Biosphere Annual Meeting 2025: a mosaic of activities
- dyfibiosphere
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Every year we hold a public meeting to share Biosphere news and for people in the area to connect with each other and share inspiration. This year's was as memorable as ever. Darllen yn Gymraeg.
We met this year in the foyer of MOMA, Machynlleth, in the middle of Andamento, an exhibition by Aberystwyth artist Alison Pierse. It runs until 26 January - don't miss it! As Alison explains, 'Andamento describes the flow of tiles within a mosaic; but it also describes pace or evolution,' and it was a good metaphor for the work of the Biosphere - integrating different pieces of work and finding meaning and direction in the whole.
It was an opportunity to look back over a very significant year for the Biosphere: saying goodbye to ecodyfi and archiving its papers for the National Library, running the Streams and Screams citizen science project, launching Awyr Iach, strengthening our relationship with other UK Biospheres and other UNESCO sites in Wales, and changing our constitution and submitting an application for core funding to the Welsh Government.
We have also started work on a five-year plan for the Biosphere which will run until 2030, shortly after our next Annual Review in 2029.
Although the Biosphere staff will host this plan, our partners and the community will lead the work and agree on the direction. So for the rest of the evening, guest speakers presented their work. Each Biosphere has three main functions - development, conservation and education - and that was the structure of the evening.
Well-being economy - This is an area of work that needs more attention, although the Biosphere has carried out several projects on tourism, food and energy in the past. Presentations were made by the Severn Wye Energy Agency, Cwmni Nod Glas, Tir Canol and Porthi Aber.
Connecting with the natural world - this has been a strong element of the Biosphere recently, full of potential in terms of recording biodiversity, protecting nature and health. We heard from Awyr Iach, Coetir Anian, Ceredigion Local Nature Partnership (the National Forest for Wales), Lab Dwr Dyffryn Dyfi and New Dovey Fishery Association.
Culture, research, education - the Screams and Streams citizen science project, with Aberystwyth University and others, was the highlight of the year, but much more is happening in this area: CAT running courses and seminars, a community group renovating the Machynlleth Stables, Aberystwyth becoming a City of Literature, our education group meeting again, and new life for Ynyslas visitor centre.
Unfortunately several speakers were ill or otherwise unable to come but we have included their slides in the presentation below.
The meeting ended with food and chat, and a circle to share ideas. One of these was for a day-long event to 'build the mycelium' - so watch out for that in the new year.
Image: Alison Pierse, with kind permission. Alison also runs guided walking tours in Aberystwyth at Aberdabbadoo.