Scottish Natural Heritage – The NEN

Call for communities in Scotland to apply for Environmental Grants

The Action Earth campaign, run by national charity Volunteering Matters, has officially launched its 2020 grant giving scheme, encouraging volunteers to get involved in planting activities and habitat builds designed to enrich local nature and help tackle the current climate emergency.

The campaign, which is funded by Scottish Natural Heritage, offers easy to access grants of up to £500 for environmental activities across Scotland.

Volunteering Matters Action Earth grants are available to any group of volunteers carrying out practical environmental improvements or wildlife habitat creation in their local green spaces. Previous projects have included wildflower meadow and pond creation, woodland renovations, shared foraging projects and the establishment of new community gardens or food growing areas.

Projects should offer a safe volunteering experience and will have to adhere to Scottish Government guidance and safe practice around Covid-19. Groups should only apply once they are certain that activities can be supervised and carried out safely within current and developing recommendations.

Volunteering Matters Action Earth is especially keen to hear from projects whose work benefits disadvantaged communities especially in urban areas or in places with reduced local amenity. Last year, 167 projects benefited from Action Earth grant funding, and 7,240 volunteers were involved in improving biodiversity in their community.

Volunteering Matters Action Earth also offers enhanced £500 grants to projects which significantly benefit people with defined health needs. This could include people with learning or physical disabilities, dementia, mental health issues or other medical conditions.

SNH Chief Executive Francesca Osowska said: “We all benefit from nature in so many ways – and we all have an important role to play to create a nature-rich future for Scotland.

“Action Earth projects and volunteers are leading the way with their fantastic work to improve local biodiversity in communities across the country.

“We look forward to continuing to support this crucial work to improve the state of our nature, which we know is vital to help solve the climate emergency we all face.”

For those looking for inspiration for their projects, the Volunteering Matters Action Earth website has instructions on how to build bird boxes, bat boxes, frog hibernacula, hedgehog boxes and bee/insect homes.

More information is available and applications can be made NOW at the Volunteering Matters Action Earth website:

volunteeringmatters.org.uk/project/action-earth

£8 million nature boost for urban communities

Almost £8 million of funding has been announced to help people and nature thrive in some of the most deprived parts of Scotland.

The latest round of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)’s ambitious Green Infrastructure Fund will support seven major projects in cities and towns across the central belt. Continue reading £8 million nature boost for urban communities

Call for communities to apply for Environmental Grants

Action Earth campaign launched at North Edinburgh Arts

The Action Earth campaign, run by national charity Volunteering Matters, launched its 2019 grant giving scheme yesterday with the creation of a new biodiversity pond in North Edinburgh. The campaign, which is funded by Scottish Natural Heritage, offers easy to access grants of up to £250 for environmental activities across Scotland. Continue reading Call for communities to apply for Environmental Grants

Natural health service: Cyrenians and SNH celebrate 3 years of green learning

Cyrenians is a Scottish charity stopping homelessness and supporting people. Cyrenians community gardens, situated at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital and Midlothian Community Hospital, provide opportunities for people to get outside and grow food, bringing people together and reducing social isolation. Continue reading Natural health service: Cyrenians and SNH celebrate 3 years of green learning

Safety urged as hot weather continues

With warm, dry weather forecast to continue, visitors to Edinburgh’s parks, woodlands and nature reserves are being urged to take care to avoid the risk of fire. Continue reading Safety urged as hot weather continues

Secondary school students to hear the John Muir story

‘One day’s exposure to mountains is better than a cartload of books’, said John Muir, who nevertheless understood the power of the pen and wrote prolifically about wild places and the need to protect them. This month a cartload of books about Muir’s life will go out to every secondary school in Scotland to tell the story of his life and legacy.

The new graphic novel, ‘John Muir, Earth – Planet, Universe‘, – a story told in illustrated format with a combination of Muir’s words and a carefully crafted narrative – has been created by Scottish Book Trust, Creative Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage as part of Year of Natural Scotland and John Muir legacy celebrations. It aims to share the story of the conservation visionary with new audiences, and invites discussion, reflection and action.

“The book and its online resources really brings out the adventurous spirit of John Muir from his childhood in Dunbar to his wanderings around America, and shows the origins of his campaigning zeal and passion for wilderness,” said Rob Bushby of the John Muir Trust who sat on the steering group for the development of the novel.

“The Scottish Book Trust is to be congratulated for capturing this in a way that’s already inspiring and engaging pupils, teachers and adults alike. It has the potential to be a game changer in bringing this often-neglected champion of wild places to a whole new audience.”

Written by award-winning author Julie Bertagna and illustrated by Glasgow-based artist William Goldsmith, the novel is based on the key moments and life adventures of John Muir and is intended to help children develop a deeper understanding and awareness of the natural environment and the importance of protecting wild places.

With the assistance of Keep Scotland Beautiful and the Eco-Schools Scotland programme, a class set of 24 copies will be distributed to every secondary school in Scotland this month to coincide with the opening of the John Muir Way by the First Minister on 21 April.

The novel was developed in partnership with John Muir Trust, Creative Scotland, Education Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage and in consultation with teachers and school pupils. It combines environmental studies with literacy in an innovative way that hasn’t previously been implemented in Scotland, and is supported by accompanying online resources for teachers.

Commenting on the use of graphic novels as a way of engaging pupils in learning, Marc Lambert, Director of the Scottish Book Trust, said: “The importance of taking care of the planet for future generations is one of the most vital lessons our children can learn.

“Telling the story of John Muir’s life and thoughts through the highly accessible and entertaining form of a graphic novel allows us to reclaim a Scottish hero and helps children to develop a deeper understanding of the key environmental issues he campaigned for, in a creative and enjoyable way.”

You can download the PDF version of John Muir, Earth – Planet, Universe from the Scottish Book Trust

The John Muir Festival got underway last night with the official opening of the magnificent Kelpies sculptures at Falkirk’s new Helix Park. The Festival runs until 26 April – to find out what’s on go to www.johnmuirfestival.com

Counting down the steps to the John Muir Trail

This Sunday (21 April 2013) marks a year from the launch of the John Muir Trail – and a huge amount of work has already been completed. The new long distance route, which passes through Edinburgh, will open on John Muir’s birthday on 21 April 2014 and forms part of the celebrations to mark the centenary of the Scots born naturalist’s death.

The John Muir Trail will link Muir’s birthplace in Dunbar to Helensburgh via Scotland’s first National Park – Loch Lomond and the Trossachs – and will take in Edinburgh along the way. The trail will celebrate John Muir’s life, promoting his ideas and providing a memorable walking experience for both local people and overseas visitors.

The 105 mile (169km) trail will follow some existing routes such as the John Muir Way in East Lothian. In other sections, new paths are being created. The route will enable walkers, cyclists and horse riders to easily visit some of the most beautiful coastal scenery, sweeping landscapes, wildlife sites and historic visitor attractions across Scotland’s heartland.
Although the full route is not yet open, there have been many local path improvements, giving walkers and cyclists a boost already.

In Edinburgh, the Brunstane Burn path will be a key section of the John Muir Trail linking Holyrood Park and east Edinburgh with Musselburgh. At the moment, this path is muddy and overgrown but it is being improved for cyclists and walkers by the City of Edinburgh Council and the Scottish Natural Heritage John Muir Trail project.

The route will be waymarked with The John Muir Trail signs, and a website, book, leaflets and map will give people all the information they need to complete part or all of the trail.

Conservationist John Muir was born in Dunbar in 1838, before emigrating to the United States in 1849. Amongst his achievements, he helped save the Yosemite Valley in California, was a Co-founder of The Sierra Club – one of the most influential grassroots environmental organisations in the USA – and successfully campaigned for National Parks in America.

The launch of the new route is an integral part of the Year of Homecoming 2014 and its opening will be one of a number of events to “Bring John Muir Home”. Muir’s life, work and legacy will be a focus of national and international attention with John Muir 2014 providing one of the signature themes for the year.

Creating a new John Muir Trail is a flagship project for the Central Scotland Green Network (CSGN). Keith Geddes, Chair of the CSGN Partnership Board, which developed the concept of the route, said: “John Muir is considered one of the patron saints of 20th century American environmental activity. He is noted for being a conservationist, naturalist, geologist, inventor and explorer. However, despite the magnificent efforts of East Lothian Council, the John Muir Trust and the John Muir Museum in Dunbar, Americans still tend to know more about him than Scots.

“This is why the new route is a fitting way to celebrate a man who through his life, writings and legacy, could inspire a new generation of Scots to recognise the value of nature and the outdoors. It will take walkers and cyclists from Muir’s birthplace through Scotland’s first national park, through Edinburgh to Helensburgh. It’s a great way to highlight the fact that he was born in Scotland and that one of his great achievements was to play a central part in establishing national parks in the United States.”

The hard work involved in developing the route is being carried out by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). Ron McCraw of SNH, explained: “We’ve made a lot of progress in the last year. We now have 80% of the route in place and it’s sure to be a spectacular walk across the country that many people will enjoy. Some places in the Central Belt are already enjoying the benefits of work on the route with improved local paths. It will certainly be an exciting day in 2014 when people can enjoy the entire route – but it’ll also be a terrific way for families to have a day out for shorter sections of the route near them.”

Not only will the new route celebrate Muir’s life and achievements, but it will also create significant and lasting economic benefit. A study commissioned by SNH estimates that some 700 jobs could be created over the first five years of the route’s existence and contribute £25 million to the local economy.

For further information about the John Muir Trail please contact johnmuirtrail@snh.gov.uk