Seascape Ecology - Connecting Land Sea and Society

I would like to introduce myself to ialeUK members as the new newsletter editor. I hope to provide some interesting articles and news to you all over the next year and I feel honoured to have the opportunity to contribute in this way.

Prior to joining the ialeUK, I was an avid reader of the former landscape character network newsletter. With its demise a few years ago I found ialeUK and believed it was the closest fit to what I was looking for: a multidisciplinary, forward thinking, international organisation with its feet firmly in science but looking to include everyone. I haven’t been disappointed and it’s a pleasure to work alongside some great landscape ecologists in the committee including our new President, Jonathan Porter. The committee meeting held last November set out some clear objectives for 2015, including revamping the website, having a stronger and more regular presence on social media, and providing training on key areas of work. This includes (& I have the pleasure to say) a workshop on Landscape Character Assessment and its application with other emerging assessments. Watch this space.

In this Spring Newsletter, we are fortunate to have five non-member contributions, providing an insight into their experience of landscape ecology in the UK, and the Czech Republic.

The ialeUK 2015 conference location and theme has been confirmed. Online entry will soon be active. There is also a second call for papers.  There are also several new regular features including Landscape Ecology in videos, Reading the Landscape (in photographs) and Desert Island books! (We all need a bit of light relief). Changing the tune slightly there is also an article about slime mould and 3D printing. Enjoy.