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The NetworkNature Task Force 4 (Communicators) is pleased to provide you with a summary of upcoming events and opportunities announced by Horizon 2020/Europe projects and select Missions. This Task Force is responsible for synergizing and enhancing communication approaches and messages across Nature-based Solutions (NbS) projects. If you are not a task force 4 member, but would like to submit to this informal digest, please reach out to hello@networknature.eu. We will get back to you as soon as possible with instructions!
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Project Updates
- Registrations for the NetworkNature in person annual event are still open! We will meet Sept. 25th in Brussels. Sign up as soon as possible to reserve your spot! The annual Task Force meeting will take place on September 24th. Contact your TF lead for details on how to register.
Session Spotlight: Attending the NetworkNature Annual Event? Consider also joining the NBS Education Summit on September 26th, also in Brussels and online. Register for on-site or online participation. - The external review of the IPBES methodological assessment of the impact and dependence of business on biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people is open! This assessment is being carried out following the fast-track approach, involving a single external review. The first draft of the summary for policymakers will be made available for review for a period of 8 weeks, from 24 July to 17 September 2024.
- NetworkNature is going to COP 16! Will you be there? Let us know!
- EcoAdvance, a Horizon Europe project on freshwater ecosystem restoration, is conducting a broad consultation on what makes restoration projects in Europe succeed. https://ecoadvance.eu/ecoadvance-consultation-programme/survey/ The survey is in many EU languages in addition to English and will look at many factors including how nature based solutions fare compared to engineered ones in addition to other factors.
- The Second Round of NBS COMICS: Nature to Save the World is ON! Get ready for new stories that combine science, storytelling, and the power of nature. Led by The Nature of Cities in partnership with NetworkNature, this initiative plays a huge role in reaching new audiences. Curious? Dive into captivating stories like The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Climate Change, Arrived with the Hurricane, and many more at nbscomics.com
- The MERLIN Project has launched their Academy and Marketplace. The MERLIN Academy offers open-access resources to guide visitors through the science, financing and stakeholder engagement involved in restoration using NBS. The Marketplace connects the suppliers of tools which support restoration and NBS with audiences of environmental managers, community groups and policy makers.
- NBS EduWORLD social media campaign for youth, #Youth4NBS, is still ongoing! Check here how you or any young person you know might contribute.
- Read the latest NetworkNatureReads! Get in touch with Kassia to be featured.
- DuneFront, a Horizon Europe project, which aims to enhance coastal protection and safety by optimizing solutions that make use of a combination of natural elements (dunes) and man-made hard structures (seawalls), has started their sampling campaign over the summer. Follow these internal project adventures by subscribing to our newsletter!
- UNPplus has launched their newsletter! Urban Nature Plans (UNPs) are a key component of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, and will be fundamental to achieving the targets outlined by the EU Nature Restoration Law. Subscribe to be ahead of the curve in the field of UNPs.
- CONEXUS is ending, but the Policy Briefs live on. Take a look to learn about how cities around the world are working with communities to take NbS to the political level.
Upcoming Events
September
- World Green Infrastructure Congress
Dates: 3-5 September 2024; Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Organised by the University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau and the World Green Infrastructure Network, the 2024 World Green Infrastructure Congress will focus on how to catalyse the use of nature-based solutions in urban environments. Registration is still open. - Innovate4Cities Conference
Dates: 10-12 September 2024; Location: Montreal, Canada
The 2024 Innovate4Cities Conference is convening in September in Montreal and we’re calling you to submit an abstract and be part of the conversation! - 2nd UrbanByNature NBS EduWORLD Webinar: Prioritising NBS in rural areas for wetlands restoration, the case of the Lake Beleu, in Moldova
Date: 11 September 2024,online
This session will focus on steps 2 and 3 of the UrbanByNature programme's 7-step integrated management approach. The focus will be on co-creative frameworks for prioritising sustainable actions in rural areas, with a focus on Moldova's Biosphere Reserve and Lake Beleu. Register here. - RSA Regional Studies Association 2024 Central and Eastern European Conference
Dates: 11-13 September 2024; Location: Dubrovnik, Croatia
This event provides an opportunity for researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and students working in all areas related to regional policy, regional development and regional studies to come together and discuss the changing internal and external dynamics of CEE. Registration is now open. - Drying Landscapes: Embracing Water Resilience in a Changing Climate
Date: 17 September at 14:00 - 15:30 CEST; Location: online - AGORA Water webinar | Water’s Sustainability: how to ensure our future?
19 September at 17:30 –19:00 CEST; Location: online - Summit of the Future
Dates: 22-23 September 2024; Location: New York, United-States
Organised by the United Nations, the Summit of the Future will gather world leaders to adopt the Pact for the Future. - Future Green City World Congress
Dates: 23-26 September 2024; Location: Utrecht, The Netherlands
The Future Green City World Congress is an initiative of Royal Association Stadswerk the Netherlands and Royal Dutch Association of Landscapers and Gardeners (VHG) In Utrecht, they bring together the worlds of green and civil engineering, in cooperation with World Urban Parks (WUP) and the International Federation of Municipal Engineering (IFME). The congress connects construction, greenery, infra and water. Registration is still open. - NetworkNature Annual event
Dates: 24-25 September; Location: Brussels, Belgium
This year’s NetworkNature Annual Event will focus on ‘Busting myths” in relation to ecosystem management. This event will revolve around myths that NbS practice, research, policy making and business are busting or that need to be busted to ensure transformative change and reverse biodiversity loss. Registration is still open.
Session Plug: Are you ready to take your storytelling skills to the next level? The Nature of Cities is hosting a creative workshop at the NetworkNature Annual Event on September 25th: “Bust Your Myth with Comic Strips.” This hands-on session will empower you to craft engaging, educational, and persuasive narratives that not only bust myths but also champion Nature-based Solutions. Don't miss out! - NBS Education Summit
Date: 26 September; Location: Brussels, Belgium & online
Based on the insights from the project NBS EduWORLD, participants to this hybrid event at the intersection of science, policy, and NBS practice will discuss policy recommendations for the uptake of NBS education into policies. Will you be in Brussels? Join on-site! Otherwise, join online! - Nordic NbS conference
Dates: 26-27 September 2024; Location: Malmö, Sweden
As the Nordic Council of Ministers-funded programme on nature-based solutions concludes from 2021-2024, this conference serves as a platform to showcase the results achieved through collaborative efforts across the Nordic countries. Registration is still open. - Flood Resilience: Strategies and Solutions for a Safer Future
26 September at 10:00 - 11:30 CEST; Location: online - Integrated Approaches to Build Coastal Resilience | Joint Workshop Mission Adaptation and Mission Ocean and Waters.
30 September at 14:00 - 15:30 CEST; Location: online - Nature for Life Hub
Dates: 30 September-October 3; Location: online
The Nature for Life Hub is a leading virtual event and global communications campaign hosted annually by the United Nations Development Programme and its partners. Together we work to put nature at the heart of sustainable development by convening world leaders, businesses, NGOs, Indigenous Peoples, youth leaders and activists to take ambitious action on nature.. Themes include: Day 1: Nature revolution: Shifting gears in policy and practice. Imagining a revolution in the way we manage our environment. Day 2: Rewriting the rules: Investing in a nature-positive economy. Imagining a world where the value we place on nature is reflected in how we do business. Day 3: Restoring balance: Imagining a future where we view ourselves as stewards of nature, not just consumers of its resources. EcoAdvance, BioAgora and One Water and other NBS projects will present.
Event and registration page
October
- European Conference on Sustainable Cities & Towns
Dates: 1-3 October 2024: Location: Aalborg, Denmark
This conference is an opportunity to see how Local Green Deals are making the EU Green Deal a reality across Europe. Come shape the future beyond the status quo and be part of the movement for urban transformation. NetworkNature is a partner. Standard registration is still open. - Reimagining Urban Spaces: Nature-Based Solutions for Inclusive Transformations in Europe and Latin America
Dates: 2-3 October 2024. Location: Granollers, Spain
The INTERLACE final conference will showcase learnings and resources around urban ecosystem restoration and nature-based solution planning and monitoring, inclusive stakeholder engagement and community participation, policy and governance, action-driven research, and cross-continental cooperation. The free to attend event will bring together a vibrant community of “city makers” from Europe and Latin America in a series of dynamic discussions, hands-on workshops and site visits, with multiple opportunities to learn from leading experts in the field. Registration, including opportunities to pitch and showcase your projects, ideas and work, is open now. - Sifted Summit 2024
Dates: 2-3 October 2024. Location: London, United Kingdom
Sifted Summit is bringing startup Europe together under one roof once again.European tech has taken a beating — but startups are bouncing back. This October, join 3,000 founders, startup operators and investors and discover how the ecosystem is recalibrating and responding to the startup revival.
Crowdhelix team together with VARcities project partners will have a booth and interact with various stakeholders, making partnerships and promoting NbS to the industry. Registration is open. - European Week for Regions and Cities
Dates: 7-10 October 2024; Location: Brussels, Belgium
Organised by the European Committee of the Regions and by the European Commission, the 2024 European Week for Regions and Cities will focus on “Empowering Communities”. Four themes will be discussed during this week: regions strengthening European democracy, smart and sustainable growth for regions, regions got talent, competitiveness and convergence, two sides of the same coin. Registration is open.
Session Spotlight:DivAirCity is co-hosting an interactive session during this year European Week of Regions titled “CrAFTing DivAirCity: co-creating inclusive climate-neutral cities”. The event will take place at the Albert Borschette Conference Centre in Brussels, Belgium, on October 10th, from 11:30 to 13:00. Registration is open until September 15th. - Smart Cities in Smart Regions 2024 Conference
Dates: 9-10 October 2024; Location: Lahti, Finland
This conference aims to bring together researchers, industry and local and regional authorities, focusing on urban resilience. Three themes will be at the centre of the 2024 conference: solutions for systemic changes; smart health and wellbeing innovations; design for sustainable business and responsible consumption. Registration is open until September 22nd.
November
- World Urban Forum
Dates: 4-8 November 2024; Location: Cairo, Egypt
Organised by the United Nations Habitats, the 12th World Urban Forum will focus on “the transformative power of localised actions”. More information on the theme will be available soon. Registration is open. - Urban Transitions
Dates: 5-7 November; Location: Sitges, Spain
Urban Transitions 2024 aims to promote healthy urban development by bringing together different disciplines working within cities. - UNFCCC COP29
Dates: 11-22 November 2024; Location: Baku, Azerbaijan
Organised by the United Nation, COP29 will be hosted by Azerbaijan. More information will be available soon. Information for participants can be found here. - European Mission Soil Week 2024
Dates: 11-12 November 2024; Location: Brussels, Belgium
Organised by the Soil EU Mission, this event aims to gather all the soil community. More information will be available soon. - Communicate 2024
Dates: 26-28 November; Location: Various UK and online
Communicate is the UK’s leading annual conference for environmental communicators running since 2004, bringing together a diverse group of delegates each year to develop their skills, share best practice and debate latest issues in science communication, nature conservation and engaging people with the natural world.
Calls for Proposals (Events)
- NetworkNature Annual Event
We are still accepting poster submissions! Apply by August 23 2024. - Urban Transitions
Submit a poster abstract.
Calls for Abstracts (Publications)
- Nothing to report
Other
- The 2024 LIFE Call for Proposals for Bauhaus projects has a total budget of €8 million and is open until 19 September 2024. Submit proposals via the portal.
- NBS EduWORLD: Take part in the social media campaign #YOUTH4NBS
Help us get young people involved in promoting nature-based solutions (NbS)! From 1 July to 30 September, encourage them to post about the benefits of NbS on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc. Active participants can win special rewards! Let's inspire the next generation to protect our planet. - Biodiversity and Transformative Change
We are happy to inform you that a funding call has been pre-announced on the Biodiversa+ website. The call is planned to be officially launched on 10 September 2024. The deadline for submitting pre-proposals will be in early November 2024. Finally, the registration for the general webinar for the BiodivTransfom Call that will be on September 24th from 1 to 3 PM is now open. - Join the Berlin Urban Nature Pact!
Is a city in your project interested in creating transformative biodiversity action for local urban nature? The Berlin Urban Nature Pact, a city-led initiative, supports cities globally in achieving this goal. Stay tuned for its official launch at COP16 and sign up to receive updates!
