18 May, 2016
Scotland’s Nature Festival kicks off
Scotland’s Nature Festival 2016 begins this Friday with free, fun events across the country.
Organised by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and partners, the May 21st-29th festival offers a huge array of community events, taking place from the Highlands to Angus, the Central Belt, and the Scottish Borders.
Scotland’s Nature Festival organiser, Zeshan Akhter, said:
“We’ve teamed up with local people and organisations to bring plenty of fun events this year. With events across Scotland, it’s easy to find an event nearby.”
Events include ranger-led walks in parks and the countryside; a food foraging walk in Dams to Darnley Country Park, Glasgow; a badger watch at the Falls of Clyde in South Lanarkshire; a dune walk in Stevenston, North Ayrshire; puffin-themed arts and crafts events at the North Berwick Seabird Centre; a bluebell on Loch Lomondside; a hill walk with Gaelic interpretation of placenames near Aviemore; cookery workshops in Forres, Moray; a search for minibeasts in Inverurie; a boat trip to John O’Groats; as well as guided walks, expert talks on nature, including bat, bird, badger and otter talks and walks and more.
Most events are free; a few have a minimal charge. Events are being held by all kinds of organisations, including ranger services, countryside parks, NGOs, faith organisations, nature reserves, community groups, and gardens.
Scotland’s Nature Festival (formerly Scottish Biodiversity Week) has been held every year since 2001, starting as a local initiative in Fife in 2000 and growing into a national event. Scotland’s Nature Festival is about celebrating Scotland's precious wildlife and landscapes and offers the chance for everyone to get out and about and experience it for themselves. For detailed event listings, see www.list.co.uk and search for ‘Scotland’s Nature Festival’, along with the area of the Scotland where you want to find an event.
This year’s theme is Love Life, Love Nature. We need nature. Nature produces air for us to breathe, food to eat, water to drink and medicines to cure our ills. It is where we go to re-charge our batteries, relax and get away from the stresses and strains of our daily lives. Nature inspires and comforts us and we make it our playground.
ENDS
MEDIA QUERIES - for more information or picture, contact SNH media & PR officer, Vicki Mowat on vicki.mowat@snh.gov.uk or 0131 316 2659.
Scotland’s Nature Festival is promoted by Scottish Natural Heritage and its partners in the Scottish Biodiversity Forum (SBF). The SBF is a broad-based, working partnership of government, its agencies (Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency), local authorities, voluntary bodies, farmers, fishermen, foresters, businesses and scientists. For more information, see http://www.biodiversityscotland.gov.uk/area/naturefestival/
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NatureScot is Scotland's nature agency. Responding to the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, we work to protect and restore nature by inspiring everyone to value our natural world. Our goal is a nature-rich, net-zero future for Scotland. For more information, visit our website at www.nature.scot
'S e buidheann nàdair na h-Alba a th’ ann an NàdarAlba. Bidh sinn a’ gleidheadh agus a’ slànachadh nàdar le bhith a’ brosnachadh a h-uile duine gu spèis a chur air an t-saoghal nàdarra againn, agus sinn a’ freagairt air an dà chùis-èiginn de chall bith-iomadachd ’s atharrachadh na gnàth-shìde. ’S e ar n-amas nàdar beairteach ’s cothromachadh carboin do dh’Alba. Airson an tuilleadh fiosrachaidh, thoiribh sùil air an làraich-lìn againn aig www.nature.scot
