"The endangered nightjar is making an astonishing comeback on the North York Moors"* ... but will it have your vote?
Posted on 7 June 2005
Earthwatch, the international environmental charity, and the University's Environment Department are collaborating to stage what is expected to be a lively and stimulating debate on 19 July 2005.
Committed environmentalists will argue the case for five species that they believe should become a conservation priority, in an effort to secure a fictional grant of £10 million. The audience will face the difficult task of choosing between the vulnerable brown hare, the declining juniper, the elusive nightjar, the endangered sturgeon or, the economically important rag worm.
The debate promises to highlight topical environmental issues and the problems inherent in prioritising conservation needs, while providing fascinating and surprising information about the species in question.
Members of the public are being invited to the debate to act as judge and jury. Secondary school students and teachers are particularly welcome, and will be encouraged to recreate the Balloon Debate in the classroom, as a useful and entertaining exercise.
Admission is free, but by ticket only. For tickets and more information contact Earthwatch on: +44 (0) 1865 318856 / events@earthwatch.org.uk. For more information please visit www.earthwatch.org/europe
* See Forestry Commission Press Release at www.forestry.gov.uk
Notes to editors:
- The speakers include:
- Dr Piran White - Senior Lecturer in the Environment Department at the University of York will be speaking about the brown hare
- Andy Byfield from Plantlife will be speaking about the juniperBarry Bishop from the York RSPB Members Group will be speaking about the nightjar
- Professor David Raffaelli - Head of Environment Department at the University of York and marine ecologist working on estuarine and coastal food webs will be speaking about the ragworm
- Professor Callum Roberts - Professor of marine conservation at the University of York will be speaking about the sturgeon.
- Earthwatch Institute (Europe) is an international environmental organisation whose mission is to engage people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. Earthwatch is a registered charity with offices in the UK, Australia and Japan, and Boston, USA.
Earthwatch currently supports over 140 environmental research projects in 50 countries by providing funds and paying volunteers who work alongside leading field scientists and researchers. Earthwatch projects are divided into six primary research areas, endangered habitats, threatened species, climate change, human / wildlife conflict, sustainable resource management and earth science and cultural evolution.
Since 1971 the worldwide organisation has recruited over 75,000 volunteers in support of 2,800 field research projects in 118 countries. These volunteers have contributed over 10 million hours to essential field work.
Costs to join a project range from £165 to £1995 and projects last from three to eighteen days. The price paid is a charitable donation, which funds the research work. Accommodation and food is included in most cases, but flights are extra.
Website: www.earthwatch.org
- The Environment Department at the University of York was founded in 1992, initially to integrate ecological and environmental sciences with environmental economics. The aim was to improve understanding of environmental problems, and how to solve them, through the consideration of both the human dimension and the underpinning science. Its objective is to develop sustainable solutions to environmental problems that are consistent with human aspirations and with global, regional and local institutions and markets.More information at www.york.ac.uk/depts/eeem/
- More information on the University of York at www.york.ac.uk/