NATURE MATTERS: PLACE AND BELONGING
NOVEMBER 2015, STAMFORD

The 2015 meeting of New Networks for Nature was again held at the Stamford Arts Centre and featured another very rich and varied programme of events spread over three days. The overall theme for the meeting was ‘Place and Belonging’ – the foundation of our interactions with the natural world, the link with generations past and future, and the way we ground our own sense of identity. The meeting began with one of our Thursday evening ‘celebrity’ interviews, except that Germaine Greer, who was interviewed by Ruth Padel, was invited in this case not because of her media status but to discuss her new book, White Beech, about a patch of rainforest she has reclaimed in Queensland, Australia. Germaine Greer has an extensive knowledge of botany and wildlife and the discussion ranged widely (as you might expect) over many aspects of conservation, both in Australia and in the UK. Among the other sessions involving well-known figures in subsequent highlight sessions were a very intense and engaging debate by George Monbiot and Tony Juniper, a moving film by John Aitchison, a discussion chaired by Baroness Young involving four eminent and outspoken panel members and a talk by Richard Fortey. But these were all embedded in a range of stimulating performances and presentations from artists, musicians, scientists, authors and conservationists whose variety is such a distinctive feature of these meetings. Innovations this year included an attractive brochure, featuring several of our contributing artists and authors, and the filming of some key sessions.

Nature Studies: Is it possible to put a price on nature? And if we can, should we?
by Michael McCarthy in The Independent