Helen Miller and Jon Bull (from Ocean and Earth Science) recently organised a successful workshop in Windermere, which aimed to increase the impact recent research on Windermere as part of a NERC Impact Acceleration Account to the University of Southampton. The workshop was well attended, with 30 delegates from 12 different organisations including the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, the British Geological Survey, the Environment Agency, the Lake District National Park Authority, the National Trust, Natural England and Unities Utilities.

The day was kicked off by Helen, who gave a presentation on results from her PhD, which investigated lake bed environments and modern sedimentation in the lake, with a particular focus on heavy metal pollution. Several other interesting talks followed on a wide range of topics – from the ecology of the lake, to community involvement and reconstructing ice sheet behaviour. Break-Out groups in the afternoon led to lively discussions about how to increase impact and what potential future research should focus on. Community involvement and engagement was a key theme, with the key goal of connecting people with place. Expanding the research to other key lakes and tarns in the Lake District (e.g. Ullswater, Grasmere and Esthwaite) was also a key topic of discussion.

To follow-up, Helen will produce a report and action plan that will be reviewed by delegates and used to develop links with the community and drive future research in the Lake District. Helen and Jon thank the FBA for hosting the event and the invited speakers and delegates who helped make the day a huge success. We look forward to lots of interesting research in Windermere and other lakes in the Lake District!