Edinburgh Environment and Development Network (EEDN)

EEDN was initiated in early 2018 in order to bring together academics and practitioners working on issues of environment and development from around Edinburgh.

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The network aims to promote discussion around topics of interest, a sharing of knowledge and experience, a greater awareness of each other’s work, potential to collaborate on proposals and projects, and just a chance to get to know each other. We meet once a month (except in the summer; June-August) for discussions on topics introduced by members of the network, with facilitation aimed at sharing expertise and experiences amongst all those present.

Sessions take place on Thursdays 16:00-17:30 at ECCI, with refreshments provided.

We welcome all new members and all ideas for topics and formats for meetings, so please do get in touch if you’d like to join or share your ideas: Sam Staddon (sam.staddon@ed.ac.uk) and Clare Barnes (c.barnes@ed.ac.uk).

Upcoming 2024/25 sessions

Date and timeTitleSpeaker(s)Location
26 Sept 16:00 - 18:00Knowledge exchange between international development and Scottish climate, community and sustainability practice  ECCI and EEDN joint eventTraining & Skills, ECCI 
17 Oct 16:00 - 18:00Who stewards our forests?Arpitha KodiveriTraining & Skills, ECCI
14 Nov 16:00 - 18:00Partnering with Mongolian herders to enhance forest resilience and productivity to deliver sustainable global, national and local benefitsPat Hardcastle and Andy InglisConference Room, ECCI

 

 

Past Sessions

Our 2023/2024 Spring sessions

Date and timeTitleSpeaker(s)Location
25 January 16:00 - 18:00

Regenerative forestry, what is it and is Scotland ready for it? 

Addendum in response to Q&A: Look to Ireland for how to move gently towards different silvicultural systems: Landmark Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) Scheme Announced - Pro Silva Ireland

Willie McGhee, The Forest Policy GroupThe Pod, ECCI 
15 February 16:00 - 18:00Urbanisation and Environmentalism in Malawian State Building: Turning Tensions into Synergies?Matt Lane, University of EdinburghThe Pod, ECCI 
21 March 16:00 - 18:00 Christianity and conservation agriculture in KenyaPeter Rowe, University of EdinburghThe Pod, ECCI 
2 May 16:00 - 18:00 Just transformations: Grassroots Struggles for Alternative Futures Iokiñe Rodríguez, University of East AngliaTraining & Skills, ECCI 
20 June, 16:00 - 18:00Adapting in Adversityand EEDN summer social with food provided by Edinburgh Food SocialSarah Knight and Simon Mercer, Mercy CorpsG02, High School Yards Teaching Centre (behind ECCI)

Our 2023/24 Autumn programme

Date and timeTitleSpeaker(s)Location 
24 August 16:00 - 18:00Why promoting a conservation ethos in Australia is a challengeDr Rochelle Steven, School of Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch UniversityTraining & Skills, ECCI  
21 September 16:00 - 18:00'Cattle in the Community Forest': Documentary Film Screening & DiscussionJames RobinsonHigh School Yards Teaching Centre Room G.02  
12 October 16:00 - 18:00

Supporting community-led conservation in Scotland 

 

International conservation organisation Fauna & Flora, and the community initiatives Edinburgh Shoreline and Restoration Forth will discuss their experiences in supporting and delivering community led conservation in Scotland, including supporting the Coastal Communities NetworkConference Room, ECCI  
30 November 16:00 - 18:00Restoring Peace with Nature - to coincide with 'Lost Species Day' https://www.lostspeciesday.org Julian CaldecottConference Room, ECCI   
14 December 16:00 - 18:00Nitrogen with a social sciences twistDr Annie Yang, University of EdinburghTraining & Skills, ECCI  

Our 2022/23 programme

Date and timeTitleSpeaker(s)Location
15 June 16:00 - 18:00

Presentation of a short film showcasing Clare and Sam's recent work with colleagues in Nepal: Collective Reflective Learning for Social Justice in Nepal’s Community-Based Natural Resource Management

EEDN annual summer social 

Sam Staddon and Clare BarnesTraining & Skills, ECCI 
25 May      16:00 - 17:30"What is 'coexistence'? Considering the case of Nepal's tigers and people"Bivishika Bhandari, WWF NepalThe Pod, ECCI 
30 March  16:00 - 17:30"Land for What? Land for Whom? Senses of Place and Conflict in the Scottish Highlands"Bonnie VandesteegHigh School Yards Teaching Centre Room G.02 
12 January  16:00 - 17:30"The health effects of air pollution: democratizing models and measurements to inform global policy decisions"Dr Sumil Thakrar, Department of Applied Economics, University of MinnesotaTraining & Skills, ECCI 
1 December  16:00 - 17:30"A clash between project desires and investor desires: Examples from the voluntary carbon market". Discussing the market trade-offs when it comes to scaling up the conservation or restoration projects around the world. Luke Howard, Plan VivoThe Pod, ECCI
27 October"What can Conservation and Agriculture take from Political Ecology?" We aligned with the POLLEN online workshop 'Political Ecology, Conservation & Agrarian Change'; watching some of the presentations and following with a panel discussion

Panelists:

Dr Shubbhi Sharma, feminist political ecologist, School of Social and Political Sciences 

Dr Silvia Perez-Espona, conservation geneticist and Coordinator of Edinburgh Conservation Science)

Dr Alfy Gathorne-Hardy, agricultural scientist, Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems

Conference Room, ECCI

12 October      

16:00 - 17:30                        

"Gendered Surplus People, Food Security, and Maladaptation to Climate Change in Northern Ghana",  a co-sponsored event between the Centre for African Studies, EEDN, and POLLEN (the Political Ecology Reading Group)           Hanson Nyantakyi-Frimpong7 George Square, Room S.1

29 September

16:00 - 18:00   

PhD Sharing (...of passion, tips, connections, ideas, solidarity from across the network)    

Anyone wanting to share their PhD-related experiencesTraining & Skills, ECCI 

Our 2021/22 programme

Date and time                                                        TitleSpeaker(s)                                                                       Location                    
23 JuneEEDN Summer Social catered for by Edinburgh Food Social, with delivery by Farr Out.  
7 April

  You can click on the pdf link above for slides of the talk, or watch it here.

Dr Julian CaldecottConference Room, ECCI  
 17 March                                        Jack Covey, PhD candidate at University of EdinburghConference Room, ECCI  

27 January

                     

Gaia Marini and Nick Hepworth from Water WitnessConference Room, ECCI
18 NovemberYvan BiotConference Room, ECCI

Spring 2020

 Date and timeTitleSpeaker(s)Location
23 January, 16:00 - 17:30

 

Prof Andrea Nightingale,

University of Oslo, Norway

ECCI

27 February, 16:00 - 17:30

(cancelled due to the pandemic)

UK housing policy learning from former colonies in the global South Matt Lane, University of EdinburghECCI

26 March, 16:00 - 17:30

(cancelled due to the pandemic)

Indigenous map making in the Ecuadorian Amazon

 

Aliya Ryan, Digital DemocracyECCI
Autumn 2019
Date                           Title                                                                                                                                                                                 Speaker(s)
17 October                                   
Document
Caroline Lehmann, University of Edinburgh
14 NovemberKate Crowley,  University of Edinburgh
12 DecemberNicholas Warren,  A Rocha
Spring 2019
17 January                  Coastal livelihood interventions                                                                                                         Mike Riddell, The Landscapes and Livelihoods Group
28  February                            Learning lessons from projects, places & people  Clare Barnes, Gary Watmough, Sam Staddon, University of Edinburgh  
14 MarchTechnologies in natural resource governanceMargherita Scazza, University of Edinburgh
4 April Ecosystems and urban vulnerability: why is research evidence ignored in Asia and beyond?                                                    Jim Jarvie, Thismiafocus
Autumn 2018
25 October                       Livelihoods and Rights-based approaches to natural resource management                                              Peter O’Hara, Participatory Natural Resource Management
22 NovemberInvolving business in conservation and developmentTillem Burlace, LTS International
13 DecemberIndigenous communitiesPeter Branney, a private consultant

 

Some thoughts from our members

I really liked the dynamic of the EEDN session, nice interaction between practitioners and researchers I thought. Great initiative…nice to catch up with old colleagues and meet new people.

It was a fantastic session, and really great to see you and lots of familiar faces, and of course the students who really bring a lot to it. The presentation and research was really topical and thought-provoking, particularly as I came to the session from designing a similar project ...and so really nice to have a space to step back and think about these approaches.

A quick note to thank you and your team for the event yesterday. A stimulating talk and great to meet people with similar interests. I’m certainly interested in continuing attendance.