The LIFE programme – the EU’s funding instrument for environment and climate action – is set to host two virtual events this week and next week.

The programme is hosting the events ahead of and during SERE2021, the 12th European Conference on Ecological Restoration.

Organised by the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) Europe and the University of Alicante, SERE2021 is taking place from Tuesday, September 7, to Friday, September 10.

According to LIFE, the conference will feature discussions on the challenges facing ecological restoration in post-2020 Europe. It will also look at how ecological restoration can benefit damaged, degraded and destroyed socio-ecological systems.

The first virtual event will be a pre-conference course on “EU funding for ecological restoration actions: how to develop a successful life proposal”.

This will take place this Thursday, September 2, from 10:00a.m through to 12:00p.m (Central European Summer Time).

According to the European organisation, this is a “practical training session on how to put together a successful LIFE proposal“.

Ecological restoration professionals will learn about EU funding opportunities through the LIFE programme and EU priorities for financing.

Meanwhile, the second event will be “EU LIFE programme and socio-ecological restoration – chances, challenges and prospects”, taking place on Tuesday, September 7, from 10:30a.m through to 12:30p.m (CEST).

The symposium will outline how LIFE funding contributes to the implementation of the European Green Deal and the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.

A presentation on the current state of nature in the EU is foreseen. SERE2021 participants will then learn about LIFE restoration actions to combat biodiversity loss, the degradation of freshwater habitats, climate change and inappropriate land use, the programme says.

Various films of LIFE projects showcasing restoration successes from different biogeographic regions will feature.

A virtual Q&A session focusing on the challenges practitioners face when implementing LIFE ecological restoration projects will also take place, the organisation concludes.

For those interested in learning more, further details can be obtained on the SER Europe website here.