A new article highlighting some of our work communicating ecosystem services is to be published in Landscape and Urban Planning. The paper, entitled “Customising virtual globe tours to enhance community awareness of local landscape benefits” will appear as part of a special issue on Critical Approaches to Landscape Visualization.
Please note that access to the full text of this article will depend on your personal or institutional entitlements.
Harwood et al., 2015
I have been busy examining the usefulness of digital geographic visualisations for bridging the interface between science and policy when discussing land use change in the UK. Take a look at the updated Sustainable Society Network+ page under Projects above.
DLA 2015 Conference, Anhalt University of Applied Sciences
On Thursday 6 November and Saturday 8 November 2014, University of East Anglia researchers ran a series of free events on the theme of ‘Putting a price on nature’. This was a controversial title and so labelled to invite discussion. It did. Thanks to all those involved and for funding from the ESRC Festival of Social Science.
Please see links at the top of the home page for further details or email me.
RE: Putting a price on nature – 6 & 8 Nov 2014
Ruth Welters has already been blogging about the events on the CSERGE website (click here).
I’m busy typing up my notes from the two valuing nature events (part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science).
Please come back and check for updates, or follow me on Twitter (@AmiiHarwood).
Just back from chatting to the people of Norwich about the importance of valuing our natural environment. Thank you to everyone who stopped to talk to us today.
We finished the day with a great presentation by Ian Bateman and discussion. The day went far too quickly!
Now looking forward to our final event on Saturday at the University of East Anglia. Come and see us on Saturday if you missed us today!
Join our exhibition from 10am Thursday 6 Nov 2014 @ The Forum, Norwich
See Norwich in a way you never have before! Join us at the University of East Anglia on Sat 8 Nov 2014 – we still have some places left.
Activities include a guided tour of the campus using a smart-phone based augmented reality tool and a fieldwork challenge. Data will be analysed in real-time and you will get to see your work on a 125-degree curved screen hosted at the University of East Anglia Virtual Reality Theatre. In the event of bad weather we will move inside, show you our facilities and take you on a virtual tour of Norfolk.
No need to bring your own equipment. We welcome all ages and levels of interest – come along and see what we do.
We have two sessions, each lasting about an hour and a half, starting 10am and 12noon. Please contact me to book a place.
Our Virtual Reality Theatre (image: K Appleton)
Augmented reality (image: K Appleton)
We all depend on nature for providing life’s necessities, such as food and water. We all also recognise the wider importance of the natural environment, but we do this in different ways. Researchers at the University of East Anglia have been using techniques in environmental economics to value the range of benefits we receive from nature. Our team estimate, for example, that planting 200 million trees could generate £500 million annually for the UK. This figure comes from estimating the value of timber, recreational amenities, and reducing CO2 in the atmosphere. Careful consideration, however, about exactly where to plant new trees is vital. Neglecting the role of geography in such analyses could cost the UK millions!
Where should we plant Norfolk’s new forests? (Example of our work, funded by the ESRC SEER project RES-060-25-0063)
On Saturday 8 November 2014, we invite you to join us in exploring the questions ‘what does nature do for me?’ and ‘what is nature worth?’ Our economists and geographers will illustrate the interconnection between modern lifestyles and the natural environment using a range of information technologies. You will be able to go on a guided tour of the campus using a smart-phone based augmented reality tool and take part in a GPS fieldwork challenge. Data will be analysed in real-time and you will get to see your work on a 125-degree curved screen hosted at the university’s Virtual Reality Theatre.
The fieldwork day is funded by the national ESRC Festival of Social Science. It will be held at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. Please click on this link to find out more.
At 1730, Thursday 6 November 2014, a one-off public discussion in Norwich will bring together key representatives from the worlds of local planning, conservation, business and research. Speakers include Professor Ian Bateman OBE, University of East Anglia. Light refreshments will be provided.
This event is free and open to all! We would love for you to come along and tell us what you think about putting a price on nature.
Would your organisation like to send representatives? Get in touch and I can send you further details.
We are running a series of events in Norwich as part of the ESRC Festival for Social Science. Please scroll down for details of other events or get in touch.
