28 February 2019
Following on from the success of last year’s international environmental conference, St Helena will host its second conference – Nature’s Benefits: Natural Capital in the South Atlantic – between Monday, 11, and Friday, 15 March 2019, at Anne’s Place, Jamestown.
Participants from across all UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs) in the region and the world are expected to attend the five-day event to consolidate the final outputs of the Natural Capital Assessment Project which SAERI (the South Atlantic Research Institute) has been implementing across the UKOTs in the South Atlantic.
The UK Government funded project, supported by experts and scientists in the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), have enabled partnerships to be built with the UKOT governments across the region in the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Tristan da Cunha, Ascension and St Helena, and a number of other on and off-Island organisations.
Combining the final outputs of the project during the conference on St Helena has huge benefits for the Island. Governor Lisa Honan said:
“We are taking the chance again this year to showcase St Helena’s natural environment and share it with our colleagues, including in other overseas territories. It’s a strange idea to put a price on nature as we tend to take it for granted. It’s all around us. But if we understand more the benefits we receive from it, we can understand better its value to us and this can help us to make more informed decisions. I’d encourage everyone to attend the conference which is open to all.”
The conference itself will comprise of political exchanges and talks on a range of topics about nature’s benefits from cloud forest to the value of the deep sea. Key speakers at the event come from a range of organisations including York, Kent and Durham Universities, the Georgia Aquarium, SAERI, Connect Saint Helena, St Helena National Trust, JNCC, Scotland’s Rural College, the Office of Environment and Heritage, Blue Marine Foundation, Blue Belt Programme, St Helena Tourism, and the St Helena, Falklands, South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands, Tristan da Cunha and Ascension Island Governments.
Outside of the conference there will be a day of field trips for all participants on a first-come-first-served basis, to experience what makes St Helena’s environment so special as well as a number of public events including an evening film screening. Please see local newspapers for a copy of the programme.
Further details on the conference can be found here: https://st-helena-conference.com/.
St Helena residents are invited to attend the conference which is free. Persons wishing to attend are encouraged to contact the St Helena Tourist Office in advance but can also turn up on any day.
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SHG
28 February 2019