MEETINGS, EXCURSIONS, WEBINARS...

12-15th April 2026: MARID Marine and River Dune Dynamics VIII (Enschede, The Netherlands)

The MARID conferences provide state-of-the-art overviews in fundamental and applied knowledge of marine and river bedforms, from shallow to deep water, and from small to large scales. This edition will have a focus on the theme 'From patterns to practice: (applied) research across all scales'.

 

For more details see: https://www.utwente.nl/en/et/marid26/

 

EUCC-France organise son premier atelier sur le littoral Catalan après 42 ateliers déjà tenus depuis 1994 tout au long des littoraux hexagonaux et ultra-marins, il était temps de combler cette lacune. Cet atelier se tiendra les 18 et 19 juin 2026.
EUCC-France s'attache à valoriser les connaissances scientifiques, à promouvoir une gestion intégrée des espaces côtiers en rapprochant élus, scientifiques, experts, gestionnaires, praticiens et représentants de la société civile. L’association suscite des échanges et des transferts d’expériences pour concilier protection de l'environnement et développement durable, qui constituent autant de leviers pour la prise de conscience éclairée des acteurs du littoral confrontés aux phénomènes complexes d'érosion et de submersion.

Pour une question de logistique, il est important de vous inscrire directement sur le site internet EUCC-France.

Sur le site EUCC-France, vous y trouverez également le programme et les informations pratiques (hôtels). Le livret guide présentant le contexte sera bientôt mis à disposition.

Le bureau EUCC-France
https://euccfrance.org

The 68th IAVS Symposium will focus on “Understanding Ecosystems through Vegetation”. We aim to highlight the importance of vegetation studies in advancing basic and applied research on the biodiversity of world ecosystems. We welcome submissions focusing on plant communities and related topics, including biodiversity and conservation, climate change, restoration of native plants, community assembly, forestry, functional ecology, macroecology, mycorrhizal research, paleoecology, plant invasions, anthropogenic vegetation, Earth Observation approaches, or vegetation classification.

 

 

For more details see: https://2026gijon.iavs-meetings.org

 

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27th June 2026: World Sand Dune Day

Sand dunes are natural landscapes that can be found wherever loose sand is blown, most typically in deserts or on beaches. They serve as a habitat for many interesting and rare species of animals and plants, as well as acting as a place of recreation for people from local communities or further afield. But due to activities by humans as well as erosion, sand dunes in some places may be under threat.

The hope of World Sand Dune Day is to draw attention to these amazing natural features and encourage individuals, families and communities to get involved in caring for them in a protective, restorative way.

https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/world-sand-dune-day/

 

27th June 2026 WORLD SAND DUNES DAY: Visit to the ‘fossil’ dune belt between Adinkerke and Ghyvelde

Come and visit the oldest coastal dune system in Flanders with its fixed grey dunes, shifting white dunes, wooded dunes and grazing areas.
What: 4.5 km walk (2h30 - 3h) / bilingual guided tour (French-Dutch) / walking shoes and appropriate clothing
When: Saturday 27 June 2026 from 9.15am for a 9.30am departure
Where: car park of café-restaurant “Aux Trois Chasseurs”, Maerestraat 6, 8660 De Panne, on the Belgian-French border between Adinkerke (De Panne) and Ghyvelde. For your visit, use as much as possible soft mobility.
Free visit and snack offered in the frame of the Interreg project “Clim@Dunes”.
Organisers: Agency Nature and Forest, Conservatoire du Littoral, Département du Nord, Aquaduin, Communauté Urbaine de Dunkerque, CPIE Flandre Maritime and Province of Western Flanders
The number of participants is limited to 60 people. To take part in the tour of the cross-border dune area ‘Perroquet - Westhoek’, prior registration is required until noon on Friday 19 June at the latest via the following link: xxxxxxxx - link will follow
More information:
World Sand Dunes Day is an international awareness-raising day to highlight the importance and beauty of dunes. As part of this annual event, the Flemish Government's Agency for Nature and Forests, the Conservatoire du Littoral, the Département du Nord, the Urban Community of Dunkirk, Aquaduin, the CPIE Flandre Maritime and the Province of Western Flanders are organizing a guided tour of the Franco-Belgian cross-border ‘fossil’ dune site "Dune fossile de Ghyvelde –  Cabour Domain", an exceptional natural area where a variety of flora and fauna specific to ancient decalcified dune environments occur. The inner dune belt of Ghyvelde-Adinkerke is over 4,000 years old and is the oldest dune site on the Flemish coast from Dunkirk (France) to Cadzand (Netherlands). The Cabour Domain nature reserve belongs to the water supply company Aquaduin and is managed by the Agency for Nature and Forests. The adjacent ‘fossil’ dune of Ghyvelde is owned by the Conservatoire du littoral and managed by the Département du Nord.

Areas that are usually inaccessible to the public due to their fragility will be visited under the guidance of site managers. You will discover open expanses of grey dunes dominated by lichens, mosses and sand sedge, a landscape largely shaped by the centuries-old presence of wild rabbits, nature management by grazing by sheep and Haflinger ponies, and also deciduous woodland. Due to the strong presence of natural dune habitats and species targeted by the European Habitats Directive, the adjacent sites of ‘Dune fossile de Ghyvelde’ and ‘Cabour Domain’ are part of the European Natura 2000 network of protected sites.

For several years, several Flemish and French government departments have been working together to create a cross-border European nature park ‘Dunes de Flandre - West Coast’. These Flemish dunes stretch from Dunkirk in France to Lombardsijde in Belgium. This cross-border Franco-Belgian cooperation, which was launched with the support of the European Union through the projects LIFE FLANDRE (2013-2020) and INTERREG VEDETTE (2017-2021), is now being continued under the new INTERREG project Clim@Dunes (2025-2029), which aims to strengthen ecological connectivity and improve visitor facilities.

This walk is led by Flemish and French rangers and nature guides. It ends where it began, at café-restaurant “Aux Trois Chasseurs”, where participants will be offered a drink. Participation in the guided walk and the drink are free of charge.

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6-10th July 2026: ECCB European Congress of Conservation Biology (Leiden, The Netherlands)

Reversing the loss of biodiversity in the world’s terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems is one of the greatest challenges we face. However, effective biodiversity conservation requires not just the efforts of conservationists alone, but also relies on contributions, commitment and cooperation across many disciplines and sectors. In Europe, governments, NGOs, citizens and businesses are already working alongside ecologists and conservationists in response to the biodiversity crisis.

At the 8^th ECCB in Leiden, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners will have the opportunity share knowledge and exchange ideas. Not only will this congress present exciting scientific research, but we will also showcase successful collaborations and build bridges between stakeholders and disciplines. The meeting will provide an important opportunity to tackle the issues that we all face in everyday life, including how to communicate the biodiversity conservation message effectively, and how to maintain a dialogue in difficult political or social circumstances. During this week we will try to find answers to our key question: how can biodiversity be safeguarded effectively in the long term?

Abstract submission 15.12.2025-15.02.2026

For more details: https://eccb26leiden.eu

24th-26th August 2026: European Conference on Ecological Restoration SERE 2026 (Brest, France)

As with all SER conferences, the main objective of this 15th edition is to share knowledge and strengthen links between stakeholders in restoration ecology, as well as to build bridges with topics that are less well-integrated, such as the restoration of ecological networks (particularly dark infrastructure) and marine ecosystems. Particular attention will be paid to the restoration of wetlands and coastal ecosystems, given that Brittany is a maritime and wetland region. The conference will also focus on the application of future European restoration legislation and the implementation of National Restoration Plans.

All aspects of ecosystem restoration will be welcomed, with a focus on ecological considerations, as well as sociological and political ones. All ecosystems and territories will be considered, with special attention given to overseas territories.

Abstract submission deadline: 01.03.2026 (or later??)

For details see: https://sere2026.sciencesconf.org/?lang=en

 

7-11 September 2026: NEOBIOTA2026 (Brussels, Belgium)

The International Neobiota conference is an initiative from Neobiota, the European Group on Biological Invasions.

It is part of a well-established biennial series that brings together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and stakeholders from around the world to share cutting-edge scientific research on biological invasions.

This year, the conference features a rich programme including Thematic and General Sessions, keynote speakers, poster and oral presentations, and a field trip.

Neobiota 2026 also welcomes the final event of the LIFE RIPARIAS project, which focuses on transitioning from data to management of biological invasions.

Deadline Abstracts: 15 April 2026

End of registration: 10 July 2026

For details see: https://www.neobiota2026.org

2-6 NOVEMBER 2026: Island Biology Conference by Society of Island Biology (Atami, Japan)

The conference about island biology will be in Japan. Japan consists of approximately 7,000 islands and holds the distinction of being home to the largest islands in East Asia. The nation’s geographic formation involved dynamic processes, contributing to its rich biodiversity and geological diversity.

For more details, please visit: https://sites.google.com/view/ibc2026/

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9th-13th NOVEMBER 2026: Coastal Ecology Workshop (CEW) 2026 (Schillig, Germany)

We look forward to welcoming you at the Jugendherberge Schillighörn for a week of science, discussions, and fresh sea air on our Wadden Sea Coast.

If you would like to be notified when Registration opens for CEW 2026, please fill in the form at this link here.