Conservation Chat UK LTD
Company Number 12390719
27 Shorton Valley Road
Paignton
TQ3 1RB
Conservation Chat UK LTD
Company Number 12390719
27 Shorton Valley Road
Paignton
TQ3 1RB
Conservation Chat UK LTD
Company Number 12390719
27 Shorton Valley Road
Paignton
TQ3 1RB
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Welcome to a different kind of conference
At Conservation Chat UK Ltd, we believe conservation events should be fun, welcoming, and inclusive—not formal or stuffy.
The Saving Species Conference is a relaxed, community-focused event where anyone passionate about wildlife and the environment can learn, share, and connect, whatever your background or experience level.
👉 Click here to view details of the next Saving Species Conference.
What to expect
Join us for our annual in-person conference focused on species conservation. Hosted by Conservation Chat UK Ltd, this event reflects our deep commitment to the natural world. We create events that put wildlife, nature, and conservation at the heart, connecting people to nature through inspiring talks, shared ideas, and a supportive community.
A day of learning and connection
Inspiring talks by expert guest speakers
Engaging discussions on important conservation topics
Great networking with like-minded people
A welcoming space for everyone—students, professionals, and nature-lovers alike
CPD opportunity
This conference is a great Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunity.
Attendance certificates are available for anyone who would like to record their learning.
Practical info
Light refreshments provided
Please bring a packed lunch (we challenge you to go plastic-free!)
Affordable ticket prices to keep it accessible to all
Important to know
This is an in-person only event.
If the conference is cancelled by us, we’ll give you a full refund—no hassle.
👉 Click here to view details of the next Saving Species Conference.
Here's a taster!
Dr David Gibson
Title: Conservation at Dartmoor Zoo: From Carpathia to Heilong
Dr David Gibson has been the CEO of Dartmoor Zoo since February 2024. He will explain how conservation projects and their outcomes are crucial to the future of the Zoo as it moves into the second decade of its existence as a charity. Focusing on some of the most endangered species of Big Cat, the Zoos conservation breeding programmes aim to ensure we have viable captive populations of animals that are able, should conditions allow, to reintroduce species to the wild. Increasingly the zoo is also focusing on conservation of species UK native species.
Dr Andy Bowkett
Dr. Andy Bowkett has worked with Wild Planet Trust at Paignton Zoo since 2007, focusing on international fieldwork and, more recently, local conservation. His talk introduces the Trust’s work in Tanzania’s Udzungwa Mountains, a biodiversity hotspot home to many endangered species.
In the Uzungwa Scarp Forest Reserve, illegal farming, logging, and hunting threaten rare wildlife. Through the Uzungwa Scarp Protection Project, Wild Planet Trust and partners have supported joint government–community patrols and annual camera-trap monitoring. These efforts have curbed illegal activity and stabilised wildlife populations, and the collaborative patrol model is now being expanded across the Udzungwa landscape.
Louise Jarrett, RSPB
Booming Bitterns: Back From the Brink.
Bringing the Eurasian Bittern back from the brink of extinction through dedicated conservation efforts on the Avalon Marshes
Amanda Brown
Title: An Introduction to Ocean Literacy
Passionate former Ecotoxicologist, and marine citizen scientist, Amanda Brown, is an outdoor-learning primary school educator who is inspiring young people with her hands-on approach to conservation. She is an MCS Sea Champion, supporting her school to undertake MCS’s Ocean-Friendly Schools award.
With personal research interests spanning both extremes of the ocean, from plankton to cetaceans, she is particularly focused on educating young people about the long-term changes in the marine environment and the vital connections to their daily lives.
Amanda joined Operation Cetacean in September 2019 as a volunteer, having researched local projects and been introduced to the Conservation Chat UK team. Since then, she has delivered talks, supported events, and been involved with various other projects locally. She is also in the process of setting up a marine group to help others create micro-research projects to support citizen science.
In this talk, Amanda will discuss some of the basic principles of Ocean Literacy and what it looks like in the UK National Curriculum. She will explore some of the barriers to learning about the ocean, along with the challenges in conservation that some young people may face.
Simon Roper, Ambios
Accelerating species recovery at Sharpham on the River Dart
Simon was one of the co-founders of Ambios not-for-profit (back in 2001), which was set up to help people gain the skills they needed to get work in the nature conservation sector.
After following badgers around the countryside of Devon for a research Masters, Simon got a part-time job in communications at the Wildlife Trust. At the same time, he got involved in adult education through helping with and eventually leading study tours to California, the Arctic, and the primaeval forests of Eastern Europe. A lifelong interest in delivering learning experiences emerged. Ambios settled at Sharpham in Devon and the opportunity emerged to rewild 130acres, run residential training delivering skills for nature recovery and be involved in a series of projects each of which provides a rich source of stories that feed into Ambios training programmes. Making artificial osprey nests, being part of a butterfly reintroduction programme, using AI to visualise a landscape in nature recovery and planting 5,000 trees at Sharpham are amongst the current projects... and there are always more in the pipeline!
Mateo Ruiz, The Barn Owl Trust
The Little Owl is in decline across Europe, in the UK, and particularly in the South West. This species shares farmland habitat with Barn Owls, and the Barn Owl Trust is well-placed to take action to conserve it. However, the two species are very different in many aspects of their ecology and the Trust is therefore working to develop effective habitat recommendations to specifically benefit the Little Owl. We are also aiming to target the best sites for erecting nestboxes and increase monitoring of the regional population. This work will be carried out alongside our Barn Owl conservation activity, and we anticipate benefits for biodiversity in farmed landscapes.
Debbie Rolmanis, Nature's Safe
Title: Beyond the Breeding Programme: Why Routine Sample Collection Matters for Species Survival
Routine biological sample collection offers a simple but powerful way to secure genetic diversity for the future. With advances in cryopreservation, every veterinary procedure or animal death can become an opportunity to safeguard threatened species. This talk will share how embedding sample collection into everyday management practice can transform conservation outcomes, drawing on Nature’s SAFE’s work to show how even non-breeding or deceased animals can leave a lasting conservation legacy. By shifting from reactive to proactive collection, we can ensure every opportunity contributes to species survival.
Jerry Griffiths, Plymouth City Council
Poole Farm Beaver Project - An Overview
The reintroduction of beavers to Derriford Community Park/Poole Farm marks the first time these ecosystem engineers have been brought back into an urban setting in the UK. This pioneering project shows how nature recovery can thrive in the heart of a city, restoring wetlands, creating habitats, and helping biodiversity to flourish. The talk will explore the beavers’ role in improving water quality, reducing flood risk, and supporting climate resilience, as well as the wider benefits of the Plymouth Natural Grid project for carbon sequestration and nature recovery.
Thomas Collard, Newton Abbot Town Council
Greener Futures for Newton Abbot
Newton Abbot is a historic market town with a rich variety of green spaces, parks, and allotments, many managed by Newton Abbot Town Council. In January 2024, the Council declared a “Biodiversity Emergency”, committing to stronger action for nature. As Green Spaces Officer, Thomas has been central in developing a more wildlife-conscious approach across the town’s sites.
In his talk, Thomas will share the Council’s journey towards becoming pesticide-free and how it is working with local groups to support town and county-wide initiatives. He will also provide updates on projects to enhance the town’s grass verges, alongside other green initiatives that put biodiversity at the heart of Newton Abbot’s future.
Stu Collier, CCUK
Why not bears?
Stu is the director of Conservation Chat UK Ltd and an experienced lecturer with a taste for bold ideas. They explore the untapped possibilities of rewilding the UK, including the controversial (but intriguing) prospect of reintroducing bears. Often written off as too risky or “impossible,” these iconic animals offer a chance to rethink our landscapes, restore ecosystems, and spark the imagination about a wilder Britain.
Organisations we've worked with
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