Our Work

This page highlights a selection of research and outputs from the Centre for Landscape Regeneration. It is not a comprehensive list — please feel free to contact us to find out more about our work.

Index

🧪 Journal Articles / Conference Proceedings

FenlandSOIL Conference 2025: Addressing  Practical  Challenges

Members of the CLR presented their work, this included talks from Laurie Friday, Elizabeth Stockdale, Brenda D’Achunha and Hamid Rahimi amd posters from Rekha Bhangaonkar, Lekan Popoola, Catherine Waite, Joshua Copping, Poppy Szaybo and Helen Driver.

Water Research Seminar Series: Nature Based Solutions and Innovation

International Union for Conservation of Nature, 2025
Joint IUCN UK Peatland Programme/ Environment Agency water seminar webinar focussing on Nature Based Solutions, featuring Laurie Friday.

Solar farm management influences breeding bird response in an arable-dominated landscape

Joshua Copping, Catherine Waite, 2024
Research suggests that when solar farms are managed with nature in mind they can support significantly higher numbers and varieties of birds, including several species of conservation concern, such as the Yellowhammer, Greenfinch, Linnet, and Corn Bunting.

The Cool Farm Biodiversity metric: An evidence-based online tool to report and improve management of biodiversity at farm scale

Lynn Dicks, Jack Schutt et al, 2024
Introduces the Cool Farm Biodiversity metric, a tool that helps farmers measure biodiversity impacts of their practices. It uses expert knowledge and provides tailored assessments, demonstrated through a large temperate forest farm case study.

Management practices, and not surrounding habitats, drive bird and arthropod biodiversity within vineyards

Lynn Dicks, Jack Schutt et al, 2024
Examines biodiversity in 22 English vineyards. Organic farming increases bugs; harmful chemicals reduce birds and bugs. Suggests biodiversity improvements should focus on reduced chemical use and better ground cover.

Designing for systems-of-systems resilience: from the individual to the planet

Valeria Pannunzio, Timoleon Kipouros, Amber Khan, Laurie Friday, Carol Brayne & P. John Clarkson, 2024
Proposes a resilience index for interconnected systems (health, environment, economy), inspired by the Frailty Index. The Fens region is used as a case study for testing this composite resilience framework.

Assessment of sample freezing as a preservation technique for analysing the molecular composition of dissolved organic matter in aquatic systems

Jeremy Fonvielle, Stacey Felgate, Andrew Tanentzap & Jeffrey Hawkes, 2023
Investigates how freezing samples affects the integrity of dissolved organic matter. Finds minimal changes occur at -20°C, supporting freezing as a reliable preservation method.

State of knowledge on agriculturally-used peatlands for food production and the net zero transition

Isobel Lloyd, Heiko Balzter, Brenda D'Acunha, Helen Driver, Chris Evans, et al, 2023
Reviews the impact of farming on UK peatlands and GHG emissions. Researchers suggest strategies like seasonal or wet-adapted crops and call for an integrated environmental-economic plan.

Dependency and Structure Modelling for stakeholder management: an example in Landscape Regeneration

Valeria Pannunzio, Laurie Friday, Timoleon Kipouros, & P. John Clarkson, 2023
Uses systems engineering to map stakeholder relationships in landscape regeneration projects. Helps identify key players and improve communication and project delivery.

Chemodiversity in Freshwater Health

Andrew Tanentzap & Jérémy Fonvielle, 2023
Explores how the chemical diversity of dissolved organic matter affects freshwater ecosystem health. Highlights research into monitoring and reversing freshwater quality decline.

Lowland Peat Conference 

The Centre for Landscape Regeneration co-hosted the Lowland Agricultural Peat Conference at The Maltings in Ely with Fenland SOIL. The event brought together farmers, academics, policymakers, industry representatives, and environmental groups to discuss the future of lowland agricultural peat. Key themes included water management, sustainable farming practices, international perspectives, and the role of peatlands in climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation.

 

📄 Reports / Briefing Documents

Understanding Land Management in the Cairngorms National Park; Summary Report

Centre for Landscape Regeneration, 2025
Report detailing land use practices across 18 Scottish estates, highlighting how landholders balance traditional enterprises with ecological restoration and economic diversification.

Fens Land Management Survey: Summary Report

Centre for Landscape Regeneration, 2025
Summary of data collected by survey from 72 landholdings across the East Anglian Fens. 

Impacts of paludiculture on the natural environment

Nigel Taylor, Centre for Landscape Regeneration, and Elizabeth Stockdale, NIAB 2025
A report to Natural England, outlining impacts of paludiculture (productive use of wet peatlands) on soils, hydrology, water quality, biodiversity, and landscape character and heritage.  

Is reaching net zero a growth and prosperity plan? Economics, tools and actions for a rapidly changing world

Cambridge and LSE, 2025
Policy report offering evidence-based recommendations to help HM Treasury navigate the transition to a net zero economy while boosting productivity and maintaining fiscal sustainability.

House of Commons Report: Insect decline and UK food security

Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, 2024
Parliamentary report presenting recommendations to the UK government on addressing insect decline and safeguarding food security.

Challenges and trade-offs in the Cambridgeshire Fens

Centre for Landscape Regeneration and the Centre for Science and Policy, 2023
Summary report from a stakeholder policy visit exploring the complexities of land use in the Cambridgeshire Fens, including discussions on water, biodiversity, farming, and future planning frameworks.

Fenland Conservation Network Report: Ouse Bridge Farm

Vanessa Cutts, 2023
Summarises discussions from a visit to Ouse Bridge Farm, including management actions and suggestions from attendees.

Fenland Conseration Network Report: Lady Fen

Vanessa Cutts, 2023
Documents discussions from a visit to Lady Fen, detailing site management and attendee input.

Fenland Conservation Network Report: Chippenham Fen

Vanessa Cutts, 2023
Describes a site visit to Chippenham Fen with input on current and proposed management actions.

 

📚 Books 

A Ladybird Book: Climate Change

HRH The Prince of Wales, Tony Juniper, Emily Shuckburgh, Aleesha Nandhra, 2023
A children’s book introducing climate change concepts, co-authored by King Charles, Tony Juniper, and Professor Emily Shuckburgh. It emphasizes climate impacts and the role of youth in change.

 

🗂️ Databases

Conservation Practitioner Insight Database

Bill Sutherland, Vanessa Cutts & Nigel Taylor, 2024
This initiative collects detailed information on novel solutions, practical interventions, and associated costs (e.g., time, consumables, equipment). It also documents ecological insights, lessons learned from failures, and practical contributions to biodiversity conservation, excluding species abundance or distribution data.

 

📻 Media - TV / Radio / Video 

European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change – Staying the course on climate action essential to EU security and competitiveness.  

Laura Diaz Anadon, June 2025
The European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change urges the EU to adopt a 90–95% emissions reduction target by 2040 to align with climate neutrality goals for 2050.

Media Coverage and Public Engagement on Solar Farms and Biodiversity (Waite & Copping, 2025)

Thinking the UnThinkable – New Narrative Needed To Tackle Climate Emergency

Emily Shuckburgh, Dec 2024
Emily discusses how positive storytelling can transform climate despair into meaningful change, highlighting UK targets, innovative solutions, and the role of public engagement.

The Guardian Newspaper – ‘I have seen the decline’: pesticides linked to falling UK insect numbers

Lynn Dicks – The Guardian on pesticides – 2024
Lynn is interviewed on the impacts pesticides have on invertebrate populations.

The Climate Question – Are wetlands our secret weapon for fighting climate change?

Tom Marquand, 2024
A radio programme exploring the role of wetlands in climate mitigation, featuring global experts and on-location reporting from East Anglia and the Bay of Bengal.

More or Less – What do windscreen splats tell us about insect decline?

Lynn Dicks, 2023
Discusses a study measuring insect decline via windscreen splats. Features perspectives from researchers and conservationists.

BBC Sounds, Free Thinking – Oceans and the Sea (Hay Festival) 

Emily Shuckburgh – BBC Radio 4 – 2023
At the BBC tent, Rana Mitter hosts a discussion with Abdulrazak Gurnah, Emily Shuckburgh, and Joan Passey on refugees, polar exploration, climate change, and the power of narrative.

 

 

🎟️ Outreach & Events

2025

CLR Fen Pals Nature Journals, Museum of Zoology

Part of the CLR partnership with the Museum of Zoology. Fen Pals Nature Journals featured works created by pupils from two Fenland primary schools with artist Rebecca Cahill Roots, exploring children’s connections to the Fen landscape. Using natural objects, pupils printed the covers of their journals and imagined how the Fens might look in the future.

CZ Community Day

We joined Cambridge Zero’s Community Day 2025 with hands-on activities exploring the Fens and our research into this unique landscape, alongside partners from the Museum of Zoology, Cambridge Science Centre, Cambridge Curiosity & Imagination, sound artist Frazer Merrick, and the McDonald Institute.

The World Beneath our Feet

Working with Cambridge Curiosity & Imagination, we explored the hidden beauty of the Fens with local schoolchildren, culminating in a pop-up exhibition in Soham.

The World Beneath the Water

In collaboration with Cambridge Curiosity & Imagination, CLR supported Wilburton Primary pupils to create a futuristic soundscape for Wicken Fen, blending live underwater recordings with imaginative storytelling.

2024

Wetlands & Wildlife, Museum of Zoology

In partnership with the Museum of Zoology, we engaged over 240 Fenland pupils in exploring local wildlife and showcasing their work in a summer exhibition seen by nearly 39,000 visitors.

Festival of Plants

CLR researchers joined the Festival of Plants at the Botanic Garden with an event inviting the public to share their perspectives on the future of the Fens. The Cambridge Science Centre provided an activity for children and our researchers gave talks about trees and climate change.

Ely Museum Exhibition and Talk

CLR researcher Neil Mahon delivered a talk titled Predators and Pollinators, exploring the wild species living in and around the working landscapes of the Fens. Alongside his talk, the CLR contributed to their exhibition which highlighted how local farmers combine food production with nature-friendly practices to support wildlife in the region.

COP29

Dr Shaun Fitzgerald represented the Centre for Landscape Regeneration on a panel with colleagues from the University of Leicester and the Land Use for Net Zero Hub, discussing how changes in land management practices can help reduce emissions.

2023

Dear Planet Earth, Cambridge University Botanic Gardens

As part of Cambridge Zero’s Dear Planet Earth event at the Cambridge University Botanic Gardens, held during the #SummerWithTheMuseums campaign, the Centre for Landscape Regeneration contributed to a day of climate-focused activities, engaging visitors of all ages with science, storytelling, and creative workshops.

Cambridge Festival

The CLR hosted a panel discussion on The Future of the Fens with panel members including the farming community, researchers, and the Environment Agency. Attended by over 100 members of the public, the event featured a lively debate and Q&A session.