On September 18th, we hosted Regenerating the British Countryside: From Evidence to Action, in collaboration Centre for Landscape Regeneration (CLR) and the University of Cambridge Development and Alumni Relations Cambridge Alumni Festival. More than 250 people attended in person, with over 1,000 joining online, bringing together researchers, policymakers, practitioners and land managers to explore what this means for the future of the British countryside.

The conference shared findings from CLR’s multi-year research across the Fens, Cairngorms and Lake District, and marked an important new phase for the Centre. Having built a strong evidence base through its research, CLR is now focusing on how that evidence can inform policy and practice, and support decisions about the future of our landscapes.

A recurring theme throughout the day was the importance of working across sectors and across whole landscapes. Environmental challenges do not respect political or administrative boundaries, and meaningful change depends on bringing together researchers, policymakers, practitioners and communities.

The closing panel, What next for policy and practice?, was chaired by Dame Fiona Reynolds, with Jamie Sandall from Defra's Upland Policy Unit, Gillian Pratt from the Environment Agency, as well as Prof. Bill Sutherland from the CLR sharing his experience of using evidence in conservation. They explored some of the opportunities and challenges ahead and highlighted in particular the potential for place-based approaches to be shared and scaled across landscapes, the growing opportunities for private investment in environmental outcomes, and the potential for new technologies and data to accelerate evidence-informed decision making.

Perhaps the clearest message was that solutions are possible, but they need to be grounded in evidence, communicated well and developed with the people who will put them into practice.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, contributed to the discussions and helped make the day possible. We look forward to taking the conversation forward.

Watch the YouTube recording here: https://youtube.com/live/8j0V1PZadkA

Thank you to Cairngorms Connect, Cumbria Connect, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge and so many more.