The annual conference of the Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences will take place on Friday, the 28th of November from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Oecologicum, room 127, and the general theme of the conference is “Green Transition and Smart Solutions: Science for a Sustainable Future.” The conference will be held in English.
This conference theme brings together the diverse research fields of the Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences — botany, geography, geology, zoology, and science education — to explore how scientific knowledge and skills drives sustainable change. It highlights how smart, evidence-based solutions and green competences can support the transition to resilient ecosystems, responsible resource use, and informed environmental decision-making.
| 10.00–10.30 REGISTRATION AND COFFEE |
| 10.30–10.35 OPENING WORDS Maarja Öpik, Director of the Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences |
| 10.35–10.45 Announcement of the ÖMI Ambassador Scholarship Recipients, Toomas Tammaru, Department of Zoology |
| 10.45–11.45 Keynote: "Green transition in Estonia", Eili Lepik, Director General of Green Reform Department, Ministry of Climate |
| 11.45–12.00 "What we do in the shadows: Citizen science as a path to sustainable wildlife monitoring", Christel Rose Bachmann, Department of Zoology |
| 12.00–12.15 "The role of science education for sustainable future", Tapashi Binte Mahmud Chowdhurry, Centre for Science Education |
| 12.15–13.00 LUNCH BREAK (on one's own) |
| 13.00–13.15 "From decline to recovery: Solutions for wetland species conservation", Riinu Rannap, Department of Zoology |
| 13.15–13.30 "Creating a climate literate generation - one thesis at a time", Marie Johanna Univer, Centre for Science Education |
| 13.30–13.45 "Estonia’s digital society through the lens of ageing rural communities", Kadri Leetmaa, Department of Geography |
| 13.45–14.00 "Estonian river flow over a century: The interplay of climate and human activity", Marko Kohv, Department of Geology |
| 14.00–14.30 COFFEE BREAK |
| 14.30–14.45 "Role of cloud forest canopy microbiome in green house gas dynamics", Fahad Ali Kazmi, Department of Geography |
| 14.45–15.00 "Integrating ecological theory and agroecosystems - natural experiments as useful tools in ecology", Tanel Vahter, Department of Botany |
| 15.00–15.15 "Solid wastes from the Estonian oil shale industry - resource or a problem?", Elina Kuusma, Department of Geology |
| 15.15–15.30 "Designing better biodiversity offsets: Evidence from the MycoPhylo experiment", Manikandan Ariyan, Department of Botany |
| 15.30 CLOSING REMARKS |
| 15.35 INFORMAL DISCUSSION, SNACKS |
Register for the conference here until the 24th of November.
The organizer of the conference is the Vision and Integration Committee of the Institute.