biodiversity – Page 2 – The NEN

Sea Cadets set up Sea Hives to boost marine life at Port Edgar Marina

Sea cadets have installed a sea hive to benefit local marine life and biodiversity at the Sea Cadets Port Edgar Boat Station in South Queensferry.

Over the weekend, on a cold and overcast Saturday, eight junior cadets – all aged between 10 and 12 from nearby Methil and Queensferry Sea Cadets units – gathered at the Firth of the Forth against the backdrop of the iconic three bridges, first to assemble and then to install the sea hive, under the guidance of Mr David Francis of SeaHives Ltd.

“I measured the bolts used to fit the sea hive together,” one of the cadets, Jae (10) proudly announced. “I put the shackles on, which were used to attach the sea hive to the pontoon,” said Addie (11).

The sea cadets themselves have taken ownership of the exciting initiative, and not only with their hands-on approach in building and setting up the hive. The young people will be monitoring the variety and quantity of marine life that settles into their newly-installed hive over the coming months.

“We will be taking photos with an underwater camera once a week to see which marine life has moved in,” explains sea cadet Edward (10).

“I am excited because it will bring in new marine life,” said Ella (11), with Jude (10) adding that he is hoping that plenty of fish and barnacles (sticky little crustaceans related to crabs, lobsters and shrimp) will decide to make the sea hive their home.

Sea hives are artificial reefs designed to resemble the marine environment, providing surfaces for marine to settle on. Among the marine life that could decide to ‘move in’ are octopus, prawns, rock-dwelling fish and tube worms.

“We are really excited to be working with SeaHives Ltd on this venture, which started six months ago for us,” said Adam Ranklin, Boat Station Manager at the Sea Cadets Port Edgar Boat Station.

“It was great to see how fully engaged the cadets were in the set up and installation of the sea hives. They were very hands-on throughout, using drills and tools as well as taking charge in making decisions about the sea hives. It was a new and very positive experience for our junior sea cadets.”

David Francis of SeaHives Ltd said: ‘What a great bunch of Sea Cadets there were at Port Edgar! They really know how to work as a team to get the job done.

“Their boat station is an ideal location for a sea hive as it provides access to the plankton and nutrient rich waters of the North Sea, in an environment protected from extreme tidal and wave action.

“The sea hive will also provide shelter from predators for small fish and invertebrates like crabs and octopus to grow and breed.

“Sea hives are manufactured partly from processed and recycled fishing nets, an excellent example of how plastic can be re-used with a positive purpose.”

The sea hives project follows local and national forums among the cadets, called Cadet Voice, where the young people decide on the issues closest to their hearts to action. Being more environmentally responsible emerged as one of the young people’s top priorities.

Installation of sea hives will also take place next week at the Sea Cadets Thrapston Boat Station in Northamptonshire, with an eye to installing more sea hives at other Sea Cadets boat stations across the country.

As sea cadet Remy (11) says, “Sea cadets spend many hours on the water – so it’s only right that we should look after our marine environment.”

For more information on Sea Cadets, visit www.sea-cadets.org

To find out more about sea hives, see www.seahives.com

Marine Biodiversity Fund project on Firth of Forth celebrates first year

More than 4,000 locals have been involved in the first full year of a major marine restoration project – part-funded by the ScottishPower Foundation – to bring back seagrass habitats and native oyster populations to the Firth of Forth.

The ‘Restoration Forth’ project is supported by up to £600,000 over three years from the Foundation’s Marine Biodiversity Fund, which was set up to help provide a lasting legacy from the UN’s COP26 climate change conference held in Glasgow in 2021.

Restoration Forth is managed by WWF, the leading independent conservation organisation, in partnership with local communities and organisations and seeks to restore seagrass which provides an important habitat for marine life and an incredible tool in the fight against climate change.

Oyster reefs – which once flourished in the Forth – remove pollutants and provide sanctuary for a vast array of marine life.

The ScottishPower Foundation funding helped support a packed first year of activity, with the Restoration Forth team working with thousands of people to lay the foundations for the important restoration work.

As part of the process, 40,000 seagrass seeds have been prepped for planting, with the project team visiting Orkney and working with the local community there to collect the seeds for replanting in the Forth. Care was taken to ensure that the east coast variant was collected to avoid non-native species being planted in the Firth of Forth. The seeds are expected to be planted in March 2023.

Over a period of six months, the team also engaged more than 4,000 people of all ages from the communities surrounding the Firth of Forth. School pupils, university students, researchers, fishing communities and an array of local groups have learned about the plans and how they can get involved. More than 100 events from walks and talks to seed processing days and school assemblies have taken place.

An appointed team of citizen scientists have also been working in partnership with Seawilding on the west coast of Scotland to establish processes to source native oysters for Restoration Forth. Working in line with NatureScot and Marine Scotland’s guidelines, the team has been studying and scrubbing oysters to ensure the biosecurity of any oysters that will be relocated.

A large part of this year’s work has also focused on establishing the best locations within the Firth of Forth for the restoration to take place to ensure the best opportunities for community engagement and ecological conditions. The locations for planting need to be suitable for growth and accessible for members of the local community, so they can engage with the project and eventually take it forward in the long-term.

Melanie Hill, Executive Officer and Trustee of the ScottishPower Foundation, said: “It’s so exciting to see the progress across the year of our first-ever Marine Biodiversity Fund project.

“Restoration Forth is supported by the biggest-ever grant awarded by the ScottishPower Foundation, and is a shining example of how we can take action now to tackle the climate emergency.

“Thriving marine environments are vital if we’re to have any chance of addressing the biodiversity and climate crises we all face. Restoration Forth helps to do this and more, by engaging with the local community to educate them on the importance of these habitats to the wider ecosystem and our future.

“This collaborative approach can help provide the blueprint for further marine restoration projects across the country, with ScottishPower Foundation funding supporting future generations for years to come. I can’t wait to see what comes next.”

ScottishPower Foundation’s grant was the first funding contribution towards the £2.4 million total cost of the project, which aims to restore up to four hectares of seagrass and 10,000 oysters per year by the end of 2024.

Naomi Arnold, Restoration Forth Project Manager at WWF, said: ‘The level of interest and engagement in just the first year of Restoration Forth has been inspiring.

“The enthusiasm of our partners and funders but also, crucially, from members of the many communities that line the Forth showcases how a project like this can work for both the marine environment and the people who live by it.

“Restoring the seagrass meadows and oyster beds of the Forth brings a whole host of benefits, from improved water quality and increased biodiversity, to storing carbon and reduced coastal erosion.

“After a year of hard work and preparation, we are excited that this spring will see the start of seagrass planting and oyster deployment. A start that will help breathe new life back into the Forth.”

Partners delivering Restoration Forth alongside WWF include Edinburgh Shoreline Project, Fife Coast & Countryside Trust, Heriot Watt University, Marine Conservation Society, Project Seagrass, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Scottish Seabird Centre, The Ecology Centre and The Heart of Newhaven Community.

The ScottishPower Foundation was established in 2013 to make a significant and lasting contribution to society, enhancing the lives of people living in communities throughout the UK. It provides funding to help support the advancement of education, environmental protection, arts and culture and citizenship. It also supports charities who aim to provide relief from poverty, disability, or other disadvantages.

Further information on Restoration Forth is available at:

https://www.wwf.org.uk/scotland/restoration-forth.

Scotland’s pioneering rewilding project exceeds 50% of crowdfund target in less than three weeks

£271,320 of £500k target raised, so far from 239 (98 Scots) investors, with 10 weeks still to go
Halfway point comes as COP15 30×30 agreement reached to safeguard world’s ecosystems

Highlands Rewilding, Scotland’s 2,000-acre project focused on combating biodiversity collapse and climate meltdown, has raised over 50% of its £500,000 target in less than three weeks.

The crowdfund for mass ownership of the company Launched on 1^st December and runs until the end of February. Exactly £271,320 (54.26%) has been raised from 239 investors, 98 of which are Scottish, so far.

The crowdfund’s milestone comes as the historic 30×30 deal at COP15 has been agreed, with 196 countries agreeing to the deal which aims to conserve 30% of the land, freshwater and ocean globally by 2030.

The Highlands Rewilding project intends to serve as an example of how citizen projects can help support the Scottish government reach their ambitious climate and biodiversity targets which are set on reversing nature loss by 2030 and substantially restoring and regenerating biodiversity by 2045.

Highlands Rewilding’s crowdfund encourages ‘citizen rewilders’ – those with a passion in the fight against climate meltdown and biodiversity collapse – to invest as little as £50 and anything up to £200,000.

Dr Jeremy Leggett, Founder and CEO of Highlands Rewilding, said: “We have been blown away and so encouraged by the support we have received from the nation’s citizen rewilders so far and thank every single investor for their support. Every pound really does count in enabling us to grow and expand the Highlands Rewilding model. We hope many more Scots will choose to join us in our quest.

“There has never been a more pivotal time for the nation to consider how nature recovery can support our world’s future, especially as the thirty-by-thirty deal has been reached at COP15 which makes a giant leap in conserving our land, freshwater and ocean globally. It acts as a hopeful exemplar of how grassroots projects, like Highlands Rewilding, can help governments meet their targets to safeguard vital ecosystems by the end of the decade.”

The ambitious Highlands Rewilding project, which stretches over 2,000 acres across two estates in the Scottish Highlands – Bunloit Estate in Inverness and Beldorney Estate in Aberdeenshire, – is pursuing a business model to scale nature recovery like no other.

As the project’s crowdfund and fundraising efforts continue, the Highlands Rewilding science team have released their second Natural Capital Report which uses cutting-edge methods, from satellites, to drone-based and ground-based sensors, eDNA analysis, and detailed observational work by ecologists, to assess biodiversity habitats and carbon stocks.

The results give an unprecedented insight into the Bunloit and Beldorney estates, and the methods that can be used to maximise benefits for the environment and the planet’s future prosperity.

Dr Jeremy Leggett added “Our Natural Capital Report provides us with a rich source of natural capital data which covers a variety of habitats so that we can better understand where efforts should be concentrated to harness and maximise carbon sources.

“In our continued efforts of producing high-quality, evidence-based data on natural capital quantification, our hope is that our work will begin to feed into the ongoing policymaking process in government to generate the best possible outcomes to support our nation’s long-term climate goals.

“After two and a half years of operations in our start phase, we have a strong and growing team, deep roots in our local communities, and a rapidly expanding core of cutting-edge science. Our intention is to become a world-class open laboratory for natural-capital verification science and demonstrate that natural capital can be grown verifiably for planet, people, and profit, both in wildland and actively managed land.”

It is hoped that £500,000 will be raised through the crowdfund by ‘citizen rewilders’. Investments are also expected from equity investors and financial institutions. No funding limit has been set for the entirety of the Highlands Rewilding fundraiser, but the organisation is aiming to raise at least eight million plus.

As with any investment, we encourage those interested in our project to make sure they fully understand the process, what their investment means and the potential risks of investing.

Find out more about the Highlands Rewilding and the crowdfund here:

https://www.highlandsrewilding.co.uk/crowdfund

You can download a copy of the Natural Capital Report here:

https://www.highlandsrewilding.co.uk/research

Accelerating action to tackle nature and climate crises

More funding to support biodiversity projects

Projects that restore Scotland’s rainforest and protect some of the country’s most threatened wildlife are among those set to benefit from crucial funding.

A new package of Scottish Government support totalling over £2.9 million will focus on conservation, research and connecting people with nature – aiming to accelerate the response to the biodiversity and climate crises.

A project to restore Scotland’s rainforest will receive over £1.3 million helping to control invasive rhododendron and manage the impacts of wild deer to promote the recovery of the fragile forest ecosystem.

‘Species on the Edge’, a five-year partnership project, will receive £500,000, helping to support 37 of Scotland’s most vulnerable species – such as the great yellow bumblebee and the Scottish primrose.

A further £200,000 will go to the Green Action Trust to help expand nature networks – supporting their work with local communities across Scotland to create and restore woodlands and wetlands.

Biodiversity Minister Lorna Slater said: “The interlinked crises of nature loss and climate change need urgent action across government and society. A healthy natural environment with restored and thriving biodiversity is also crucial to both our wellbeing and our economy.

“That is why we are continuing to support and build on a wide programme of enhancing nature protections. This new package of funding adds to our £65 million Nature Restoration Fund, which supports projects across Scotland – on land and at sea – that address the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change.

“We are at a critical moment as we approach the UN CoP15 biodiversity summit at the end of this year. We will soon publish a new Biodiversity Strategy for Scotland, which will set out what our natural environment needs to look like by 2045 in order to reverse biodiversity decline and protect our environment for the future.

“The Strategy will set out in detail how we achieve our goals and a Natural Environment Bill which will pave the way for statutory nature restoration targets.”

Alistair Whyte on behalf of Woodland Trust Scotland and Plantlife Scotland said: “We welcome the allocation of funding to begin the crucial work of halting the loss of Scotland’s rainforest.

“Restoring the rainforest will need a long-term, strategic approach to funding and action on the ground. In financially challenging times, this announcement is an encouraging step towards fulfilling that larger commitment to restore and expand this precious ecosystem. We owe it to the world to restore Scotland’s rainforest.”

Director of RSPB Scotland Anne McCall said: “Given the scale and urgency of the nature and climate crisis it is great to see this funding announcement from Scottish Government.

“Support for work that is focused on species and the restoration of Scotland’s rainforest highlights the importance of addressing nature loss across Scotland; there is so much more to be done, by all sectors, if we are to realise a future where nature and people can thrive.”

Details of all the projects to receive additional funding are contained in the table below:

Project	What it will do	Allocation
Species on the Edge	5 year partnership programme with NatureScot, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and nature conservation charities improving the fortunes of 37 priority species.	£50,000 allocation this year. A total Scottish Government contribution of £500,000 to £6.7 million total cost.
Scottish Biodiversity Information Forum – Better Biodiversity Data Project	Partnership project co-funded with NatureScot to develop first steps in a strategic approach to the collection, collation and sharing of biological data across Scotland, supporting the transition to net zero and helping halt and reverse biodiversity loss.	£31,000 this year – total of £290,000 over 3 years.
Scotland’s rainforest Restoration	Support for a programme of work initially enabling Forestry and Land Scotland to control invasive non-native species on 60 ha of priority rainforest sites, moving on to new priority sites and developing opportunities for collaboration with the Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest and development of deer management plans for key sites.	£555,000 capital and £750,000 resource.
Nature Networks	To support the Green Action Trust’s work on local nature networks. Green Action Trust will work with local communities to create and restore woodlands and wetlands.	£200,000 top up capital to their core grant.
Nature Restoration Fund	Top up funding to the Transforming Nature multiyear project window, and additional capital to the National Parks to support their nature plans.	£453,000
The Conservation Volunteers	Support for the delivery of environmental volunteering, getting people engaged with nature, particularly in urban and socially deprived areas, each year TCV organise over 17,000 workdays planting over 15,000 trees, 26,000 wildflower bulbs and repairing 21km of paths.	£170,000

Protecting and enhancing nature

More funding for local nature restoration projects

Projects that support biodiversity and improve the health and wellbeing of local communities are set to benefit from further funding.

All local authorities, plus Scotland’s two National Parks, will receive a share of £6.5 million directly from the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Process Fund – the second stream of the £65 million annual Nature Restoration Fund.

£5 million has been allocated to local authorities to deliver projects that support the priority aims of the Fund: habitat and species restoration, freshwater restoration, coastal and marine protection and eradication of non-native species.

Councils can also apply to top up their direct allocation from a £1.5 million pot to deliver larger scale, multi-year nature restoration projects.

Biodiversity Minister Lorna Slater visited Howden Park in West Lothian to see how previous allocations from the Nature Restoration Fund have helped the local council to improve the biodiversity, connectivity and climate resilience of the popular park.

Ms Slater said: “The Scottish Government is committed to tackling the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, both at home and abroad.

“Connecting people with nature, in urban and rural areas, brings so many benefits in terms of health and wellbeing. Improving our more green spaces will enable people to enjoy spending time outdoors and care for the natural environment on their doorstep.

“The Edinburgh Process Fund will play a critical role in supporting local authorities to restore nature in their area, through things like creating wildflower habitats in parks to restoring floodplains around rivers and expanding native woodland. Projects will be delivered by local government and their partners, who are well placed to direct investment to the projects that will make the most difference for nature and benefit communities”

“The Fund builds on the Edinburgh Process which has established our commitment and reputation as leaders on the natural environment. It has provided a platform establishing the central role of subnational governments, cities and local authorities in delivering for biodiversity. We will continue to drive the Edinburgh Process forward through to COP15 later this year.

NatureScot’s Head of Biodiversity and Geodiversity Dr Katherine Leys said: “We are delighted that the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund has been able to allocate funding to local authorities through the Edinburgh Process Fund.

“Local authorities have an important role to play in tackling the nature and climate crises, and are very well placed to identify nature restoration priorities at a local scale.”

Scottish Government launches consultations on Circular Economy

New measures will help cut waste and preserve precious resources

Proposals to help tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis by supporting Scotland’s transition to a zero waste and circular economy have been launched.

The measures, designed to significantly increase reuse and recycling rates, and modernise and improve waste and recycling services, are set out in two consultations – on a Circular Economy Bill and a Waste Route Map.

Key proposals include:

banning the destruction of unsold goods to ensure that products never end up landfilled or incinerated when they could be used or recycled
improving household recycling and reuse services and consulting on separate kerbside collection of textiles by 2025
introducing new reporting to show where recycling goes once it has been collected
measures to reduce the consumption of problematic single-use items and promote reuse of products
new powers to tackle littering from vehicles
a mandatory requirement for businesses to report surplus and waste figures for goods such as food and textiles
powers to set local recycling targets, reflecting the success of Wales, which has the one of the highest household recycling rates in the world

Scotland’s circular economy targets, outlined in the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Plan, include ending the landfilling of biodegradable municipal waste by 2025, reducing the percentage of all waste sent to landfill to 5% by 2025, and recycling 70% of all waste by 2025.

Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater launched the consultations on a visit to the Edinburgh Furniture, which is run by the homelessness charity Foursquare.

The charity uses donated furniture to furnish its homeless accommodation and to raise money for its other services.

Lorna Slater said: “To tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis, we need to rapidly reduce our demand for raw material, increase reuse and repair, and recycle more.

“We must make a circular option the easy option for Scottish households, businesses and the public sector. I want everyone in the country to experience a modern, easy to use waste service that makes it easy for people to do the right thing for the planet.

“We are already taking action, including delivering Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme and our £70 million Recycling Improvement Fund, but we know we need to move faster if we are to meet our climate obligations.

“It requires us to be bold, brave, and focused on delivering the actions needed – and this must be a collective effort.

“These consultations set out the key proposed actions and the tools we will put in place to help everyone play their part in cutting waste in our economy, capitalising on the economic opportunities that a circular economy presents to businesses.

“The Circular Economy Bill will give us the powers to cut waste in our economy, while preserving precious resources and protecting our natural environment.”

Chief Executive of Zero Waste Scotland Iain Gulland said: “Today marks a tremendous step in Scotland’s transition towards a circular economy. “For years, Zero Waste Scotland has championed and helped usher in a more circular economy to reduce over-consumption.

“By supporting Scottish citizens, communities and businesses, through funding and tailored advice we are working hard to implement more sustainable ways of living.

“The Circular Economy Bill includes measures and approaches that will further cement and support the strides we’re making and crucially, it is a step in the right direction to end our contribution to the climate crisis.

“I encourage everyone in Scotland to take part in these vital consultations.”

Environmental campaigners have welcomed the move and are calling for strong targets to reduce the global extraction of resources supplying the Scottish economy, and measures to change the way materials are used in Scotland.

A circular economy is when materials are reused and recycled as much as possible before new resources are taken from nature, as opposed to our current linear ‘take, make, dispose’ model.

Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “Over-consumption by the wealthy few is pushing our whole planet to breaking point.

“Our current economic system, built on the idea of unlimited growth, is driving climate breakdown and leading to global material supply disruptions – it can’t go on. We need to reduce our reliance on new materials by changing our economic consumption patterns.

“The Scottish Government has made some really encouraging suggestions in the Circular Economy Bill. We need circularity to be embedded throughout government and Scotland’s economic sectors for it to be as effective as possible. The commitment to regular reviews and the creation of a circular economy public body are welcome.

“This new organisation needs to be independent of government and adequately funded. Creating a circular economy will require a step change in the scale and rate of change, based on strong leadership and collaboration. Now is the time to be bold.

“Targets to reduce both Scotland’s carbon footprint and material footprints need to be at the heart of the Circular Economy Bill to create real change, so it’s great to see that these have been prioritised in the bill. We must reduce Scotland’s carbon footprint to zero by 2050 to ensure Scotland contributes its fair share to global climate mitigation. Scotland’s material footprint must more than halve by 2050.”

Scotland’s material footprint was 18 tonnes per person in 2017, which is higher than the EU average (14 tonnes per person). Experts suggest that we can live sustainable, high quality lives with eight tonnes per person, by moving to a circular economy where materials are reused and recycled as much as possible.

82% of Scotland’s carbon footprint comes from the products and services we buy. Over half these emissions are due to imported goods but these are not included in Scotland’s climate targets. This means the environmental and social damage caused overseas by demand for goods in Scotland is virtually invisible at the moment, which is stopping it from being tackled.

The Scottish Government launched a review on waste targets at the same time as the consultation on the circular economy bill. The waste targets consultation is a key part of rapid system change required in Scotland.

Edinburgh company helps people wish Sir David a happy 96th birthday

This Earth Day, one month until the nation’s favourite broadcaster and environmentalist Sir David Attenborough celebrates his 96th birthday, Thankbox has launched an opportunity for all to wish the icon a very special happy birthday to be shared with the legend himself.

Launched in May 2020, Thankbox is an online group card that solves the issues related to card and cash collections for special occasions as well as supporting eco-friendly efforts in reducing the use of paper. With the option to include photos, GIFs, videos and a collection point, Thankbox is revolutionising the generic card for something more memorable.

The public Thankbox for Sir David Attenborough will coincide with a fundraiser for Fauna & Flora International – a conservation charity that he has been a member of for 60+ years and Vice President for 40+ years.

Founded in 1903, FFI is regarded as the world’s oldest international wildlife conservation organisation and focuses on protecting biodiversity.

The digital birthday card will allow people anywhere in the world to leave a message wishing Sir David a Happy Birthday and make a donation to FFI.

With over 40,000 species in danger, the initiative aims to raise £10,000 for the conservation charity.

Furthermore, Thankbox is committed to increasing positive environmental impact by planting a tree for every 10 Thankboxes sold. To date, it has planted 3,231 trees, offsetting emissions equal to 11,400 car trips between New York and LA.

Individuals can contribute to the birthday card on Thankbox.com until the 8th of May.

Jonny Wright, Senior Director, Communications & Fundraising at Fauna & Flora International said: “We are thrilled to be supported by Thankbox through this unique and innovative campaign celebrating our vice-president, Sir David Attenborough.

“We would like to thank everyone at Thankbox – and to all who sign the online card – for their generosity. Their donations will contribute to our work with local communities around the world to protect and restore nature.”

£55 million for nature restoration and biodiversity projects

Projects that restore nature and tackle the causes of biodiversity loss will benefit from a share of at least £13.5 million annually through a Scottish Government fund set up following agreement with the Scottish Green Party.

The Nature Restoration Fund will fund projects that address the biodiversity and climate crisis by putting Scotland’s species, woodlands, rivers and seas back on the road to recovery.

A Programme for Government commitment, the fund comprises a multi-year package of at least £55 million over the next five years.

On Nature Day at COP26, the First Minister and Minister Patrick Harvie visited the Seven Lochs project in Easterhouse to meet members of local community youth groups and take part in wildflower planting near a new habitat for endangered water voles.

Seven Lochs is a partnership project which has received funding from both the Biodiversity Challenge Fund and the Green Infrastructure Fund.

The First Minister said: “Today’s investment is our biggest ever grant scheme specifically targeted at nature restoration, reaffirming our commitment to addressing the twin challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change.

“Most importantly, following the UK government’s withdrawal from the EU Life scheme, it will enable large-scale, multi-year, projects of the kind which are simply not possible with annual grants.

“We have reached a critical juncture for action – with the hosting of COP26 here in Glasgow and COP15 in Kunming, China next Spring – and we in Scotland are playing a leading role.

“Through our leadership of the Edinburgh Process we are working to build commitment among governments around the world to raise the ambition at next year’s COP15 international biodiversity summit, in line with our own goal to halt the ongoing loss of nature by 2030.

“In addition today am delighted to formally endorsed the Leaders’ Pledge for Nature, further embedding Scotland’s place among leading nations with the highest environmental ambition.”

Mr Harvie said: “We are a part of nature, not apart from it. If we can’t support nature then we can’t support humanity. Scotland is committed to ramping up nature based solutions that create a greener, fairer and more prosperous nation for all.

“This funding will mean new projects going forward across Scotland – on land and at sea – that address the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, restore our natural environment and improve the health and wellbeing of local communities.”

Deborah Long, Chief Officer at Scottish Environment LINK, the forum for Scotland’s voluntary environment community, said: “The Nature Restoration Fund is a hugely important weapon in our fight against nature loss and climate change.

“By investing in multi-year, multi scale projects, focussed on the species and habitats that need most help, a future for Scotland’s nature, young people and communities across Scotland looks a lot more promising.”

The Nature Restoration Fund supports action on the ground to address the biodiversity and climate crises by aiding nature restoration in Scotland’s terrestrial and marine environment, enabling transformative change through large-scale, multi-year, multi-partner projects.

This forms part of the wider commitment to invest £500 million in the natural economy over the course of the parliament to support a transformative approach to protecting and restoring Scotland’s biodiversity.

Funding will comprise of at least £13.5 million for each year of the current Parliament session (£11 million CDEL and £2.5 million RDEL per year), plus £1 million across the Parliament for administrative costs.

Have you got seven days to take seven actions on litter?

Environmental charity calls for young people to engage with mini-Litter Less campaign

Scotland is facing a looming litter emergency and environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful is calling for teachers and youth leaders to get involved in a new international 10-day campaign to tackle litter.

The Mini Litter Less campaign will run from 18 – 28 October 2021 and those that sign up to participate will be supported with a seven-point action plan.

The plan includes activities to learn about the biodiversity and nature around you, to understand plastic pollution, to find out more about invisible pollutants, to consider consumption habits, to think about the partnership approach to tackling the issue, and to organise a litter pick and celebration picnic.

The campaign will also feature a Zero Waste Day where young people will be encouraged to live a whole day without producing any waste at all.

Participants will be asked to post their thoughts, photos and videos on social media using the #LitterLessCampaign, and the best three will be selected by us and entered into an international competition – with the best 10 global entries winning a prize of $100.

Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Education and Learning Manager Daniel Barrie, said: “Litter Less is an annual campaign we run on behalf of the Foundation of Environmental Education (FEE). Across the world 15 other countries participate and it supports over 1.3million children and over 20,000 educators to improve and enhance the places they love in their own villages, towns and cities by campaigning to stop litter.

“This Mini Litter Less campaign provides an easy to follow seven-point action plan to help drive a change in the behaviour that causes litter. The actions are easy to fulfil and are designed to be tackled one a day over a period of time.

“Tackling litter and waste is crucial if we are to reverse declining standards of cleanliness across our country and the planet so we would encourage everyone to get involved.”

KSB have run the wider Litter Less campaign for nine years, and in that time £56,000 of support has been provided to 244 Scottish schools, helping them to become more ‘litter-ate’ and to purchase litter picking equipment and bins.

In addition, more than, 4,000 educators and 50,000 children and young people have been involved across Scotland.

If you are interested in getting involved contact:

litterless@keepscotlandbeautiful.org or visit our Litterless web pages.

New report calls for ‘revolution’ in Scottish land use

– Findings based on expert analysis and public consultation events.

– Launch of new body to monitor progress on “urgent and combined actions.”

The Scottish Government, councils and landowners need to take “urgent and combined actions” to tackle the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis, according to a new report.

The report, published by the Scottish Ecological Design Association (SEDA), sets out eight recommendations to tackle the challenges facing biodiversity, food production, renewable energy, health and well-being.

The co-ordinated approach calls for the rapid development of new strategies and plans alongside reforms to existing regulations and continued investment in innovative businesses, public services and infrastructure.

If implemented, new Healthy Food, Agroecology and Sustainable Place strategies would be combined with strengthened requirements under the Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement as well as Climate Impact Certificates detailing land use impacts.

The New Vision for Land Use in Scotland report also calls for continued investment in transport, renewable energy and communications infrastructure across Scotland along with seed funding for innovative new businesses.

The integrated approach would be underpinned by support for secondary and tertiary education in creating a climate conscious, motivated and skilled workforce.

In developing the recommendations, SEDA hosted events with nearly 50 of the best-informed speakers on all aspects of rural land use. The experts participated in 6 Conversations with designers, architects, businesses, campaigners and the general public. In all, over 1,250 people took part in the Conversations.

Experts believe that little additional government expenditure is required to deliver such a framework, which would encourage and allow the private and third sectors to invest.

However, delivering the recommendations requires significant and rapid changes in processes and greater integration of existing and new policies and procedures.

Gail Halvorsen, Event Organiser for the SEDA 6 Conversations, said: “I felt there was a need for a broad-ranging event on the future of Scotland’s land use in view of the climate emergency and COP26.

“The recommendations that have come from this well-attended series of conversations will cause the greatest change in Scottish land use since the agrarian revolution.

“Crucially, each part of the recommended eight-point programme is dependent on the others to deliver a sustained improvement in climate change mitigation, biodiversity enhancement, health & wellbeing, and economic activity across Scotland.”

An immediate result of the report’s findings will be the launch of SEDA Land, a new forum for SEDA members and experts in land use to continue the discussion, seek to influence land use change and monitor progress made by the Scottish Government, local authorities, land owners and businesses in implementing the changes needed.

SEDA Land will be launched formally alongside a discussion about the report at an event on 6 September.

Catherine Cosgrove, Chair of SEDA, commented: “Our Land Conversations series provided a platform for ideas and experiences to be discussed. This report provides a flavour of the rich debate sparked during these events and eight recommendations we believe the Scottish Government needs to implement rapidly.

“We hope this will be the start of a wider public debate that could revitalise our relationship with the land.”

Deborah Roberts, Deputy Chief Executive at the James Hutton Institute, added: “The need for land use reform has captured people’s imaginations and we particularly welcome the interdisciplinary and science-led approach in this report’s findings.

“As this report makes clear, a sustainable future for Scotland’s land can only be built on a cross-sectoral and multidisciplinary basis, and through the use of principles which take into account people’s needs, sense of community, place and tradition – all of which vary from one region to the next.”

Professor Davy McCracken, Head of Integrated Land Management at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and one of the authors of the report, said: “It is clear that a ‘single policy, single outcome’ approach does not address the needs of rural areas. What is needed urgently is cross-sector policies which are integrated and can deliver across a broad set of issues.

“The Deputy First Minister’s additional role as Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery – and especially the responsibility for the coordination of delivery and outcomes across portfolios – will be fundamental to achieving this.”

For more information, visit https://www.seda.uk.net/resources