Our Kirby Lectures are paid for by a fund set up by one of our members, Baron Kirby de Claremont, more than 30 years ago.  We are indebted to him for his generosity and support.

What Future for the Cumbrian Uplands?
The next decade will perhaps see more changes for our Cumbrian uplands than ever before.  The farm subsidy scheme is changing dramatically, with farmers no longer being paid for owning or tenanting, but now for the benefits they produce for society.  These are known as 'public goods' such as water, carbon sequestrian, healthy soils, landscapes and habitats, for example.  This will inevitably cause a lot of changes in the farming landscape as we know it.

As well as this, we are facing a nature crisis with a decline in habitats nationally, and also a rise in the impacts of climate change - more intense and more frequent storms, for example.

For our Kirby Lecture, we put together a range of respected local people to form our panel for the night, who gave us their views on how they see the future of our beloved uplands panning out.

Please click on the video below to watch the full discussion or watch via Vimeo

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Our Land Management Appeal

At a time when flooding events, biodiversity loss and the need for nature to improve people's physical and mental health are more critical than ever, we need to ensure the work we are doing is as effective as it possible can be.  Natural capital assessments will enable this.  Read here for more information about natural capital assessments and what we hope to do.