Launch programme - Kent and Medway Local Nature Recovery Strategy

Friday, 28 November 9:30am – 3.30pm at the Orchards Events Venue, New Road, East Malling, Kent, ME19 6BH

This launch event celebrates the publication of the first ever Kent and Medway Local Nature Recovery Strategy, following two years of workshops, briefings, surveys, public consultation, drop in sessions and project meetings.

Over 1000 people engaged face to face to pull together a strategy fit to meet the challenges our natural environment in Kent and Medway is facing, but the real hard work starts now in delivering the Strategy on the ground.

There are plenty of successful approaches across the county which demonstrate ways in which the Strategy can be delivered. This launch event showcases some of these, plus highlights some of the opportunities that will form the basis for Strategy delivery.

Event programme

9.30 arrive - tea, coffee & biscuits

10.00

Welcome address

Dr Edel McGurk, Natural England’s Regional Director Southeast.

Local Nature Recovery Strategies came about through the Environment Act 2021. With 48 Strategies now being published across England, Edel will highlight the ambition of Local Nature Recovery Strategies and explore their potential as we transition to delivery of priorities and measures on the ground.

10.25

Elizabeth Milne, Head of Environment at Kent County Council.

Liz will cover the development of the Kent and Medway Local Nature Recovery Strategy, and how it can now be used and implemented by stakeholders across the county.

10.55

Questions for Edel and Liz.

11.05

Nick Johannsen FLI, Director of the Kent Downs National Landscape and UK Lead for the Cross Channel Global Geopark.

Nick will cover collaborative opportunities to deliver the Local Nature Recovery Strategy within the Kent Downs National Landscape, Cross Channel Global Geopark and Big Chalk. He will also highlight the new Kings Series Kent Woods & Downs National Nature Reserve in north west Kent.

www.kentdowns.org.uk https://geoparktransmanche.org/en/ https://www.big-chalk.org/ www.kentdowns.org.uk/nkwd/

11.25

Guy Nevill, Managing Partner, Birling Farms

Guy will outline an exciting new north Kent project called Chalk to Coast, which ultimately aims to join farm clusters, community groups and businesses together. This links to the connectivity priorities and potential measures of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy. The aim is to create a landscape scale nature recovery corridor, which will also support rural economies and local communities.

www.chalktocoast.co.uk

11.45

Questions for Nick and Guy

11.55 Coffee break

12.10

Ray Morris, Marden Wildlife Group - “One Weald – Repurposing an Ancient Landscape”

Community groups and Farm Clusters will be vital to the success of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy. Ray will describe how people have come together around Turtle Doves and Nightingales, and how species-rich neutral grassland has been increased. The Marden Farm Cluster works with the Upper Beult Farm Cluster, and now with the High Weald.

https://mardenwildlife.org.uk/ https://mardenfarmercluster.org/ https://beultfarmers.co.uk/

12.30

Roland Brown, Chair of Butterfly Conservation, Kent & South East London.

Roland will cover the East Kent Downs Farmers Elm project. This has focused on planting of elm to encourage a species dependent on it, the white letter hairstreak - one of the priority species in the Local Nature Recovery Strategy. This was a Local Authority Treescapes Fund project, which also involved the Plan Tree unit and the East Kent Downs Landscape Recovery Project.

https://www.eastkentdownsfarmers.co.uk/current-projects

12.50

Questions for Ray and Roland.

Plan Tree representatives from KCC will also be available to answer questions on the East Kent Downs Farmers Elm project.

13.00 Networking lunch

13.45

Mitchell Rae, Senior Land Manager (South East), Environment Bank

Mitchell will give a brief introduction to Biodiversity Net Gain before going on to explain how the Habitat Banking model works, Illustrating this with a site example near Ashford. Certain areas in the Local Nature Recovery Strategy are highlighted with strategic significance for Biodiversity Net Gain and these areas therefore present opportunities for nature recovery.

www.environmentbank.com/case-studies/

14.05

Questions for Mitchell Rae and Matthew Cameron, also from Environment Bank.

14.15

Dr Nikki Gammans, Conservation Manager South East England, Bumblebee Conservation Trust

Nikki will describe sixteen years of landscape-scale conservation work in south Kent focused on bumblebee conservation. To cover collaborative approaches involving farmers, NGOs and government agencies to enhance the diversity, abundance, and seasonal continuity of flower-rich habitats, supporting wider ecosystem restoration. The benefits to bumblebee species will also be covered, along with how future advice will link to the Local Nature Recovery Strategy.

www.bumblebeeconservation.org/what-we-do/our-projects/current-projects/trust-led-projects/bee-connected/

14.35

Thea Cox, Senior Restoration Manager, Transforming the Thames, ZSL

Thea will cover the Zoological Society of London's seagrass restoration work on the north Kent coast. Featured as one of the coastal priorities in the Local Nature Recovery Strategy, seagrass is vital for various marine species in terms of breeding areas and nurseries. Seagrass also filters pollutants and stabilises coastlines.

www.zsl.org/what-we-do/projects/marine-habitat-restoration

Transforming the Thames

14.55

Questions for Nikki and Thea.

15.05

Conclusions

Making Space for Nature Board members will reflect on what the presentations tell us about Local Nature Recovery Strategy delivery and will provide perspectives on the road ahead.

Depart from 15.30

The Launch of the Kent and Medway Local Nature Recovery Strategy