With a new IALE president and a number of other new members, the recent committee meeting, held in late November in Edinburgh was a chance to come together to think strategically about the future direction of ialeUK and to set out new ways to increase the impact of landscape ecology. To get the ball rolling, Ketso, the hands on kit for active engagement, was used (http://www.ketso.com). Around a large table, each member, in turn was given a chance to explain (up-to-3) ideas to improve the organisation. These ideas were then grouped in corresponding categories: Research, Practice, Policy, Outreach and Operations. Once all the ideas were down on the table, the second task was to prioritise, which required only one idea to be chosen as the most important and two other ideas as second in importance. A lot of votes went towards improving web resources and providing better clarity of what Landscape Ecology is through various methods and avenues. The greatest number of votes went on developing ialeUK training and 1-day events to benefit other professional practitioners and students. Membership development and better outreach and partnership were also considered important with several votes for each. As a result of the brainstorming session, the committee will be working hard to progress these ideas forward over the next year. So do keep an eye on the website and read our newsletter to keep informed on what’s happening.
