Keynote Speakers
Prof. Mat Williams
Scottish Government
18 March 2025
Prof Mathew Williams leads the Global Change Ecology Lab in the School of GeoSciences at the University of Edinburgh. He was educated at the University of Oxford, and the Climatic Research Unit at UEA Norwich.
Over the past 25 years his research has focused on studying the carbon cycle of terrestrial ecosystems, including Arctic tundra, the Amazon rainforest and African savannas, and UK landscapes under management. This research has informed society both on how ecosystems will respond to climate change, and how ecosystem responses will change the global carbon cycle.
His research currently focuses on combining environmental simulation models with field data and satellite observations to understand the flows of carbon, energy, and water across natural and managed landscapes. He explores the climate sensitivity of forests and tundra, the effect of fires and harvests on forest biomass, monitoring of UK and global greenhouse gas balances from space and tall towers, and forecasting climate and management impacts on ecosystems.
Prof Williams received the Royal Society Wolfson Merit Award in 2014. He is a principal investigator with the UK National Centre for Earth Observation and is an advisor to the European Space Agency. He has served on the Science Board for the UKRI Natural Environment Research Council. He is currently seconded to the Scottish Government as Chief Scientific Adviser for Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture.
Dr Janet Fisher
University of Edinburgh
19 March 2025
Janet Fisher is an environmental social scientist and geographer at the University of Edinburgh’s School of GeoSciences. She had an interdisciplinary training at the interfaces of Geography, Ecology and International Development at the Universities of Durham and East Anglia. She joined Edinburgh University as a Chancellor’s Research Fellow in 2013.
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She has research interests in the intersection of environmental change, land management and social dimensions of conservation. Her early career work focused on ecosystem services, human wellbeing and systems of incentives for changed land management, known as Payments for Ecosystem Services, and broadly had an empirical focus in East and Southern Africa. More recently, she has been drawing on deliberative methods in the social sciences to inform and improve the character of debates about changing land use in response to the nature and climate emergencies, with a focus in Scotland and the north of England. This work has developed research-grounded, but practitioner-oriented tools for supporting partnerships for restoration.
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Currently a Senior Lecturer and a member of the Edinburgh Centre for Sustainable Forests and Landscapes, Janet sits on scientific advisory groups for NatureScot and Scottish Government. She is an Associate Editor for the British Ecological Society journal, People & Nature, and sits on funding panels for UK Research and Innovation and the German Research Foundation.
Student/ECR Plenaries
Sarah Watts
18 March 2025
I am a plant ecologist working at the interface between research and practice, specialising in upland vegetation, mountain woodland, restoration ecology, landscape-scale nature recovery, conservation management and applied science. Through studying population and community dynamics I am highly experienced in fieldwork, botany and biological recording, but also incorporate tools from a range of spatial and temporal scales from molecular genetics through to remote sensing and citizen science. I have also been Chair of the Mountain Woodland Action Group since 2021.
My PhD research and work as a conservation practitioner was recognised in the series Scotland’s Leaders in Biodiversity Conservation Science produced in the lead up to COP15.
I am currently researching my part-time PhD “Improving outcomes in montane woodland restoration”. This project is aiding the development of conservation management techniques to restore healthy and sustainable upland tree and shrub populations in Britain. My work investigates the influence of abiotic and biotic environmental variables, habitat type and mycorrhizal associations on the survival, growth rates and natural regeneration of montane woodland and scrub. Outputs include recommendations to be incorporated into management plans and Best Practice guides for land managers and practitioners; contributing to ongoing efforts to facilitate the long-term resilience and expansion of the treeline ecotone across the country. My research therefore spans more than just one species or habitat type, but encompasses a range of plant communities supporting a flourishing mosaic with huge benefits for people and wildlife.
Alex Currie
19 March 2025
Alex Currie is PhD researcher in Human Geography and Environmental Science at the University of the Highlands and Islands. His thesis focuses on the socio-cultural, economic and biophysical variables that shape discourses on peatland restoration and the integration of peatland restoration into common grazing management on the Isle of Lewis. During his thesis, Alex explored how modifications of the biophysical composition of peatlands augured parallel reconfigurations of their socio-cultural and economic dimensions, and how discourses on peatland restoration were shaped by broader discourses on nature and culture in Scotland. He used 3D modelling to illustrate different constructions of peatlands amongst conservationists and crofters and how meanings and functions were embedded and interlaced into peatlands’ biophysical features.
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Alex has a keen interest in agriculture, environmental and biocultural anthropology, and peatlands. Drawing on 11 years’ experience and an upbringing as a shepherd and cattleman working across Scotland and three years’ experience working in NatureScot, Alex has specialised in the nature of culture, the culture of nature, and the manner in which inter-human relationships shape our relationships with the natural world.
Debate Panel
Chair: Prof. Colin Galbraith
NatureScot
In June 2023, Professor Colin Galbraith was appointed as the Chair of NatureScot by the Scottish Ministers. With a lifelong commitment to nature conservation, both locally and globally, Colin brings a wealth of experience and passion to his new role. He previously served as the Chair of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee from January 2021.
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Colin's journey in nature conservation began with a deep-seated passion for the environment. Over the years, he has directed his efforts towards various environmental issues, both in the UK and on a global scale. As the Director of his own environmental consultancy, he tackles diverse challenges related to nature and the environment.
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Having worked closely with the United Nations, Colin has made significant contributions to the Convention on Migratory Species. His work includes a period as Chair and involvement in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. One of his key interests lies in the conservation of migratory species, such as birds of prey in Europe and the Middle East, as well as the preservation of the Albatross. Additionally, Colin has dedicated his efforts to understanding the impact of climate change on protected species.
Colin's previous experience also includes a 12-year tenure at NatureScot, where he served as the Director of Policy and Advice. During this time, he acted as the organisation's principal adviser on policy, scientific matters, and technical issues. In recent years, his focus has shifted towards assessing the impact of global climate change on protected areas and the ecology of endangered species.
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Notably, Colin has held influential roles within the Scientific Council of the Convention on Migratory Species, serving as both Chairman and Vice Chairman. He is currently the Appointed Councillor for Climate Change issues for the Convention. Additionally, he has served as the Deputy Chairman of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and an Independent Member since 2014.
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Panel Members
Nikki Yoxall (PhD researcher in Agroecological Transitions)
Sarah Watts (PhD researcher in Improving outcomes in montane woodland restoration),
Ashleigh Kitchiner (CIEEM Scotland Vice-Convenor & Marine Mammal Specialist)
Clive Mitchell (Head of Terrestrial Science at NatureScot).