The UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) was delighted to welcome HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh to our stand at the Groundswell regenerative farming festival in Hertfordshire on 1 July, where we showcased the breadth of our scientific research, data and digital tools.
- The Duchess toured UKCEH stand to learn how our research and tools help guide on-farm decision-making.
- Autonomous monitoring, hydrological data, Farm Health Check and emissions measuring highlighted.
As an independent research institute with major strengths in agri-environmental science and long-term monitoring, our work is supporting farmers’ decision-making, helping to increase a farm’s resilience to climate change and its benefits for wildlife. We also provide vital evidence to inform governments’ agricultural and biodiversity policies.
The Duchess of Edinburgh met UKCEH scientists to discuss their work during a tour of our stand at Groundswell:
- Dr Tom August, a computational ecologist, showed The Duchess one of our autonomous solar powered LepiSense devices. The system captures images of night-time insects and uses AI to identify species. This gives farmers an affordable way to measure biodiversity and demonstrate the impact of agri-environment actions, while generating ecological data at scales that would be difficult using traditional methods.
- Lucy Barker, a hydrological analyst, demonstrated the UK Water Resources Portal and monthly UK Hydrological Outlook, which provide accessible data and forecasts on river flows, groundwater and soil moisture to support decisions on drilling, irrigation and drought and flood planning.
- Dr Margaret Bolton, an environmental data scientist, spoke about UKCEH’s free Farm Health Check, which provides whole-farm environmental analysis including habitat mapping, soil insights and opportunities to support biodiversity alongside safeguarding crop production.
- Dr Ross Morrison and Dr Terhi Riutta showed one of our flux towers and talked about our network of these systems which measure how gases, water and energy move between the land and the atmosphere. This provides real-world evidence of how farming practices affect emissions, carbon storage and water uptake.
Afterwards, Dr John Redhead, a spatial ecologist who escorted The Duchess of Edinburgh on the tour of the UKCEH stand, said: “The Duchess showed an interest in how UKCEH is supporting the farming sector in adapting to the multiple, interlinked challenges posed by climate change and biodiversity declines.
“We have enjoyed our discussions with The Duchess and other visitors to Groundswell this year, demonstrating how UKCEH’s world-leading environmental science is accelerating innovation in farming, supporting food security, climate resilience and nature recovery.”
During the visit to Groundswell, The Duchess of Edinburgh also joined a conversation around research, innovation and collaboration, chaired by Judith Batchelar OBE, UKCEH’s Chair of Trustees. It featured several speakers including Professor Richard Pywell of UKCEH, who co-leads the AgZero+ research programme, which is supporting the UK’s transition towards sustainable domestic food production.
Professor Pywell spoke about UKCEH’s UK-first rice trials, part of a project growing produce in rewetted peatland, as well as our research into how climate change may affect the suitability of existing and new crops across the country. During the session, he showed The Duchess of Edinburgh one of the rice plants being grown as part of the trials in the Cambridge Fens, with several plants also on display at the UKCEH stand throughout the festival.