The Superpowers of salt marshes as a vehicle of hope for our climate.

You'll learn about the Steart Marshes of England and their impact globally, covering history, design, and management, as well as how the work being done in the marshes influences policy and has become recognized as a solution to the challenges we all face.

Our speaker is Alys Laver, who has always had a passion for nature, and growing up on Somerset's Levels and Moors inspired a particular love for wetlands. After completing her Zoology Degree at Cardiff University, she went on to work for the University at the research field center. This involved working on a wide variety of research projects, the biggest being a countywide river improvement project.

After this, Alys started working on areas of conservation all around Somerset, delivering works to improve wetland habitats and supporting the species that use them. Alys was then hired as part of the Somerset Wildlife Trust as a Reserve Warden and was responsible for managing some of the rarest and most valuable areas of the United Kingdom.

In 2013 Alys started working for the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) on one of the largest habitat creation schemes in Europe. Taking on the management of a site with a whole new direction for the organisation didn't come without its challenges. But since its completion the WWT Steart Marshes coastal project has developed into an exemplar for landscape scale habitat creation, a hub for cutting edge research and a demonstration site to showcase what wetlands can do for people and wildlife.

In 2022 Alys assisted with the delivery of a £1.5 million government-funded scheme, getting Steart Marshes designated as a National Nature Reserve.

To learn more, go to:

https://wetland-data-explorer.wwt.org.uk/

https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/steart-marshes/

To learn more about the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley, go to:

http://rotary.cool