The Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) has announced details of its annual forum which is set to go ahead in November.
The theme of the annual forum is "working together to recover nature" and is the first forum to take place in person since 2019, with the previous two forums being held online due to the coronavirus pandemic. The annual forum explores the work done by the AONB partnership during the previous year, and this year will highlight the 'Coast Care' volunteering initiative, the Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme, and the award-winning Accessing Aidan project.
The keynote speaker is author and broadcaster Benedict McDonald who is leading a talk named: " Keep Britain Messy: Embracing nature by killing our desire to tidy and control", in which he will explore many issues in his first book 'Rebirding'. Two experts in the field of engaging people with nature will follow Ben: Heather Devey, co-founder of Wild Intrigue; and Clare Freeman, director of the Natural History Society of Northumbria.
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They will talk about how they have involved people from all backgrounds with species conservation, from bats to beavers and the kittiwakes on the Tyne. Clare will also talk about how the Society are working to find the new naturalists of the future, before Chris Woodley Stewart, Deputy Chair of the National Association for AONBs heads up a Q and A panel.
Patrick Norris, chairman of the Northumberland Coast AONB, said: " We don’t talk about nature conservation anymore, we talk about nature recovery because nature is in crisis. Never before have people been so disconnected from natural world around them and unless we can bridge that gap we won’t have the millions of voices we need when nature is under threat.
"We’re delighted to have Ben Macdonald as our keynote speaker, Ben will challenge us and along with other speakers inspire us all to do more for nature. It promises to be an excellent afternoon".
The Northumberland Coast AONB forum will be held at the Seahouses HUB on Wednesday November 30 from 12.45pm until 4.30pm. The forum is free and includes tea/coffee and locally baked cakes - for more information, visit the Northumberland Coast AONB website.
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