School Member Lecture: How can biogeomorphology contribute to a nature-positive future?

In this talk Professor Gemma Harvey will share insights from projects on rewilding, restoration and natural flood management to explore how working with natural processes can support nature recovery and the delivery of ecosystem services including the mitigation of floods and droughts. Such approaches are necessary to drive transformative change in societal responses to climate change and biodiversity loss.

Working with natural processes to reduce environmental harm and drive nature recovery are essential to responses to the interconnected emergencies of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.

Biological energy influences Earth surface processes because many species are ‘ecosystem engineers’, capable of transforming habitats and modulating ecosystem resource flows. Such interactions between life and landscapes influence environmental restoration, resilience and hazards.

Research has demonstrated how trees and plants can assist the geomorphic and ecological recovery of degraded rivers and revealed that the contribution animals make to shaping the Earth’s surface is far more significant than historically recognised.

About the speaker

Gemma Harvey is Professor of Physical Geography at Queen Mary University of London. Her research explores feedbacks between plants and animals and Earth surface processes, and how these influence landscape restoration and management.

She works with local and national stakeholders in the environmental sector including pioneering rewilding sites, government agencies, NGOs and local action groups on landscape rewilding and urban greening projects. She currently holds a NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellowship to embed environmental and geospatial science in nature recovery and rewilding.

She has been an advisor for Rewilding Britain’s Monitoring Framework and Chair of the Nature Monitoring and Evaluation Advisory Group for the Enfield Chase Landscape Recovery Project. She previously held a Leverhulme Research Fellowship exploring the role of animals as ecosystem engineers.

She was Associate Editor for the journal WIREs Water between 2014–2026 and is now physical geography Editor for The Geographical Journal.

Booking information

• School Members will be provided with a code to book this event via our regular email updates.
• If you are a School Member and require this code to book your free places, please email Claire at c.brown@rgs.org
• This lecture is aimed at A level students. Students can attend with or without a teacher. There is no limit on the number of tickets each School Member can book. Tickets must be booked in advance.

If you have any questions or require assistance with your booking, please email events@rgs.org

Accessibility at our events

We want everyone to feel welcome at our events. Key accessibility features of this event include:

• Step-free access to the event
• Accessible toilets
• Assistance dogs are welcome
• Hearing loop

For full details, please visit our accessibility page. If you have any questions or specific access requirements, feel free to get in touch with us on access@rgs.org