Finding Common Cause: collaborative approaches to delivery on common land.

As well as sustaining a thousand years of living cultural heritage, commons have a vital role to play in addressing biodiversity and climate crisis. But commons are complex, contested, multi-interest spaces, where typical approaches to conservation can falter.

Through the Our Upland Commons project, the Foundation for Common Land and others have been developing people-centred, collaborative approaches to unlock commons’ potential for nature recovery, flood management and carbon sequestration.

This conference brings together key voices from commoning and conservation, to look towards an uncertain future, to share and explore collective approaches to the challenges we face. The conference will help shape the future work of FCL and others working on commons, as well as giving you practical insights that will help your organisation, common or farm business.

The day will comprise off a mix of panel talks, short lectures and workshops. The day will be start from 9:30am, opening speeches will be at 10am. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

Art and Energy’s Naomi Wright will host a Mossy Carpet workshop:

Creative collaborations on Dartmoor commons with The Art and Energy Collective.

A workshop to explore how creative engagement can help tell the story of the commons.

Naomi Wright describes ‘How to Bury the Giant in Moss and Moor’, a project with its origins on the commons of Dartmoor. She will include stories from collaborations, events and activities on Dartmoor including The Mossy Carpet mass participation artwork and small moss-scale restoration and repair with local schools and community groups.

There will be an opportunity to get hands-on with fleece and sphagnum, and make some small restorative mossy blankets, as well as add your voice to the Mossy Carpet.

This event has been made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.