urbanwater-eco.services) and Ciria (www.ciria.org), hosted a series of workshops designed to build capacity and expertise within CaBA partnerships to help drive greater collaborative delivery within the urban environment.
The Delivering Environmental Benefits for Urban Communities Conference included a ‘show and tell’ symposium designed to meet the objectives of the Urban CaBA Sub-Group: 1) champion the Catchment Partnership approach to water management in urban areas; 2) support CaBA partnerships nationwide by helping them to build capacity, expertise and engage more effectively with stakeholders, communities, developers, funders and businesses, and 3) promote the benefits and raise awareness of partnership working in the urban environment. During this session practitioners, strategic planners and academics were given 5 minute slots to introduce their work/expertise and to signpost people to their resources or further information. These 'pitches' were divided into: 1) practical delivery of interventions; 2) strategic tools/approaches (incl. CBA, targeting, design/optioneering); 3) help and guidance for urban practitioners, and 4) engagement, communications and partnership working. Speakers will be invited to say what they have done, what their objectives were and what the outcome of the work was/is intended to be.
In this 1 hour lecture Dr Nick Paling, the Westcountry Rivers Trust's Head of Data, Evidence & Communications illustrates how the pressures degrading water quality in a catchment can be assessed and their sources determined. Once done, this allows a carefully tailored and targeted plan of action to be formed to reduce these impacts.
This document discusses using stable isotopes to trace sources of phosphate in the River Taw catchment area. Phosphate concentrations in the river have been increasing, causing parts of the catchment to fail water quality standards for phosphorus. The document establishes baseline stable isotope signatures for different potential phosphate sources like soil, fertilizer, and manure. Isotope ratios were then measured for phosphate samples collected from sites across the catchment area. Preliminary results suggest the main sources of phosphate in the upper catchment are sewage treatment works, septic tanks, and possibly mineral fertilizers, with septic tanks being a diffuse source that could explain rising concentrations. More sampling is needed to better understand phosphate dynamics and identify other contributing sources
In December 2014 WRT held a Catchment Based Approach and Catchment Restoration Fund Conference in Exeter. The University of Plymouth's Sean Comber gave a summary of their work with WRT to examine the effects of road run-off on the Upper River Teign.
In December 2014 WRT held a Catchment Based Approach and Catchment Restoration Fund Conference in Exeter. WRT's Scott West gave a presentation on the fishery managers toolbox for species and habitat management.
In December 2014 WRT held a Catchment Based Approach and Catchment Restoration Fund Conference in Exeter. The University of Plymouth's Peter Down gave a presentation on his work studying the hydromorphology of rivers, especially the effect of reservoirs on river substrates.
বাংলাদেশের অর্থনৈতিক সমীক্ষা ২০২৪ [Bangladesh Economic Review 2024 Bangla.pdf] কম্পিউটার , ট্যাব ও স্মার্ট ফোন ভার্সন সহ সম্পূর্ণ বাংলা ই-বুক বা pdf বই " সুচিপত্র ...বুকমার্ক মেনু 🔖 ও হাইপার লিংক মেনু 📝👆 যুক্ত ..
আমাদের সবার জন্য খুব খুব গুরুত্বপূর্ণ একটি বই ..বিসিএস, ব্যাংক, ইউনিভার্সিটি ভর্তি ও যে কোন প্রতিযোগিতা মূলক পরীক্ষার জন্য এর খুব ইম্পরট্যান্ট একটি বিষয় ...তাছাড়া বাংলাদেশের সাম্প্রতিক যে কোন ডাটা বা তথ্য এই বইতে পাবেন ...
তাই একজন নাগরিক হিসাবে এই তথ্য গুলো আপনার জানা প্রয়োজন ...।
বিসিএস ও ব্যাংক এর লিখিত পরীক্ষা ...+এছাড়া মাধ্যমিক ও উচ্চমাধ্যমিকের স্টুডেন্টদের জন্য অনেক কাজে আসবে ...
This presentation includes basic of PCOS their pathology and treatment and also Ayurveda correlation of PCOS and Ayurvedic line of treatment mentioned in classics.
This slide is special for master students (MIBS & MIFB) in UUM. Also useful for readers who are interested in the topic of contemporary Islamic banking.
Exploiting Artificial Intelligence for Empowering Researchers and Faculty, In...Dr. Vinod Kumar Kanvaria
Exploiting Artificial Intelligence for Empowering Researchers and Faculty,
International FDP on Fundamentals of Research in Social Sciences
at Integral University, Lucknow, 06.06.2024
By Dr. Vinod Kumar Kanvaria
How to Manage Your Lost Opportunities in Odoo 17 CRMCeline George
Odoo 17 CRM allows us to track why we lose sales opportunities with "Lost Reasons." This helps analyze our sales process and identify areas for improvement. Here's how to configure lost reasons in Odoo 17 CRM
A review of the growth of the Israel Genealogy Research Association Database Collection for the last 12 months. Our collection is now passed the 3 million mark and still growing. See which archives have contributed the most. See the different types of records we have, and which years have had records added. You can also see what we have for the future.
Walmart Business+ and Spark Good for Nonprofits.pdfTechSoup
"Learn about all the ways Walmart supports nonprofit organizations.
You will hear from Liz Willett, the Head of Nonprofits, and hear about what Walmart is doing to help nonprofits, including Walmart Business and Spark Good. Walmart Business+ is a new offer for nonprofits that offers discounts and also streamlines nonprofits order and expense tracking, saving time and money.
The webinar may also give some examples on how nonprofits can best leverage Walmart Business+.
The event will cover the following::
Walmart Business + (https://business.walmart.com/plus) is a new shopping experience for nonprofits, schools, and local business customers that connects an exclusive online shopping experience to stores. Benefits include free delivery and shipping, a 'Spend Analytics” feature, special discounts, deals and tax-exempt shopping.
Special TechSoup offer for a free 180 days membership, and up to $150 in discounts on eligible orders.
Spark Good (walmart.com/sparkgood) is a charitable platform that enables nonprofits to receive donations directly from customers and associates.
Answers about how you can do more with Walmart!"
3.
COMMENT
A New Era Dawns in Conservation
3
For those involved in the conservation movement in the UK, the
International Year of Biodiversity 2010 was one of even greater
significance than we could have predicted.
However, rather than as a year of celebrating and promoting our
native biodiversity in the UK, many will remember 2010 as the
year we appear to have failed to meet the fundamental
objectives of the Rio Convention on Biodiversity (1992) and the
UK Biodiversity Action Plan; namely to ‘significantly reduce the
current rate of biodiversity loss by 2010’. Furthermore, 2010 will
also be remembered as the year in which we realised that we are
going to fall well short of the EU’s Water Framework Directive
target of securing all of our lakes and rivers in ‘good ecological
status’ by 2015 (we are actually more likely to achieve 40%).
In 2011, with the calls for a change of approach to the
conservation of our natural environment growing ever louder it
seems that it has, in fact, taken a shift in our economic and
political landscape to precipitate the change that many felt was
needed. With the country’s economy in upheaval and the new
government resolved to see in a new age of austerity and
localism, it is now clear that the present levels of conservation
funding and management delivered by national government
bodies is not to be maintained.
Against this backdrop of economic cuts and the devolution of
responsibility for conservation, the new UK Government have
now outlined their vision for the future funding and delivery of
nature conservation in a draft White Paper on the Natural
Environment. Due to be published in the Spring of 2011, it is
likely to be a challenging and comprehensive document that sets
out a new vision for the delivery of environmental conservation,
but it may also leave a lot of questions unanswered and many
contentious issues unresolved.
What the UK Government’s white paper on the natural
environment will acknowledge is that, while our traditional ‘hold
what we have’ approach to nature conservation may have
averted an ecological catastrophe in the UK, we do now need to
adopt a more proactive, whole‐landscape approach if we are to
successfully conserve our natural heritage into the future. This
realisation, coupled with our new economic and political climate,
means that, no matter what happens, the planning, delivery and
funding of conservation in the UK will, from 2011 onwards, begin
to undergo significant change.
With such great changes afoot, we believe that the Westcountry
Rivers Trust is now well positioned to lead the way in meeting
the environmental challenges we all face. While many seek to
define ‘Big Society’, we are comfortable in the knowledge that
we have been the living embodiment of ‘Big Society’ for the last
15 years. The Trust believes the most powerful tool in our
conservation armoury is the active, informed and local
partnership between those that manage the land and those that
benefit from its good management. There is a place for
regulating damaging land management practices, ‘polluter pays’,
but we feel that there is much more scope to reward good practice
using funding from the direct beneficiaries in a very simple, cost
effective, local transaction. This ‘provider is paid’ model is a more
positive one in which all parties learn to revise their views on the
value of the natural environment and the services it provides.
At present, there are a number of ‘ecosystem services’, which we
derive from our land: food production, recreation, wildlife
conservation, drinking water, flood/drought alleviation etc. Of
these, food production dominates, being the only service with a
well‐established market for the product, while the others tend to
be delivered in a more haphazard way without proper spatial
planning and without sufficient funding.
Predictably, the outcome of this system is a significant imbalance
in the delivery of ecosystem services towards those driven by
market forces and this jeopardises the provision of the other
essential services for society as a whole. The challenge faced by
organisations like the Westcountry Rivers Trust, who wish to re‐
balance this equation to deliver all the environmental services
required by society, is that to be successful, we will have to
completely re‐balance the way that existing market forces and
regulation control land‐use. This is very easily said, but as you
might imagine, quite complicated…..
As regular readers know, however, the Trust is a ‘doing’
organization and it is our practice to try and light a candle rather
than just stand and curse the darkness. Accordingly, we have set
about undertaking this re‐balancing act in earnest. The Trust has
recently embarked on two ground‐breaking, high‐profile projects
that are being closely scrutinised by the environmental community
at the highest level, nationally and internationally: the EU funded
Wetted Land: the Assessment, Techniques & Economics of
Restoration (WATER) Project (see p12)and the South West Water‐
funded Upstream Thinking Project (see p16).
It is not yet clear whether the Government’s 2011 white paper will
achieve the step‐change in our approach to nature conservation
that many are calling for. All we can hope is that when we reflect
on the events of last year, during those that lie ahead, we will see
that, perhaps more than any year since 1981, 2011 has marked the
transition from the prevailing paradigm of top‐down species and
habitat driven policy into a new conservation era. This shift in the
balance of conservation approaches will (we hope) ultimately see
the dominant protectionist conservation philosophies integrated
into a more balanced, whole‐ecosystem and landscape‐level
approach that will reap far greater successes in the conservation of
our natural environments, while also ensuring the food security of
the country in a changing world.
Dr Dylan Bright
Trust Director
Read my full article on the Trust's vision for the future of conservation at
www.wrt.org.uk/wrt‐vision.pdf
4.
TRUST NEWS
Spring in our step after long winter
IT HAS BEEN A LONG AND HARD WINTER ACROSS THE WESTCOUNTRY, BUT
SURELY THERE HAS NEVER BEEN SUCH A STRONG SENSE THAT THIS SPRING WILL
HERALD A YEAR OF UNPRECEDENTED SUCCESS ON THE WESTCOUNTRY’S RIVERS.
The winter of 2010‐11 has been hard at times, but it has also seen the Westcountry
Rivers Trust engaging in several new initiatives and forging ever stronger ties with other
organisations around the UK, Europe and the World.
At home in the Westcountry, the Trust are now well established as key partners in the
Upstream Thinking Partnership along with South West Water, Devon Wildlife Trust,
Cornwall Wildlife Trust, the Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) and the Exmoor
Mires Project. We have also been working hard to improve our working relationships
with the Environment Agency and Natural England; the main government bodies
responsible for environmental protection, making sure that we are well placed to
contribute to the Government's ‘Big Society’ initiative in 2011 and beyond.
Further afield, we continue to work in
partnership with environmental and
conservation organisations from all over
Europe and, in February, we were
delighted to host a two‐day meeting with
a twenty‐strong delegation representing
a wide array of river management,
environmental and conservation bodies
from China (see left).
WRT staff member wins
third ART Award
The Association of Rivers Trusts Autumn
Seminar on ‘adaptive land use for flood
alleviation’ was hosted by Eden Rivers
Trust in October 2010 at The Tufton Arms
Hotel on the banks of the River Eden in
Appleby, Cumbria.
As well as the very interesting discussion
about the seminar’s main subject,
Westcountry Rivers Trust’s very own
Laurence Couldrick also scooped the
Trust’s 3rd ART award for his excellent
contribution to science and innovation.
4
Spring is in full swing
Dylan Bright addresses Chinese delegation Laurence receives his award
5.
TRUST NEWS
Bats boost business forTamar Consulting
AFTER A WINTER OF UNPRECEDENTED ACTIVITY, TAMAR CONSULTING, THE FINANCIAL TRADING ARM OF THE WESTCOUNTRY
RIVERS TRUST, IS LOOKING FORWARD TO ANOTHER VERY PRODUCTIVE AND BUSY YEAR IN 2011.
Tamar Consulting is a team of highly experienced ecologists with a unique blend of survey and research expertise combined with a
thorough understanding of environmental issues. The consultancy is wholly owned by the Westcountry Rivers Trust and contributes its
profits annually to the Trust, making it a very worthy choice for conscientious companies requiring environmental services.
Despite the tough economic climate, Tamar Consulting is thriving and, in December, became one of just six approved suppliers of
ecological surveys to South West Water. Furthermore, earlier in the year, the team also won a new contract to provide baseline surveys
and impact assessments for a series of solar parks across the south west region.
Unlike previous years, the steady stream of phase one habitat and bat surveys also showed no sign of abating during the winter (despite
the weather) and the team’s ability to deliver this work was greatly enhanced in 2010 with the award of a full bat licence to staff member
Dee Medlicott. In addition to habitat and bat surveys, Tamar Consulting also undertook a series of marine ecological impact assessments
across the South West in 2010 and began to offer fish surveys; an initial foray in this area that they are looking to build upon in 2011.
For more information about Tamar Consulting please contact info@tamarconsulting.co.uk or visit tamarconsulting.org
New Forum for hatcheries
To promote the sharing of best working practices and to foster strong working
partnerships between conservation hatcheries across the UK we have established an
online forum. The Hatchery Forum is focused on regulation, recording and reporting
protocols, broodstock management, fish treatment, stripping and egg handling, rearing
on and stocking criteria, and hatchery design.
On the 4th January 2011 the Forum members met for the second time. All of the
hatcheries were able to report successful brood stock collection and all felt that there
were great prospects for a new fish rearing year ahead.
For more information about any of the forum's member hatcheries visit the Forum
website (www.hatcheryforum.org.uk) or email us on info@hatcheryforum.org.uk.
Bumper year ahead at
Endsleigh Hatchery
Endsleigh Hatchery, which is managed by
the Westcountry Rivers Trust, released
forty‐thousand salmon fry into the River
Tamar in 2010 and it looks likely that this
number will be increased to nearly a
hundred‐thousand in 2011.
For more information contact Bruce
Stockley at the Trust on 01579 372140 or
email bruce@wrt.org.uk.
5
6.
The Westcountry Rivers Trust, in
collaboration with River Taw riparian
owners and the Environment Agency, have
secured funding in excess of £400,000 to
undertake the replacement of Head Weir
on the River Mole, one of the main
tributaries of Devon’s River Taw.
The project was designed to replace the old
weir and fish pass with a state‐of‐the‐art
pool and riffle system that will be the first
of its kind in Britain.
With the funding in place, the Westcountry
Rivers Trust commissioned the South West
Environment Agency’s Operations Delivery
Team to undertake the work and, in spring
2010, work began to remove the old weir.
The old Head Weir (inset) was a 2m high
Weir today, gone tomorrow
AFTER SIX MONTHS OF COMPLEX AND SOMETIMES ARDUOUS WORK, DECEMBER 2010 SAW THE OPENING OF THE NEW HEAD
WEIR ‐ A SPECTACULAR AND INNOVATIVE STRUCTURE THAT WILL TRANSFORM THE ECOLOGY OF THE RIVER MOLE.
Over recent years the Trust have
conducted an extensive series of habitat
surveys on the river above the weir and will
be undertaking future monitoring to see if
the weir’s removal has been of benefit to
fish populations found there.
For more information on the Head Weir
project please contact info@wrt.org.uk
smooth‐faced concrete shute that, despite
having a fish pass on it, was regarded by
many as an almost complete barrier to fish
migration up the River Mole to the large
spawning and nursery areas that are known
to exist in its headwaters.
The new pool and riffle system, which is now
complete, is a 60 metre‐long run of
embedded tombstone‐shaped boulders set
at 5m intervals to create a stepped‐pool
system with a 1 in 30 gradient (below).
The structure will create a diverse array of
flow and channel characteristics that will
open the river up to fish migration in high
and low flow conditions and yet still serve to
divert some of the flow into the mill leat of
the historic Head Mill (the original reason for
there being a weir on the site).
6
TRUST NEWS
The new Head Weir being built
7.
Great prospects for new season with the Angling Passport
WITH MORE FANTASTIC FISHING BEATS IN THE WESTCOUNTRY ANGLING PASSPORT THAN EVER BEFORE, THE WESTCOUNTRY
RIVERS TRUST IS LOOKING FORWARD TO ANOTHER GREAT FISHING SEASON IN 2011.
7
TRUST NEWS
Unlike in previous years, the opening day
of the trout fishing season was ushered in
by a series of beautiful sunny days this year
and what better way could there be to start
what we hope will be our best season yet..!
Originally launched as part of the Trust’s
Angling 2000 Project, it has now been two
years since the Westcountry Angling
Passport was re‐launched in its current
form and it must now be one of the best
ways to access the fantastic fishing
opportunities the Westcountry has to offer.
One highlight in the 2011 Passport is the
inclusion for the second year of the Duchy of
Cornwall beats on Dartmoor, which provide
some of the best salmon, sea trout and
brown trout fishing in the UK. The Duchy of
Cornwall beats include several miles of the
River Dart’s most wild and unspoilt reaches,
which can all be explored for as little as £10
(4 Tokens) a day.
In addition to the Passport, which now
contains around 40 great fishing beats
across the Westcountry, the WRT Booking
Office also offers you easy access to another
six day‐ticket beats on prime sections of
rivers such as the Tamar, Okement, Lyd,
Walkham, Avon and Yealm.
The Westcountry Rivers Trust retains its
passionate belief that our rivers are a
wonderful natural resource that should be
protected and managed for the benefit of
everyone. By working with angling
associations, wildlife groups and farmers
to improve the river corridor, while at the
same time helping land‐owners and river
owners market their fishing, we believe
that we have developed a fisheries
management scheme that both improves
our rivers health and gives people an
affordable and enjoyable way to enjoy
them.
So, if you want to spend a day fishing on
one of these beautiful rivers, don’t delay,
visit the Westcountry Angling Passport
website (www.westcountryangling.com)
and see how easy it is to get started.
8.
FISHERIES SURVEYS ARE A WALKOVER..!
AARC PROJECT MANAGER BRUCE STOCKLEY HAS BEEN WORKING TO PERFECT THE TRUST’S METHODS FOR
FISHERIES WALKOVER SURVEYS AND NOW HE IS HOPING TO TRAIN VOLUNTEERS TO COMPLETE THEM FOR
THE WHOLE OF THE RIVER FOWEY
PROJECT FOCUS
The Fowey River Association (FRA) and the
Westcountry Rivers Trust’s Atlantic
Aquatic Resource Conservation (AARC)
project have now started the 2010 Fowey
Walkover Survey initiative in January 2011.
Our joint goal is to map all the different
habitats along the whole of the Fowey.
Why do it?
The first step in good management of all
our activities on the River Fowey is to find
out what is there. Of course many locals
know their stretch of the river like the back
‐of‐their‐hand, but by walking the entire
river together we can find out what areas
most need our help, and have the maps
and evidence to show us how we can best
focus our efforts to help the river.
How do we do the walkovers?
The first step is for volunteers to undertake
a days training on the Fowey with
Westcountry Rivers Trust. This training
shows volunteers how to identify different
habitats and how to record them on the
provided maps. Then the FRA organises
the volunteers and finds out what areas of
the river they would like to survey. Once
permissions to access the land are granted
then the volunteers go out in pairs and
mark the habitats out on the blank maps
they have been provided with.
Using GIS to map the data
GIS stands for Geographical Information
System, and is a database that works a bit
like a map. Once the volunteers have
completed their maps, they are sent to the
Westcountry Rivers Trust, where they are
scanned and entered into their GIS
computers back at their office.
Amazingly high quality maps can then be
made from this database, but that is just
the start. Any changes on the river can be
detected by future surveys. For example,
the ability of different tributaries of the
river to support Salmon from eggs to
smolts can be calculated. Using this data,
compelling arguments can be made for why
river restoration should be carried out – a
great resource to secure future funding for
the river!
How do you get involved in the surveys?
If you live near the River Fowey and love
this great Westcountry river, whether you
are an angler or not, you can help to do
these surveys. A river survey is a great way
to enjoy the river, and as it is always carried
out in pairs, a very sociable way to spend
the afternoon.
Walkover Survey training days began in
March, and the river walkover surveys will
begin in earnest over Easter 2011.
Contact us and get involved
To find out how you can get involved in this
survey work, and to make a significant
contribution to the restoration of one of the
Westcountry’s great rivers, please get in
touch with the Westcountry Rivers Trust
project manager Bruce Stockley on 01579
372140 or at bruce@wrt.org.uk.
8
Prime habitat on the River Okement
Image: Simon Steer
Learning how to do a walkover survey on the River Barle
9.
AARC PROJECT
AARC Project Launch
On Thursday, 2 September 2010 the Westcountry Rivers Trust launched the €3.8 million
‘Atlantic Aquatic Resource Conservation’ (AARC) project at Reed Hall, Exeter.
Partners travelled from France, Spain, Portugal and Ireland, to celebrate the start of the
three‐year project, conceived and led by WRT, bringing together a diverse range of
organisations from across the rugged Atlantic coast of Europe to improve our rivers.
The launch was an evening of great entertainment, talks from four excellent guest
speakers and a great deal of discussion.
“What I like most about this project is the use of DNA fingerprinting on migrating fish like Sea
Trout. This kind of approach has the potential to make a real difference to the long‐term
conservation of these iconic fish.” Professor Ken Whelan, Director , Atlantic Salmon Trust
AARC Launch Speakers (L‐R: Ken Whelan, Ian
Johnson, Dylan Bright, Ted Potter)
10.
COUNTRY SPORTS HAVE A BIG PULL
PROJECT FOCUS
“The new website will be the gateway for South West country sports, where visitors will be able to rese
to the region. We have already received lots of positive media interest in the website, as it’s the first of
great news and very encouraging...If you currently own a fishing business that you feel is well matche
industry then we are keen to hear from you. Businesses will receive a full page detailed listin
for 12 months, so it’s a win‐win situation. We can also offer free web page adverts
don’t currently have a website of their own.”
THE NEW EUROPEAN‐FUNDED COUNTRY SPORTS PROJECT HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO ENSURE THAT THE
SOUTH WEST REGION, WHICH IS RENOWNED FOR ITS UNIQUE LANDSCAPE AND COUNTRYSIDE, BECOMES THE
PREMIER TOURISM DESTINATION FOR COUNTRY SPORTS AND SUPPLIERS OF LOCAL GAME.
The Country Sports South West tourism project has brought the
Westcountry Rivers Trust (WRT) and the British Association of
Shooting and Conservation (BASC) together to work in partnership
for the first time.
Funded initially for three years the project aims to ensure that the
South West region, which is renowned for its unique landscape and
countryside, becomes the premier tourism destination for country
sports and celebrated for its game produce.
The project also aims to improve the visitor experience and
participation in country sports while creating sustainable rural
tourism businesses, which can respond to the future challenges
and exploit new opportunities.
The project is now well underway, but there is still plenty of time
for rural fishing businesses to make contact with the development
team to find out how this project could add value to their business.
Pretty much any business within the rural sector (new or existing)
across the SW region can get involved in the project and take‐up
the marketing opportunities we offer to add value to their own
marketing and products.
If a business is considering developments into the country sports
area, we can provide advice on setting up a shoot, angling, or any
other countryside activity such as guiding services, deer stalking,
equine/hunting, wildfowling and photographic opportunities etc.
In addition, one of our tourism experts can advise on business
The anticipation of small stream trout fishing
Image: Andrew Pym
11.
COUNTRY SPORTS PROJECT
arch, plan and book their break
ts kind for the region, which is
to the needs of the tourism
g on the website
f businesses
development and help businesses to ensure that their product
matches the expectations of the country sports visitor.
We will also be developing a database of suppliers, processors and
food services that incorporate game and fish into their business
and offer a supplier‐matching service for those wishing to develop
into these areas.
Other services include access to specialist training, networking,
case studies of best practice and visits to demonstration sites. We
will also give assistance to help farms accurately assess and justify
diversification into the country sports areas.
A consumer marketing and PR programme will launch in Spring
2011 and will focus on the various country sports and activities
available around the South West. This will
also include attendance at key farming
and consumer shows and arranging
consumer taster days. In addition,
a website aimed at first time and existing country sport visitors will
launch in spring 2011 (www.countrysportssouthwest.co.uk).
South West rural fishing businesses who are interested in what the
project may offer them are invited to make contact with Toby
Russell (email: toby@wrt.org.uk; phone: o1579 372140), the
Country Sports Development Officer (Angling) at the Westcountry
Rivers Trust who will able to give them expert advice about the
country sports tourism industry, receive specific business
development advice and find out more about the various
marketing opportunities associated with the project.
The Country Sports South West Project is part of the Rural
Development Programme for England Project (RDPE), which is
jointly funded by the EU and DEFRA, and is a partnership
between the British Association for Shooting and
Conservation (BASC) and the Westcountry Rivers Trust.
12.
WATER PROJECT
WETTED LAND: THE ASSESSMENT, TECHNIQUES ECONOMICS OF RESTORATION
THE WATER PROJECT WILL DEVELOP A MARKET BASED CATCHMENT RESTORATION SCHEME WHICH WILL BE
BASED ON A PAYMENTS FOR ECOSYSTEM SERVICES (PES) MODEL AND AIMS TO IDENTIFY BOTH DELIVERY AND
FUNDING MECHANISMS TO LEVER PRIVATE INVESTMENT FOR CATCHMENT RESTORATION
Across the South West region the river systems are dominated by
the underlying granite‐based geology and any rain that falls over
the land makes it’s way to our issues and streams predominantly
over the surface, as run off, or through the surface soils. This means
that the condition of the land surface generally dictates the quality
and quantity of water flowing in our rivers.
During past Trust projects we have targeted our work on river
catchments using Environment Agency monitoring data and local
advice. While this has helped us focus our efforts on specific
catchments, it has not allowed us to target specific sub‐catchments
and certainly not to pick out smaller high‐risk areas.
Through the WATER project, which is funded by the Interreg IVA
England (Channel) France fund, the Trust has been using and
developing a series of mapping tools created by the University of
Durham to assess fine sediment risk. By bringing together detailed
data on the elevation of each 5m by 5m block within a catchment,
as well as rainfall data and land cover data (showing features such
as arable, pasture, woodland, etc) we can start to establish
potential problem areas by running a model called SCIMAP.
When we run the model over catchments such as the Upper Exe we
can start to identify areas where the likelihood of soil eroding is
high (i.e. steep long bare slopes with high rainfall) and likelihood of
the eroded soil reaching the river is high (i.e. steep slopes next to
the river). These areas that have high erosion risk and high
connectivity risk are highlighted red on the SCIMAP sediment risk
map (shown right) and are therefore identified as requiring further
investigation as to the cause and possible solutions.
12
PROJECT FOCUS
13.
In order to use SCIMAP in other Trust projects, such as the
Upstream Thinking Project (funded by South West Water), we
are also developing this model further to create a mapping tool
that will generate a series of mapped outputs, including the
standard SCIMAP outputs of erosion risk and connectivity, but
also a new wetted areas map.
From these maps we can then develop a third map which shows
us two important types of areas within our river catchments;
1 – Areas where erosion can enter the river that are set away
from the river and so can be buffered by a wetland
2 – Areas where erosion can enter the river that are immediately
adjacent to the river and so cannot be buffered by a wetland
With these two areas we can then do two things; firstly we can
overlay this map with the agricultural land classification map so
we get an idea of the impact on food security by altering land
management on these areas; and secondly by working with
farmers we can establish the condition of these areas and use
payments from sources such as carbon offsetting funds, to
abandon type 1 areas, or South West Water funds, to switch to
extensive systems in type 2 areas.
The Trust hopes that, by developing tools such as these which
aid (but importantly do not dictate) our targeting, we can
improve the use of funding, improve farmer profits and improve
the river catchment making it a more sustainable and equitable
ecosystem.
WATER Project Conference 2011, St Malo
On the 9th and 10th of December 2010, Fauna and Sustainable
Development (FSD) and the Hunting Federation of Ille et Vilaine
(FDC35), two of the partners in the European Fund for Regional
Development‐funded WATER Project, hosted the 2011 WATER
Project Conference at the Congress Centre of the Palais du Grand
Large in St Malo, France.
Speakers from France, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Belgium
were all invited to report on the achievements of their projects to
develop the social, economic and environmental value of wetted
lands. Political decision makers from the European Commission
and the French government were also invited to the Conference
to present their vision for a sustainable European regional
development policy.
On the second day of the conference delegates were invited to
visit FDC35’s Boulienne Farm and tour the Châteauneuf
marshlands; a spectacular wetland created as part of the WATER
Project.
13
The Châteauneuf marshlands, Brittany, France
English delegates enjoy the wetland tour
The old town of St Malo, Brittany
14.
PROJECT FOCUS
14
TAMAR TO HOST AVON DTC
The Demonstration Test Catchment (DTC)
project is a joint DEFRA, Environment
Agency (EA) and Welsh Assembly
Government (WAG) initiative working in
three river catchments: the River Avon in
Hampshire , the River Wensum in Norfolk
and the River Eden in Cumbria.
The principal aim of the project is to show
that it is possible to reduce the impact of
agricultural diffuse water pollution on
ecological function in a cost‐effective way,
while maintaining sustainable food
production, through the implementation
of multiple on‐farm mitigation measures.
The DTC project aims to achieve this goal
by detecting any shifts in the levels of the
most ecologically‐significant pollutants
resulting from targeted on‐farm measures
at field to farm scales and assessing their
effects on ecosystem function.
In 2010, the Avon DTC group recognised
that the work being done by the West‐
WESTCOUNTRY RIVERS TRUST HAVE TEAMED‐UP WITH THE HAMP‐
SHIRE AVON DEMONSTRATION TEST CATCHMENT CONSORTIUM IN AN
ATTEMPT TO DEMONSTRATE THAT CHANGING LAND MANAGEMENT AND
FARMING PRACTICES CAN IMPROVE WATER QUALITY IN OUR RIVERS.
country Rivers Trust through the Upstream
Thinking initiative, funded by South West
Water, represented a significant
opportunity for them to perform their
studies on a river system where there are
not only huge problems due to agricultural
pollution, but where there are also
significant funds available to undertake
large‐scale and comprehensive mitigation
works to reduce it.
In light of the clearly complementary work
that both groups were about to embark
upon, the Avon DTC group (lead by
Professor Adrian Collins from ADAS) and
the Westcountry Rivers Trust have teamed‐
up to undertake a ground‐breaking whole‐
catchment study to demonstrate the link
between improved land management and
farming practices, and improvements in
raw water quality in our rivers.
The study, which will be undertaken on
Caudworthy Water, is due to begin in spring
2011. For more information contact
hazel@wrt.org.uk or phone the Trust on
(01579) 372140.
16.
PROJECT FOCUS
CLEANER WATER STARTS UPSTREAM
SOUTH WEST WATER, IN COLLABORATION WITH A GROUP OF REGIONAL CONSERVATION CHARITIES, HAVE
INITIATED ONE OF THE LARGEST AND MOST INNOVATIVE CONSERVATION PROJECTS IN THE UK: THE
‘UPSTREAM THINKING’ INITIATIVE.
UPSTREAM THINKING
The ‘Upstream Thinking’ initiative was
originally conceived as the result of some
‘lateral thinking’ by the Westcountry Rivers
Trust Project Team ‐ all of whom
recognised that we, as a society, place
huge demands on landowners in our rural
catchments.
Not only do we require them to produce
food from their land, for which they get
paid, but we also ask them to deliver a
number of services from their land for
which they do not get paid. These services
include the provision of clean water, the
protection of biodiversity, contributions
to flood defences, the management of
landscape character and accommodation
of recreation and access. It is, perhaps,
unsurprising then that these land
managers often struggle to deliver all of
these services to the level required by
society.
Instead of resorting to prosecuting
landowners for not delivering all of the
above services, under the traditional
‘polluter pays’ principle, the Upstream
Thinking project team believe that
landowners should be financially
encouraged and rewarded for their
positive actions in what could be described
as a new ‘provider is paid’ principle.
South West Water have recognized that it is
cheaper to help farmers deliver cleaner raw
water (water in rivers and streams) than it is
to pay for the expensive filtration
equipment that is required for them to treat
polluted water after it is abstracted from the
river for drinking.
South West Water also believe that water
consumers will be better served and in a
more cost‐effective manner if they spend
the money raised from water bills on
catchment restoration in the short‐term
17.
rather than on water filtration in the long
term. They anticipate that, through this
proactive rather than reactive approach,
they may be able to reduce the future
additional costs of water purification by a
factor of fifty and so ultimately save their
customers from footing the bill. It is
estimated that the entire Upstream
Thinking initiative will cost each water
consumer in the South West around 65p
per year.
What makes the Upstream Thinking
project even more beneficial is that, in
addition to improving raw water quality,
there are likely to be a wide array of
additional benefits. First, the beautiful
natural landscape of the Westcountry,
which is highly valued by so many
residents and visitors alike, will be
protected and restored on an
unprecedented scale. Second, the work
will reap huge rewards in the conservation
of biodiversity on the land and in our rivers
and nature conservation will become an
integral part of the living working
landscape once again, rather than the
exclusive preserve of protected nature
reserves.
Finally, farmers will, as a result of the
project, be paid fairly for delivering not just
food from their land but also a wide variety
of other essential services for the benefit
of society as a whole.
The Westcountry Rivers Trust as a
partner of the South West Water
Upstream Thinking initiative will
focus on delivering farm
infrastructure and land
use improvement
works in five areas
across Devon
and Cornwall
that form critical elements of South West
Water’s Strategic Supply Network for
drinking water;
Upper Haddeo (Wimbleball Reservoir)
(1)
Upper Wolf (Roadford Lake) (2)
Upper Tamar Lakes (3)
Other Upper Tamar catchments,
including the Ottery (4)
Upper Fowey catchment, including
Colliford and Sibleyback Reservoirs (5)
= Upstream Thinking work area
Over‐stocking can lead to field poaching and erosion
18.
FUNDRAISING NEWS
18
Funding surge will boost river conservation efforts
AFTER A RECORD BREAKING 2010 FOR THE TRUST, IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF WORK WE HAVE WON AND DELIVERED, WE
ARE NOW LOOKING TO RAISE EVEN MORE MONEY TO FUND RIVER CONSERVATION WORK IN 2011.
With last year proving to be the Westcountry Rivers Trust’s biggest
year yet and with our involvement in five major river conservation
projects continuing into 2011 (and with several new projects on the
horizon) we look set to increase the amount of river conservation
work we do even further this year.
In addition to our usual fundraising work (writing funding bids for
major projects, engaging with our supporters and trading by Tamar
Consulting) the Trust has also established an Endowment Fund to
provide a platform that, we hope, will give us the stability and
freedom to continue our work long into the future. For more
information contact the Trust for an Endowment Fund Info Pack.
Trust in a show this summer
The Westcountry Rivers Trust will be on the road again this year
with exhibits planned for all of the major Westcountry and
national shows.
So, if you are at one of the county shows, the Spring Fly Fishing
Show, the Game & Equine Show, the Bath & West Show, the
Launceston Show, the Game Fair or the Holsworthy & Stratton
Show then feel free to come along to our stand for a chat.
The shows and events we attend each year are a great way to
meet people, make contacts and raise awareness of the work
we do to promote and protect the Westcountry’s rivers.
Annual fundraiser is great success
In December 2010 friends, associates, and supporters of the Trust
assembled in the spectacular setting of Bovey Castle to attend our
Annual Lunch fundraising event.
Despite the icy conditions on the approach to the splendid country
hotel venue, all arrived safely and the day was a great success.
After dinner the assembled audience were addressed by Trust
Director Dylan Bright and the guest speaker Professor Michael
Winter OBE who is a prominent expert on rural politics and
economics and Director of the Centre for Rural Policy Research at
the University of Exeter .
Annual Lunch guests
enjoy the warmth of the
fire in the Cathedral Suite
at Bovey Castle.
Trust stand at a
recent show
19.
WRT ONLINE
NewTrust websites up and running
The end of 2010 saw the launch of a re‐designed and re‐structured Westcountry Rivers
Trust website. The new site has a number of new features including a new photo gallery
and an interactive map of the Westcountry showing all of our different projects at a
catchment‐by‐catchment level.
In addition to the new Trust site we have also been working to create new websites for
the AARC Project (www.aarcproject.org), the WATER Project (www.projectwater.eu)
and the Hatchery Forum (www.hatcheryforum.org.uk). The next big challenge in 2011
will be the redesign of the Tamar Consulting website.
Thanks to our supporters and funders
WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY A HUGE THANK‐YOU TO ALL OF OUR SUPPORTERS AND FUNDERS—WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT WE
WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ENHANCE THE HEALTH AND NATURAL VALUE OF OUR RIVERS AND RIVER CATCHMENTS.
River cameras are a real catch online
In 2009 four friends sat in a west country pub and had a great idea—what if there
were cameras on every river that allowed you to monitor their condition online. Later
that year, now called Farson Digital, they installed their first cameras on the River
Exe at Exebridge and on the Taw at Umberleigh.
Since then, supported by the Westcountry Rivers Trust through their EU‐funded
Collabor8 Project, Farson Digital have installed cameras on
18 Westcountry rivers and are continuing to expand their
network across England (34), Wales (1) and Scotland (17).
19
The cameras are now getting thousands of visitors each week and later in 2011 when Farson Digital
launch their new national website they and the Trust will be able to reap the rewards and make a
huge contribution to the promotion of angling in the Westcountry.
New site in development for carbon storage
The summer of 2011 will see the development of a new website for the C‐Plus Project
currently being established by Laurence Couldrick. The aim of the C‐Plus Project will be
to develop a system whereby money for the restoration of rivers and wetland habitats is
raised from regional ‘environmental off‐setters’ (businesses or people who, for one
reason or another, want to redress some of their negative environmental impacts). More
news to follow later in the year, but if you want to know more about the C‐Plus Project
you can by visiting www.wrt.org.uk/projects/cplus/cplus.html