SYBERAC’s 2025 field research season in summary with the latest updates from the project’s case studies.

In September 2025, the Steering Board members of SYBERAC travelled to Cambridge, United Kingdom, for the first project review meeting and to visit the Hope Farm case study site.

A team from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) shared their SYBERAC project research with the public at the recent Open Farm Sunday event at RSPB Hope Farm. Dr. Melanie Gibbs and her colleagues, Ivy Ng’iru and Leah Griffiths, used interactive displays, including a DNA barcoding activity, to explain their work on the risks and benefits of conservation habitats in crop field margins.

The SYBERAC project held its second meeting in Barcelona, advancing environmental risk assessment. Highlights included a vineyard study visit showcasing regenerative viticulture and its impact on soil health, directly informing pesticide impact research. Stakeholder workshops fostered collaboration, while a field trip to the Ebro Delta provided practical context for case studies on bats and migratory birds, emphasizing the balance between land use and biodiversity. The project aims to refine environmental risk assessment methodologies through real-world case studies and modeling.

On 16th July 2024, experts from UKCEH and RSPB convened at Hope Farm, Cambridgeshire, to discuss the impact of pesticides on non-target organisms. The workshop highlighted challenges in assessing pesticide effects due to incomplete data. A key outcome was the development of a strategy for a rapid, cost-effective evidence synthesis method to guide agricultural decisions, co-designed with stakeholders.