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SGD AUTUMN 2020 CONFERENCE - Garden Design in an Era of Climate Crisis

SGD AUTUMN 2020 CONFERENCE - Garden Design in an Era of Climate Crisis

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Garden Design in an Era of Climate Change

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The SGD Autumn Digital Conference 2020 is kindly sponsored by MFL Affinity Insurance Brokers

09:45 – 09:50       LYNNE MARCUS, MSGD, SGD Chair, Welcome (5 min) 

09:50 – 09:55       CONGRATULATIONS NEW MSGDs (5 min)

09:55 – 10:10       MARK LAURENCE MSGD: Introduction to the subject, the day and first speaker (15 min)

10:10 – 10:55       SARAH EBERLE FSGD: 'The Resilience Garden: The Big Idea’ (45 min) 

A look at the background, client brief and research involved in the design and construction of The Resilience Garden at RHS Chelsea 2019 and how this can be used to create resilient gardens in the face of climate change, threats from pests and diseases and environmental sustainability.

10:55 – 11:05       Live Questions & Answers with Speaker (10 min)


11:05 – 11:30       VIRTUAL TEA BREAK (25 min)


11:30 – 12:15       ROBERT BRAY: ‘Singing in The Rain: Celebrating Rainfall by Design’ (45 min)

During recent centuries, the life force that we call rain has been captured and piped into hidden conduits that finally emerge filthy and gasping into rivers and the sea. Thankfully this is now changing!

A new approach to managing rainfall, sometimes called Sustainable Drainage or SuDS, can create beautiful places that come alive every time it rains. The clean water that flows gently from these places can provide enjoyment and healthy surroundings for both ourselves and wildlife.

Examples of exciting contemporary work by Robert Bray Associates will show how living water can be put at the heart of landscape and encourage environmental designers to use rainfall to enhance people’s lives and mitigate the effects of climate change at the same time.

12:15 – 12:25       Live Questions & Answers with Speaker (10 min)

12:25 – 12:30       LIVINGREEN DESIGN Gold Conference Sponsor (2 min)


12:30 – 13:20       VIRTUAL LUNCH BREAK (50 min)


13:20 – 14:05       TIM O’HARE: ‘The Role of Soil in a Changing Climate’ (45 min) 

Soils fulfil a number of essential services that are central to social, economic and environmental sustainability, and which can help combat climate change and reduce its impact. Tim will explore some of the practical ways in which these services can be optimised in garden design projects.

14:05 – 14:15       Live Questions & Answers with Speaker (10 min)

14:15 – 14:25       MCPARLAND FINN – Main Conference Sponsor (10 min)

14:25 – 15:10       DAVE GOULSON: ‘Gardening to Avert the Insect Apocalypse’ (45 min)

We are in the midst of the 6th mass extinction event, with extinctions occurring faster than at any time in the last 65 million years. ‘Bioabundance’ is in decline, with recent studies showing that insects in particular seem to be disappearing fast. If it continues, this will have profound consequences for mankind and for our planet.

Dave will explain why insects are decline, and suggest how we can tackle this crisis by turning our gardens into oases for insect life. Topics will include pesticide-free gardening, turning lawns into meadows, & native v non-native plants.

15:10 – 15:20       Live Questions & Answers with Speaker (10 min)


15:20 – 15:45       VIRTUAL TEA BREAK (25 min)


15:45 – 15:50       PROVENDER Silver Conference Sponsor (1 min)

15:50 – 16:35       JAMES HITCHMOUGH: 'Thinking the Unthinkable: designing with plants in an era of rapid climate change' (45 min)

Both as human beings and design professionals we instinctively like to look back to find precedents to help us decide whether a course of action is a good idea or not. But what does one do when what worked in the past is increasingly unlikely to work in the future?

Climate change requires us to begin to rewire our world view, some will do this more willingly than others but in essence we have no choice. This will raise many challenges of ideas; is Quercus ilex an invasive alien in the UK, or is it a successful climate change adaptor?  

Most of our world views about nature are deeply rooted in notions of an ecological stasis that does not exist and indeed never existed. It is a world we imagined rather than one than actually exists. It’s going to be scary…

16:35 – 16:45       Live Questions & Answers with Speaker (10 min)

16:45 – 16:55       MARK LAURENCE MSGD: Summing up (10 min)

Conference end.

The SGD Council and Conference Committee give grateful thanks to our sponsors for their support

Main Conference Sponsor

Gold Conference Sponsor

Silver Conference Sponsor

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