EU PLAN‑B Project Convenes in Snow‑Covered Gdańsk to Advance Research on Noise and Light Pollution
The EU‑funded PLAN‑B project brought together researchers, partners, and environmental specialists in Gdańsk, Poland, for its annual general assembly—an event marked by sub‑zero temperatures, heavy snowfall, and significant scientific progress. The three‑day meeting gathered experts from across Europe to assess the project’s early findings and shape the next phase of work aimed at understanding and reducing the impacts of noise and light pollution on terrestrial wildlife.
The assembly opened with a full review of results achieved during the project’s first year. Teams presented updates on field measurements, ecological modelling, and community‑based monitoring efforts taking place across several pilot cities. Early data indicates that artificial light at night and increasing urban noise levels are altering wildlife behaviour, habitat use, and ecosystem services—trends the consortium aims to quantify with greater precision as the project advances.
Among the attendees was Sarah Armstrong, a CDT student specialising in wildlife acoustics, who joined the meeting to observe the project’s collaborative approach and explore how its findings might inform her own research. She described the experience as both inspiring and intellectually energising.
“It was great to hear the project updates, learn from their initial findings and to see how an international project works in practice,” Sarah said after returning from Gdańsk. “I had some really interesting conversations and came away with many ideas for my own PhD project with Defra in Developing Methods for Addressing the Impacts of Anthropogenic Noise on Non-Human Animals During Development Planning.”
The second and third days of the assembly shifted into interactive working sessions, where participants co‑designed upcoming activities for measuring noise and light pollution in the project’s pilot locations. These sessions focused on harmonising methodologies, integrating new technologies, and ensuring that data collected across Europe can be compared and used to guide policy recommendations. The experience, she noted, offered valuable insight into how large‑scale environmental research is coordinated across borders.
As the PLAN‑B consortium continues its work, the project aims to deliver practical tools and evidence‑based strategies to help cities reduce sensory pollution and protect vulnerable wildlife. The Gdańsk assembly marks a significant step toward that goal, strengthening collaboration and setting the stage for the next phase of fieldwork and analysis.