PLEASE NOTE: TICKET SALES HAVE NOW CLOSED.

Our annual conference series provides a unique convening function for the UK peatland community which celebrates these unique and precious habitats. We bring together everyone with an interest in peatlands, from land managers to policy makers and scientists to restoration practitioners, to share their knowledge, enthusiasm and experience and seek solutions to the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.

This year’s conference takes us to the Cairngorms of Scotland and the Macdonald Aviemore Resort, where we’ll be exploring the theme ‘Peatlands, People and Nature’. We’ll showcase the opportunities that peatland restoration and healthy peatlands present in transitioning to a green economy, and their role as nature-based solutions which support people and biodiversity. We’ll also report on the findings from our forthcoming 5 Year Strategy Report, which will assess how far we’ve come and how far is still to go in our mission to restore and sustainably manage the UK’s peatlands.

To make our conferences as inclusive and accessible as we can, the conference will be delivered as a hybrid event, with remote attendance available for our plenary sessions on Tuesday 17 September. If you are attending in person and have any additional needs, do let us know by emailing info@iucn.org.uk and we will do our best to accommodate these.

What to expect

• Around 400 delegates at this year’s hybrid event. In-person delegates will be able to join the entire event or individual days. Online delegates will be able to join our plenary sessions on Tuesday 17 September only.
• Exhibition and networking opportunities at our evening poster session and meal on Tuesday 17 September, our evening conference dinner on Wednesday 18 September and throughout the event.
• Visits to locally important peatland sites on Wednesday 18 September, including options from a range of peatland habitats, and experience of different management and restoration techniques first-hand in a beautiful landscape.
• Deep-dives into a range of themed topics at our workshops and knowledge sharing sessions on Thursday 19 September.

Programme outline

Tuesday 17 September

• Plenary sessions introducing the work of the Peatland Programme, our 5 Year Strategy Report and a panel discussion with representatives from each of the four devolved nations of the UK. We’ll also feature community engagement through creative and citizen science approaches such as our Eyes on the Bog monitoring methodology, celebrate the work of our local partners and explore the opportunities for developing a green economy provided by peatlands.
• Evening meal and poster session featuring contributions from across the peatland community alongside our dedicated exhibition space for partners and sponsors. The deadline for poster titles and abstracts has now passed.
• Peatland poetry and cinema, featuring the premiere of 'Sphagnum Portraits', a creative film commissioned by the IUCN UK Peatland Programme.
  

Wednesday 18 September

• Choose from a variety of field trip options to local peatland sites, featuring different peatland habitats, management and restoration techniques and introducing a range of organisations involved in peatland management. Lunch and transport will be provided from the main conference venue and delegates will be required to select field trips in advance on a first come, first served basis.
• Conference dinner and evening entertainment.

Thursday 19 September

• Choose one morning and one afternoon workshop or knowledge sharing session from a range of themes. Delegates will be required to select sessions in advance on a first come, first served basis.
• Topics this year will include:
  • Working together at landscape scale on lowland peat
  • Translational palaeoecology and the art of collaboration
  • Delivering community benefits from peatland projects
  • Digital MRVs for Peatland Code and other projects
  • Linear developments on peatlands
  • Assessing bog health using a simple condition matrix (classroom and field based session)
  • 'Our future is peat' letter writing exchange (indoor and field based session)
  • Native trees, peat and dynamic landscapes
  • The need for a unified approach to peat depth
  • Bringing back nature: biodiversity monitoring for a greener future
  • Restoration standards and guidance
  • Training and capacity building
• Closing plenary.

Terms and conditions

Please note that: the full three day ticket includes all refreshments and lunches across the three days, as well as an evening meal on days 1 and 2. Day 1 tickets include refreshments, lunch and the evening meal. Day 2 tickets include refreshments, a packed lunch and the conference dinner. Day 3 tickets include refreshments and lunch. Travel and accommodation are not included in the ticket price.

To find out more about travel and accommodation please visit https://www.iucn-uk-peatlandprogramme.org/conference-2024/travel-and-accommodation.

TICKET SALES HAVE NOW CLOSED.

Refund policy

We will offer full refunds up to 60 days before the conference minus any transaction and booking fees. No refunds will be available after this time, but you may transfer your ticket to a new name until 2nd September 2024.