Cumbernauld Glen Dovecote
Greetings and salutations one and all, I am Tracy, one of the new Natural Communities Trainees in placement with the Scottish Wildlife Trust based in Cumbernauld. Prior to this position I was the long term West Central Scotland Reserves Volunteer based in the same office assisting the 5 managers with a multitude of different projects. My focus now will be solely on Cumbernauld and the fantastic parks, wildlife reserves, local nature reserves and varied greenspaces that the town has to offer and then engage the local communities to build on these wonderful networks and projects which together make up the Cumbernauld Living Landscape.
The Living Landscape project is a subject that is close to my heart and I had a vested interest for applying for this position. I have been a resident in Cumbernauld for over 30 years (yup I’m old-ish!) and remember when large areas of Cumbernauld was still farmland, with fields covered in golden crops or with animals grazing the green grasses. As time and the town progressed these farmlands gave way to new housing areas, our greenspaces were greatly reduced and very fragmented. After gaining a BSc in Ecology (Hons) a few years ago I was determined to make my career in the conservation sector. During my degree I have studied wildflower meadows, bees, butterflies and insects in Switzerland (outstanding place), semi-arid desert ecology in Southern Spain, and peatlands, uplands, salt marsh, river systems and woodlands in Scotland.
My final year dissertation was conducted in Cumbernauld and after 32 yrs of living in Cumbernauld I realised that I never even knew that the parks and reserves existed!!! After talking with friends and family I found that they didn’t know either, so this is my challenge this year. My aim this year is to raise awareness within the Cumbernauld community with projects that will create and enhance local habitats, reconnect the brilliant people of Cumbernauld with their natural environment and to promote Cumbernauld for the great town it is. These aims will benefit not only the wildlife and the habitats but also the people and the reputation of Cumbernauld.
So far I have been meeting people, reviewing the project in all its complexity and attending community meetings and as I type this blog to you now I am about to head off to another, so upward and onward and look out for some fantastic projects we will be having in the future. Oh and I love photography be prepared for the feast of visual stimuli of Cumbernauld 🙂
Get out and about
Enjoy the outdoors
Rest and enjoy the view 🙂