Linnean Edinburgh Lecture | Restoring Nature by Moving Species

How species reintroductions and conservation translocations have become an increasingly important tool in protecting species and landscapes PLEASE NOTE: THIS EVENT IS IN EDINBURGH. Please do consider a donation. Even the smallest donation goes a long way in helping us deliver our nature outreach work. There are increasing numbers of species reintroductions and other types of conservation translocation. They have become an increasingly important tool in helping us save threatened species and to restore our ecosystems. Some of the mammal and bird projects are high profile and generate much debate, many others are less well known, especially those involving plants and invertebrates. This talk will look at the range of fascinating projects going on in Scotland and overseas, the types of complex biological and social issues that we need to consider when designing such projects, and some of the creative and ambitious approaches to conservation translocation now being developed. Dr Martin Gaywood is a Senior Researcher at IBFC, UHI Inverness and Species Projects Manager at NatureScot, Scotland’s nature conservation agency. He has led a wide range of species conservation projects and has been closely involved in beaver reintroduction to Scotland since 2000 and wildcat restoration. He managed the Species Action Framework programme of conservation work 2007-12, has provided the secretariat role for the National Species Reintroduction Forum since its inception, managed the production of the Scottish Code for Conservation Translocations, and is a member of the IUCN SSC Conservation Translocation Specialist Group. He was lead editor of the book Conservation Translocations published by Cambridge University Press in 2023, is chair for the 4th International Conservation Translocation Conference held in Edinburgh in September 2026, and was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2023. Photos: Lead photo credit to 'Saving Wildcats'. If you'd like to stay updated about our events programme, and other news, please subscribe to our monthly newsletter here. Terms and Conditions.