Dr Jane Sears (RSPB)
Delve into a partnership project to restore the nationally extinct Short-haired Bumblebee (Bombus subterraneus) to the UK and to improve the diversity and abundance of rare bumblebees in South-east England. It will explore the challenges of restoring an extinct species to its native range and the various approaches that were trialled over a 12-year period from 2008-2020. Along the way, there were some surprising results and many lessons were learnt.
Dr Jane Sears is a Senior Ecologist with the RSPB with over 30 years experience of saving some of the most threatened species of invertebrates in the UK. After post-doctoral research at Oxford University, Jane joined RSPB as a Conservation Scientist, later moving into Species Recovery and helping to write the UK's Biodiversity Action Plan. Jane currently manages several reintroduction projects with partner organisations, and advises on the conservation of species and habitats.
The presentation will be recorded and shared with those who booked via a password-protected website following the event.