AS WORLD leaders arrive in Glasgow for the UN Climate Change Conference COP26, Scottish scientists have created a virtual tour showcasing their climate crisis research.

Researchers from across SEFARI – a consortium of six Scottish Environment, Food and Agriculture Research Institutes – have joined forces online to highlight their innovative research in the field.

Covering everything from peatlands to parasites, the Google Earth tour includes videos by scientists from Scotland’s Rural College, James Hutton Institute, Rowett Institute, Moredun Research Institute, BioSS and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

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The tour takes in collaborative research in the Forsinard Flows and at SRUC’s Kirkton and Auchtertyre farms into the impact of peatland restoration on greenhouse gas emissions. Visitors are transported to Scotland’s rainforests, to hear how scientists are protecting the vulnerable species living there, and into the world of parasites to learn how these opportunistic organisms are adapting to climate change as part of research at the Moredun Research Institute.

Researchers from the Rowett Institute explain how novel crops such as hemp can help sequester carbon, promote biodiversity and restore the health of our agricultural land. There is also a virtual visit to the James Hutton Institute’s Climate-Positive Farming initiative at Glensaugh farm, and the SRUC’s GreenCow facility near Edinburgh, where researchers explain how state-of-the-art respiration chambers are being used to identify measures to reduce GHG emissions from cattle production systems.

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Professor Lorna Dawson, SEFARI Gateway Lead for Environment and principal scientist at the JHI, said: “The best thing about this virtual tour is that everyone can join, in their own time, from the comfort of their home or office, to learn more about how we are working together in collaboration and cooperation, across the institutes, and with our partners, to help tackle the important issues of climate change and biodiversity loss - ensuring that Scotland’s people, biodiversity and industries continue to thrive now and into the future.”

To join the tour, visit: https://bit.ly/OnSEFARITour