Photo: Mike Wilkinson
GreenPower staff and guests were at the EICC to celebrate in person this year’s Nature of Scotland Awards. Having sponsored the Community Initiative for the last 10 years, Rob Forrest, CEO expressed his delight that we were all able to meet face-to-face and pay tribute to Scotland’s band of Nature Warriors.
“It is heartening to see the variety of nature-based projects that volunteers are actively supporting at a time when it seems the national news is about species decline and threats to the very existence of our natural world. The climate and nature crises are inextricably linked , and the fact that there are people working hard to help nature should rightly be celebrated.”
This year’s Community Initiative was awarded to the ‘Ury Riverside Park’, Inverurie.
https://www.uryriversidepark.com/
The Park is on the River Ury flood plain and was formerly an arable field. With the help of hundreds of volunteers many living adjacent to the Park, the area has been transformed in to wildflower meadows, wetlands and native woodlands. These habitats are a haven for wildlife. Paths have been constructed that are suitable for walking, cycling and all abilities access.
Of the shortlisted projects ‘Save our Swifts’ was awarded ‘’Highly Commended”. The project sits within the Tay Biodiversity Partnership and is focussing on creating more habitats for visiting swifts. Linking up with African villages will also extend the likelihood of success in increasing numbers of swifts.