While working for the Eden Project, Pete Whitbread-Abrutat devised and organised a half-day workshop in partnership with the social conservation charity Landlife, as part of the Society for Ecological Restoration International’s European Conference in France. The workshop aimed to encourage a mainly academic audience to consider more deeply the role of community participation in ecological restoration activities.
Related research consisted of delegate surveys and a statistical analysis of the socio-economic/ community content of the previous conference proceedings. The results were presented back to the workshop, alongside examples of good practice community participation, with the audience participating in several activities. Comment and feedback were sought. Outputs included a manifesto on the community dimension of ecological restoration for the SERI secretariat and board and a paper published in the conference proceedings.