environmental | Centre for Environment, Society and Resilience blog

Moths, monitoring and molecular ecology: A new biodiversity project takes flight at UWE Bristol

cesr | 9 September 20269 September 2026

How well do traditional ecological surveys compare with cutting-edge genetic techniques? A new UWE Bristol project is seeking to answer this question by combining moth trapping with airborne environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling across the Frenchay Campus. Airborne eDNA involves collecting traces of genetic material that animals leave behind in the environment, offering a potentially powerful new way to monitor biodiversity.

Led by Todd Lewis (Senior Lecturer in Ecology) and Aimee Brake (MSc Environmental Consultancy), the project explores whether DNA collected from the air can provide a reliable and efficient way of monitoring moth biodiversity alongside established survey methods. The research brings together staff and students from across UWE Bristol and will support both MSc and BSc dissertation projects.

Moth watching in action – Aimee Brake and Martin Richardson

The first fieldwork session has now been successfully completed. Using portable ultraviolet LED moth traps (LepiLED) to trap moths temporarily, researchers and student volunteers recorded a wide variety of moth species across campus habitats. Alongside conventional survey methods, airborne eDNA samplers were deployed to capture traces of genetic material present in the environment. These samples will now undergo laboratory analysis and metabarcoding to determine which moth species can be detected from the air alone.

Moths play a vital role in local ecosystems, acting as pollinators and providing food for birds, bats and other wildlife. Yet many species are declining or shifting their distribution ranges across the UK. This project will help us better understand the diversity of moths living on the Frenchay Campus while exploring new ways of monitoring wildlife. By combining traditional field surveys with innovative DNA-based approaches, we hope to improve how biodiversity is recorded and protected in the future. The project also offers opportunities for staff, students and the wider community to engage with nature, sustainability and ecological research at UWE Bristol.

Get Involved!

We are planning additional moth-trapping sessions throughout the summer and would welcome participation from staff, students and researchers with an interest in ecology, biodiversity, molecular methods, or simply a curiosity about the incredible diversity of moths found on campus.

Whether you would like hands-on field experience, learn more about species identification, or contribute to an exciting research project, we’d love to hear from you.

For more information or to express an interest in joining future moth-trapping sessions, please contact Todd Lewis.

CESR hosts two international environmental conferences

cesr | 25 August 202625 August 2026

On 8-11 June 2026, UWE Bristol hosted two parallel environmental conferences: the 31st International Conference on Modelling, Monitoring and Management of Air Pollution and the 6th International Conference on Environmental and Economic Impact on Sustainable Development. Both conferences were organised by the Wessex Institute and co-chaired by Dr Stavros Syngellakis of the Wessex Institute and Prof. Jo Barnes and Dr Ben Williams of the Centre for Environment, Society and Resilience, UWE Bristol (as featured in image above).

Air Pollution 2026 boasted some great talks across a range of related topics and an excellent Special Session on “Possible implications of net zero technologies on air quality”, organised by Dr Philippa Douglas of the Environment Agency, United Kingdom. Similarly, Environmental Pollution 2026 also enjoyed a range of talks covering the triple threat of climate change, pollution and biodiversity collapse, as well as progress in ensuring sustainability through more constructive and progressive approaches.

As well as seasoned academics, it was brilliant to see so many top-class student speakers presenting, including colleagues from Bristol University and our own Postgraduate Researcher, Sayda Shejuti.

Sayda Shejuti presenting her PhD research on microplastics pollution at the Environmental Impact 2026 conference

It was a welcome return to be back ‘in the flesh’ for these two conferences following a transition to online conference delivery post-Covid19. Moreover, it was the first time these events had been hosted at UWE Bristol. Attendees, who had travelled from around the world, loved the venue and facilities, especially the guided walk around Bristol Harbourside and conference dinner at River Station.

Attendees from both conferences attending the harbourside walk and conference dinner

You can find details of the papers selected for presentation that have been included in the Conference Proceedings and permanently stored in the WIT eLibrary (see https://www.witpress.com/elibrary) from where they can now be freely downloaded, and from where you can purchase copies of the conference proceedings: Air Pollution XXXI and Environmental Impact VI.

Many thanks to all of the speakers, the Wessex Institute, especially Dr Stavros Syngellakis, Marta Graczyk and David Franco van Buuren, the International Advisory Committee, my colleagues, co-chairs and and keynotes, including Emeritus Professor Jim Longhurst, and to UWE Events and Hospitality for facilitating.

Written by Professor Jo Barnes

UWE Bristol secures £233,000 in Ofwat’s first Water Efficiency Lab competition

cesr | 23 June 202623 June 2026

We are delighted to announce that UWE Bristol has been awarded £233,000 through Ofwat’s first Water Efficiency Lab competition, becoming the lead researchers and supporting the development of the Water Warriors project. The successful bid was led by Dr Sara-Jayne Williams at UWE Bristol underpinned by her previous research with children, working in partnership with project leads Water Research Centre (WRC), Yorkshire Water, Southwest Water and Anglian Water.

“Children already have powerful ideas about environmental change and can be hugely influential within their families and communities. This project puts them at the centre, helping turn their ideas into practical actions that can support more sustainable water use. We’re working with an incredible team across research, practice and the creative sector, and I’m excited to get started.”

– Dr Sara-Jayne Williams

Water Warriors highlights the importance of engaging future generations not simply as recipients of information, but as active participants in shaping more sustainable ways of living. The project will explore how children can play a meaningful role in shaping sustainable water futures, bringing together academic research, sector and educational expertise to better understand how water behaviours are formed and influenced.

With a child-centred approach, the research recognises that future generations have significant care and capacity for influence – qualities that remain underutilised and underexplored in current approaches to water efficiency and broader environmental action.

RISE – Driving interdisciplinary research that turns leading ideas into tangible change.

While children should not be expected to carry responsibility for solving global challenges, their voices, ideas, and everyday practices are an important part of wider collective efforts. Water Warriors seeks to understand how young people engage with water, sustainability, and care for the planet, how these perspectives can be supported and amplified, and how they can inform more effective, long-term change.

*RISE – Placing children and future generations at the heart of innovation, Water Warriors are building solutions that last*.

The research takes a values-led approach, focusing on how early experiences and education can help nurture long-term behaviours towards water stewardship. By exploring how awareness, responsibility, and practical action develop over time, the research led by UWE Bristol within the Centre for Environment, Society and Resilience (CESR) will contribute to more inclusive and impactful strategies for improving water efficiency. Professor Jo Barnes, Co-Director of CESR, said:

“This is an excellent win for Sara and for CESR. Building strong partnerships with industry and communities is central to both this project and our wider strategy, and will help ensure the work achieves meaningful intergenerational impact by empowering schoolchildren to influence water use within their families, now and in the future.”

What is the Water Efficiency Lab?

RISE – Building the skills and confidence needed to tackle today’s environmental challenges and tomorrow’s uncertainties.

Run by  Ofwat and Challenge Works and supported by  Arup and  Isle Utilities, the Water Efficiency Lab aims to fund the most promising solutions for cutting demand among both households and businesses.

A total of £25 million will be available through annual WEL competitions between 2025-30. Each competition will explore a different theme, which is designed to target funding towards the key challenges and most critical barriers to water efficiency.

RISE – Fostering entrepreneurial approaches that enable communities to design and deliver their own environmental solutions.

The first competition focused on innovations that give people and businesses the insights they need to better understand their water usage and the tools to take action to reduce it – helping cut their bills, preserve water resources and protect the environment.

What’s next?

Working collaboratively across the partnership, the project will engage children, families, carers and teachers in co-creating child-centred resources. These will reflect children’s voices and lived experiences, while supporting educators to bring curriculum subjects to life in more meaningful and engaging ways.

Find out more

The full list of all 7 winners is available on the Fund’s website. For more information on the first Water Efficiency Lab competition and all of the Water Innovation Fund Challenges, head to https://waterinnovation.challenges.org/.