Our Strategy 2022 – 2027
An environment for wellbeing and prosperity
Our Purpose
Our job is to harness the value of the natural environment for everyone’s benefit. We exist to change the way people look after land, water and nature throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Our approach is to enable the exchange of know-how between professionals. We do this through the power of networking; speeding up the sharing of expertise and experience. We equip people to achieve more in their work, regardless of whether the environment is their primary focus.
Our Story So Far
We were initiated by HM Government in response to a commitment for an Ecosystems Knowledge Network in the 2011 Environment White Paper, Securing the Value of Nature.
After launching in 2012 with project funding from Defra, together with Scottish Government and others, we grew to become a leading UK-wide network centred on harnessing the value of the environment in society.
In 2015, we gained registration as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.
Our primary beneficiaries are our 3,000 members, all of whom are at the forefront of innovative and people-centred stewardship of land, water and nature.
Over 600 local environmental initiatives are represented in our membership.
We pride ourselves on the job diversity of our members, which spans from public health and planning to forestry and fisheries. Inclusiveness and impartiality are hallmarks of our work.
Who We Benefit
Ecosystems Knowledge Network is free to join and open to all. Our membership brings together experts from the public, private, third and academic sectors from a wide range of disciplines. This includes those working in organisations that don’t have improvement of the natural environment as their primary goal.
Many professionals join our events as a one-off to gain knowledge and insight for particular project or work needs. These range from financial services to public health specialists.
Become A MemberIn our annual surveys of members, four out of five members say we make a difference to their work.
Where our members work
The Future We Will Shape
Concerns about climate change and the decline of nature have come to the fore in recent years. Often, this results in a story about the avoidance of the negative consequences of human activity. We believe that there is also a positive narrative to be told. It is about the benefits of a restored environment, making it relevant to the needs of a society that is adapting to climate change, progressing to net zero and seeking wellbeing and prosperity. Furthermore, the challenges of nature and climate will be seen as much more interrelated.
We expect government, the media and the public to begin to recognise this opportunity increasingly over the coming decade. Professions and sectors that think they have little to do with the environment will realise their dependence on a healthy natural world. Ultimately, public policy will recognise the inter-connectedness of environment-related challenges. There is a constant stream of reasons for care for the environment. Some of this is associated with terms such as ‘rewilding’ and ‘nature-based solutions’. The narratives can be mesmerising, especially for those who don’t have the natural environment as the primary focus of their work.
What our beneficiaries need
Our beneficiaries need access to the tools and project examples to enhance their understanding of the value of a healthy natural environment. They need to share innovation they are involved in, finding a trusted platform that is free from commercial interests, lobbying or the promotion of one profession or sector over another.
Ecosystems Knowledge Network has a uniquely positive mission, helping to harness all that a healthy environment does for people. By sharing the know-how already available, we deliver greater wellbeing and prosperity for everyone. Bruce Howard, Director, Ecosystems Knowledge Network
Our Strategy
We will deliver high-quality learning opportunities to help change the stewardship of land, water and nature to an approach that harnesses the extensive value of the natural environment. This will range from curiosity-driven sharing of best practice through to the provision of formal continuing professional development.
At the heart of our charitable endeavour will be a social enterprise that delivers excellence in continuing professional development. This will include e-learning and training courses on cutting edge topics relating to our mission and not covered by others such as professional bodies.
Our membership is the setting in which learning will occur. We will deliver our mission by sharing what they know and informing their work by involving additional expertise. Our focus will be on those professions central to the stewardship of land, water, and nature. This includes those for whom the environment is their primary focus, and those whose main focus is elsewhere, such as in transport, food, tourism, economic development, and health
