Peter Hobson, Writtle University College’s Professor in Biodiversity Conservation & Sustainability, is taking important steps towards the conservation and preservation of global woodlands.
In July 2021, he completed an appointment as an International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Commissioner, for a working party on forests. Professor Hobson will now accept an new four-year role, as the representative for central European forests within a core IUCN group for forest ecosystem.
The prestigious position allows him to work closely with experts from around the globe to promote ecosystem-based approaches for the management of landscapes and seascapes, provide guidance and support for ecosystem-based management and highlight resilient socio-ecological systems to address global challenges.
Professor Hobson is also active in the EU-funded (INTERREG) beech forest initiative for central Europe, and continues in work as research director for the European Beech Forest Network.
He said; "I am delighted to represent Central Europe within the IUCN. Forests, the biodiversity they house and all the ecosystem functions services they provide, are key in securing our future as a species. Forests must be allowed to regenerate if we are to fight the climate emergency."