University of Cumbria expands innovative upland collaboration course to Dartmoor National Park

The University of Cumbria is extending the reach of its Upland Environmental Land Management (ELM) Short Course in Collaborative Practices, following the success of a pilot programme delivered in the Lake District.

The specialist short course will now be trialled in Dartmoor National Park as a five-week delivered programme, beginning in the week commencing 5 November. The move marks an important step in sharing successful approaches to collaboration and land management across England's protected landscapes.

Developed to support those working in and alongside upland environments, the course focuses on building the skills, knowledge and relationships needed to tackle complex environmental and land management challenges through collaborative working.

The expansion into Dartmoor highlights the university's growing reputation for delivering specialist continuing professional development (CPD) and short courses that respond directly to the needs of rural and environmental sectors.

Dr Owen Morgan, Uplands Environmental Land Management Course Coordinator at the University of Cumbria, said: "The success of the pilot programme demonstrated the appetite for practical, collaborative learning that helps people navigate an increasingly complex land management landscape. By taking the course to Dartmoor, we are not only sharing good practice between protected landscapes, but also helping build the knowledge, relationships and confidence needed to deliver positive outcomes for farming, nature recovery and rural communities."

The course is being delivered in partnership with the Foundation for Common Land, which will lead targeted promotion to potential participants across the Dartmoor region.

Feedback from learners who took part in the Lake District pilot has been overwhelmingly positive, with participants highlighting the value of learning from others facing similar challenges and the opportunity to develop new approaches to collaborative working.

One participant, Henry Russell, a Commons Facilitator and founder of Russell Regen, said the course strengthened his understanding of governance, regulations and agri-environment schemes, helping him better support common land projects and commoners' associations.

Henry said: "Understanding where we're up to with agri-environment schemes, what opportunities are available and how different schemes fit together means I can work more effectively on behalf of commoners."

“If you're looking to improve your understanding of how to work effectively with common land projects, or you're interested in the governance and regulatory side of things, it's definitely worth signing up."