Due to the restrictions and uncertainties caused by the Corvid-19 pandemic, the CMA board has decided not to hold a conference in 2020, with all efforts instead being focussed on delivering a fantastic conference in 2021.

CMA conference 2019

Delegates at the 2019 CMA conference

This year’s conference was hosted by the National Trust and the Lake District National Park Authority. Based at Ambleside YHA from the 9th to the 11th October, we were treated to some excellent speakers and fascinating site visits, with a theme around landscape scale approaches to countryside management.

Building on the ‘Bigger, Better and More Joined Up’ approach outlined in the ‘Making Space for Nature’ review carried by Sir John Lawton the conference provided a chance for CMA members to develop their awareness and understanding of the impacts of countryside management at a landscape level.

Through a series of presentations, workshops and fieldtrips the conference looked at topical talking points such as rewilding, biodiversity connectivity and pollinators; discussed landscape projects which feature current and future issues around conservation, farming, water catchment and heritage protection; and heard about the experiences, ideas and best practice from fellow countryside professionals looking to encourage a wider vision for countryside management beyond a park or site boundaries. Click to view the conference programme

Co-organiser Steve Peach has provided an excellent Conference Report, including notes from the CMA AGM and Gordon Miller Award.

The following links lead to some of the presentations given at the conference:

Previous conferences

The CMA aims to organise a annual conference or seminar, often focussing on a topical theme and located in a different part of the UK (excluding Scotland) each year. Listed below are programmes, photos and links to presentations from recent conferences.

2018 conference -Engaging communities, enhancing lives

CMA Conference 2018 – Engaging communities, enhancing lives

Tuesday 20th & Wednesday 21st November

Lee Valley Regional Park, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire.

The 2018 conference was based in YHA London Lee Valley and was a great success. The programme for the event is listed below with photos and links to some of the presentations.

Day 1 – Tuesday 20th November

Welcome to conference, Roger Cole, Vice President, CMA
‘Welcome to Lee Valley Regional Park’ Jon Carney – Head of Parklands, Lee
Valley Regional Park Authority
‘Delivering the 25 year Environment Plan’ Merrick Denton-Thompson OBE, FLI, PPLI
Two 50 min workshop sessions, chosen in advance, from:

CMA Market Place – Will Stewart (exchange of best practice), Norwich City Council
TCV Green Gym – Gareth Chalmers, ‘Green Gyms’, The Conservation Volunteers
Mindfulness walk – Rebecca Pollard, Solstice Storytelling Circle
Storytelling – Helen Bruce, Solstice Storytelling Circle
Valuing your Volunteers – Jessica Whitehead, Volunteer Officer, Lee Valley RPA

CMA AGM
Gordon Miller Award presentations:

National Trust Basecamp Volunteer centre, Low Wray, Lake District
Gray’s Chalk Pit SSSI, Grays, Essex
Dialogue Matters, Hatfield Forest, Essex.

Active Neighbourhoods – Tim Russell, Urban Ranger, Devon Wildlife Trust
Gordon Miller Award – Winner announced: Basecamp in the Lake District received the most votes from CMA members and CMA Vice-President Roger Cole presented Jon Williams with the prestigious barn owl trophy.

Day 2 – Wednesday 21st November

AM: Field trip (one from the following 3 options):

Pedal Power – Cycle from YHA towards Olympic White Water Centre, taking in sculpture
trail and on to Fishers Green. Visiting Hall Marsh Scrape, Bittern Information Point (manned by volunteers) and other stop-offs if time permits eg. Norman’s Pond / FG Island coppicing /
Old Mill Broxbourne
Gunpowder and Water – a drive to Gunpowder Park; on to Waltham Abbey Garden Community Orchard project, LVP Education team then finally to Olympic White Water Centre, returning to YHA through River Lee Country Park.
Rye House Gatehouse – to RSPB Reserve and Herts/ Middlesex Wildlife Trust projects / Broxbourne Woods

PM: Parks Action Group (PAG) – workshops and debate:

‘CMA and Parks Action – Shaping the Future of England’s Public Parks and Green Spaces’
– Ian Leete, Senior Adviser-Culture, Tourism and Sport, Local Government Association. Update on PAG priorities and their 6 work streams
‘Milton Keynes – A successful trust model’ – James Cairncross, Landscape Infrastructure Manager, The Parks Trust
Facilitated workshops – a practical opportunity to discuss the groups work stream priorities and how CMA might engage with the Group’s work
Feedback / Qs and As / Debate – led by Dave Solly. Debate Panel made up of: Ian Leete, Senior Advisor, Local Government Association; ; Dave Morris, Chair of the National Federation of Parks and Green Spaces; Lynn Crowe, CMA Advocacy Advisor; Paul Todd, Accreditation Manager, Keep Britain Tidy and a Director of The Parks Alliance and James Cairncross, Landscape Infrastructure Manager, The Parks Trust, Milton Keynes.

A big thank you to everyone involved in organising and delivering another great CMA conference!

2017 conference - New opportunities in the outdoors – Creative approaches to funding, partnerships and publicity

Report on CMA Conference 2017 –

New opportunities in the outdoors – Creative approaches to funding, partnerships and publicity

21^st-23^rd November, Conwy YHA, North Wales

Delegates enjoyed three excellent days in North Wales with informative presentations, great workshop sessions and unforgettable field trips. Provided below are some presentations and photos from the event.

Tuesday 21^st November

Welcome to Conference – Linda Nunn, CMA Chairman; Janice Burley, CMA National Training Co-ordinator
‘Welcome to Partnership Working in Snowdonia National Park’ – Jonathan Cawley, Director of Planning and Land Management, Snowdonia National Park
‘Professional fundraising for the non-professional’ – Richard Witt, professional fundraising consultant
‘Partnership Projects and Funding: What is the current situation in Europe?’ – Bárbara Pais, Communications and Marketing Manager, EUROPARC Federation
Gordon Miller Award – individual presentations: Ted Talbot – Edale Badger Edge Vaccination Partnership Project; Alan Preece – Changing behaviour and perceptions with geological conservation at Saltwells Nature Reserve, Dudley
Update from Ireland – Lorcan Scott, District Conservation Officer (Peatlands), Kildare
Update from Scotland – George Potts, Chairman, Scottish Countryside Ranger Association
Gordon Miller Award presentation – Delegates voted for the project they thought should be awarded the prestigious barn owl trophy. Saltwells Nature Reserve won the most votes and Alan Preece received the trophy from our President, Gordon Miller.

Wednesday 22^nd November

Choice of one of three site visits:

Cwm Idwal NNR – partnership work with National Trust, Natural Resource Wales and Snowdonia NPA (and others) to manage access and grazing in the National Nature Reserve.

Parc Farm on the Great Orme – the famous “£1 farm”, trialling active shepherding to manage grazing. Partnership work with National Trust, Plantlife, Conwy County Council and others.

Magnificent Snowdon – a 2-3 hr walk on Snowdon with warden (travel & weather dependent) followed by presentation on the Snowdon Partnership. Snowdonia National Park Partnership Manager Helen Pye will discuss recreation management within the Partnership’s work.

AGM plus regional round ups – CMA Board
‘Rangers in Europe and Worldwide – an update on the work of ERF and IRF’ – Frank Grutz, President, & Roger Cole, Vice President, European Ranger Federation
‘Looking Ahead to World Ranger Day 2018’ – Chris Lockyer

Thursday 23^rd November

Workshop session on Ranger magazine

‘Hints and tips for working with the media: Learn to shout about what you do’ – Sean Kirby, Press and PR professional, former journalist
‘The Ranger magazine: what do you want?’ – Janice Burley. Discussion & feedback on future content / structure

Choice of two of the following four workshops.

Maximising your income – or “How much is that butterfly in the window?”- Ted Talbot
How to write effective press releases – Sean Kirby
Learning to use Social Media – Bárbara Pais
Kickstart your project through Crowdfunding – Amanda Peters

A big thank you to everyone who organised, presented, led field trips and attended the conference and to YHA Conwy for providing an excellent venue.

2016: 50th anniversary conference - Twenty First Century Rangers - looking forward to the next 50 years.

Report on 50th Anniversary Conference:

Countryside Management Association 50^th Anniversary Conference

“Twenty First Century Rangers – looking forward to the next 50 years.”

1^st to 3^rd November 2016, Losehill Hall YHA, Castleton, Derbyshire.

These fabulous three days at Losehill Hall in the Peak District were an inspiring combination of reflection and passionate anticipation for the future.

Ted Talbot of the National Trust

Tuesday’s presentations were a mix of innovative projects being undertaken locally within the National Park, past and present initiatives around Sheffield and enthusiastic encouragement to forge closer links with European ranger colleagues.

Speakers included: Peak District National Park Ranger Service; Derbyshire Wildlife Trust; The National Trust; Frank Grutz – IRF Europe representative; Roger Cole, CMA/IRF and Professor Ian Rotherham of Sheffield Hallam University.

Click here to see Roger Cole’s presentation about a recent European meeting jointly hosted by the Slovak Rangers Association and the Association of Rangers of the Czech Republic.

Someone ordered amazingly sunny, dry weather for Wednesday’s field trips:

Wonderful views on Mam Tor

Castleton Visitor Centre and Mam Tor
A cycle ride along the Monsal Trail
The Dark Peak and Stannage Edge
Edale Visitor Centre and ‘Moors for the Future’ Partnership

Sean Willmore, President of the International Ranger Federation (IRF), had arrived from Australia by the time delegates returned and they were treated to a summary of the ongoing vital work of the IRF and the Thin Green Line Foundation.

CMA acting Chair, Linda Nunn and Gordon Miller

One of the founders of CMA and a driving force in setting up the IRF, Gordon Miller, was introduced as the new Honorary President of CMA to great applause from delegates.

Ian Brooker accepting the Gordon Miller Award

Four nominees for the new ‘Gordon Miller Award’ had to wait until after dinner to hear who had won and the Sticklepath and Okehampton Conservation Group from Dartmoor National Park scooped the barn owl trophy. Click on the following links for details of the excellent four entries that were received this year:

Wednesday evening was the time for CMA 50^th Anniversary celebrations. Looking back at the pioneering work of the first rangers in the land and the subsequent emergence and growth of the CMA, went hand in hand with our next generation of rangers reporting on their time at the World Ranger Congress in Colorado, USA which took place in May of this year. Click here to view their presentation.

50th-cake

A celebratory cake, toast from our new President and surprise video message from Chris Packham ensured a good night was had by all.

Thursday saw Jon Dallow of Sheffield Outdoor Programme explain how the ‘great outdoors’ is contributing in a big way to the local economy. The CMA AGM then focussed on four workshop sessions to produce new ideas and opportunities for CMA to pursue during 2017…all good food for thought.

Linda Nunn and new Honorary Patron, Chris Baines

Sarah Fowler, CEO Peak District National Park, gave a penultimate speech to delegates followed by a rousing final address from our new Honorary Patron, Chris Baines.

National Committee believes this was an uplifting and inspiring step forward for the Association and several new offers were received to take on roles within CMA.

There were multiple outcomes from Conference 2016, with one taking centre stage: we are all, quite rightly, deeply passionate about our work and the multiple benefits we bring to the environment, economy and people – we must learn to sell our story bigger, better and more joined up to gain greater recognition, support and financial backing for our vital work.

‘Shout more loudly’