TCV Scotland is embarking on a new and exciting project to rewild communities and their green spaces within the Glasgow and Clyde Valley area.
Rewilding Green Spaces ~ Rewilding People ~ Rewilding Communities
Rewilding is a new and inspirational approach to conservation featuring landscape-scale restoration of ecosystems. It has potentially huge ecological and wildlife benefits and so far is mainly applied to large scale wilderness conservation such as beaver reintroduction and Scotland’s Forest. However, we believe, that applied locally on small scale community led projects, a rewilding approach will capture the imagination of people who may normally switch off at the mention of ‘conservation activities’. Rewilding activities such as planting native trees or wildflower species will help encourage people’s understanding and connection to local wildlife, heritage and nature. This would result in more active citizenship and better social and pro-environmental behaviours alongside much needed health and wellbeing benefits. This micro scale project will bring the excitement and romance of a rewilding approach into urban areas of Glasgow and the Clyde Valley.
Three areas have been identified by the Glasgow and Clyde Valley Green Network Partnership (GCVGNP) as places with the greatest potential to enhance public outdoor places, improve the connectivity of green spaces and engage members of the community with their green spaces and everything they have to offer. A variety of rewilding activities will be held at sites across the three areas, Upper Greenock, Clydebank and Yoker, in the next few months so keep an eye out!
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- Faifley Knowes near Clydebank
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- Coves Nature Reserve, Greenock
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- Knightswood Park near Yoker
The project will deliver a green gym at one of the sites and ongoing opportunities for volunteers to get involved in practical conservation tasks at other sites across the three areas.
As well as practical volunteering there will be public events, activities for schools and other community groups and ‘Rewild the Child’ sessions for children during the Easter holidays.
If you’d like to find out more about the project or get involved by volunteering on practical tasks or helping organise and run events, we’d love to hear from you! Please contact Rebecca Strofton on r.strofton@tcv.org.uk.
“Rewilding holds out hope of a richer living planet that can once more fill our lives with wonder and enchantment.” – George Monbiot