Research in the ‘Flow Country’: Thinking Big Thurso, – March 21st-24th 2017 Preliminary Programme

Tuesday 21st March 2017 18.30-21.00 Ice-Breaker and registration (Drinks and nibbles are provided) @ sponsored by HIE ETEC (NHC)

Wednesday 22nd March 2017 8.30 Arrival and registration @ Thurso cinema 9.00 Opening and Welcome address (Stuart Gibb) 9.05 Introduction to the conference – CHAIR : Roxane Andersen SESSION 1 – Restoring blanket bogs as multi-functional landscapes CHAIR: Roxane Andersen 9.15 Keynote 1 – Irish Peatland Conservation and Restoration: An Ecohydrological Approach. Raymond Flynn The Queen’s University, Belfast) 9.45 Vegetation response to restoration management of a blanket bog damaged by drainage and afforestation – Mark Hancock 10.05 Measuring restoration progress using pore- and surface-water chemistry across a chronosequence of formerly afforested blanket bogs – Paul Gaffney 10.25 Greenhouse gas balance of blanket bog restoration from forestry in the Flow Country – Renée Hermans 10.45 Restoring peatlands for above-ground invertebrate communities – Ainoa F. Pravia 11.05 Tea break SESSION 2 – Long term studies CHAIR : Steve Chapman 11.40 A long-term study of peat subsidence due to afforestation and drainage – Russell Anderson 12.00 Long term peatland subsidence monitoring by using the ISBAS InSAR technique: validation over Bad a Cheo forest, North East . 12.20 TITLE TBC 12.40 Understanding the wind farm repowering agenda and the implications for peatland soils. – Susan Waldron 13.00 Lunch 13.50 The Flow Country film (24 min) 14:20 Mires & Peat: a special issue on the Flow Country research – Roxane Andersen 14:30 Towards a National Peatland Strategy - Andrew Coupar & Mike Billett 15:15 POSTER SPEED PRESENTATION and introduction to “POSTER & TASTER” session 15.30 Transfer to ETEC NHC for Poster session (walking distance) 15.40-17:30 “POSTER & TASTER” session sponsored by Forest Enterprise @ ETEC NHC 17:30-18:45 “POSTER & TASTER” session open to the public 19.00-21.00 Conference Dinner @ Flagstone 21.00-late Local entertainment and live folk music at the Comm

Final Programme Research in the ‘Flow Country’: Taking Stock Thurso, Caithness – October 27-30th 2015

Thursday 23rd of March 2017 9.00 Welcome to day 2 SESSION 3 – Wider than the Flows - CHAIR TBC 9.15 Keynote 2: TITLE TBC - Pippa Chapman (Leeds) 9:45 Using MODIS data to estimate GPP over restored peatlands – Kirsten Lees 10.05 The effects of peatland deforestation on water quality – Nadeem Shah 10.25 Public’s views and values on peatland restoration in Scotland – Julia Martin Ortega 10.45 IUCN UK Peatland Programme - Jillian /Emma Goodyear 11.05 Tea break SESSION 4 – Looking forwards! - CHAIR TBC 11.40 TITLE TBC – Danni Klein 12.00 TITLE TBC – Pete Gilbert (ERI/UHI) 12.20 Land Ocean Carbon TransfEr: Locate -Amy Pickard 12.40 TITLE TBC - Skyline team 12.55 Lunch 13.55 WORKSHOP SESSION 15.00 WORKSHOP summary 15.30 Best presentation prizes & conference Close 15.45 Tea break 16.00 Departure for 16.34 train 18.30-late Dinner in town (not provided)

Friday 24th March 2017 7.45 Meeting in the ERI Castle St. car park for field trip 8.00 Departure for field trip 13:47 Train departs from 17:07 Train departs from Forsinard

Credit: Roxane Andersen