Have you registered for Greenbelts: Local Solutions for Global Challenges from March 22nd to March 24th?
This Global Greenbelts Conference brings together over forty-five speakers from nine countries across the globe to discuss the potential of Greenbelts to help manage urban growth, sustain farming and the vibrancy of surrounding communities, and protect valuable ecosystems.
PURPLE – which stands for the Peri-Urban Regions Platform Europe - was created in 2004. It is a network of 15 European regions and public authorities that have been working for recognition by European policy makers of the unique challenges and opportunities of ‘peri-urban’ areas. Greenbelt and peri-urban regions within the PURPLE network include the Mazovia Region, South East England, Nord Pas de Calais, Catalunya, and the West Midlands.
The general objectives of PURPLE are to promote successful socio-economic transition in peri-urban areas and their agricultural sector, influence European Union policymaking, and act as a platform for peri-urban regions to share knowledge and best practices.
Ms. Lenie Dwarshuis van de Beek, a member of the Executive Board of PURPLE, will speak about nurturing the dynamism of peri-urban areas including their agriculture and agri-food industries.
To register for the Conference and for more about PURPLE visit: www.globalgreenbeltsconference.ca
Spotlight: Margaret Atwood
The Foundation is proud to welcome award-winning author and Canadian icon Margaret Atwood as a keynote speaker for the upcoming Global Greenbelts Conference. Atwood, whose work has made her arguably Canada’s most famed novelist-has been published in over thirty thirty-five countries, and is the author of more than forty books of fiction, poetry, and critical essays. She has expressed strong views on environmental issues, evidenced in her latest novel, The Year of the Flood. She is also a joint honourary President of the Rare Bird Club within BirdLife International. Atwood will be speaking at the conference on March 24.