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 recently held a workshop in Cantanhede, Portugal, addressing the effects of plant protection products (PPPs) on soil biodiversity and ecosystem function. Hosted by the University of Coimbra, this collaborative event brought together experts and stakeholders to explore the dynamics of soil invertebrate communities and their critical role in ecosystem services. This discussion aligns with SYBERAC’s broader mission of advancing systems-based ecological risk assessment (sb-ERA) to inform sustainable agricultural practices.