Biodiversity - Collective Action
Biodiversity in action
The biodiversity crisis is upon us and we have seen a huge reduction in our wildlife across East Lothian. Wildlife is essential for all life. How do we support wildlife across the region for nature to recover, whilst being mindful of nature needs in our urban spaces to our coasts, and being aware of the current agricultural reality of East Lothian.
Two Biodiversity gatherings were hosted in June and August 2024 to identify challenges and opportunities within East Lothian, and from which key areas of focus were selected for the Climate Hub alongside ELCAN members and other interested parties to drive forward, working collaboratively with other stakeholders. These areas of focus are:
- Capacity building support through an informal nature forum, including peer-to-peer learning opportunities, exchanges and events, signposting to resources and collaborative funding applications
- Identification of opportunities for connectivity using basic mapping
- Promoting opportunities for connectivity and wildlife corridors (for example, through hedgerow restoration and rivers)
- Building relationships with landowners, managers and farmers to better understand challenges, opportunities and potential for collaboration with communities
This has resulted in the formation of the East Lothian Biodiversity Collective.
East Lothian Biodiversity Collective
The East Lothian Biodiversity Collective aims to support biodiversity enhancement across East Lothian by connecting people, groups and projects together, building our knowledge and supporting and uplifting local projects. This is an open space of learning and mutual support, to help us increase, grow and upscale biodiversity in East Lothian.
The Biodiversity Collective will meet regularly at on site visits, have knowledge exchanges between projects, be a place of mutual support such as advice and resources, and create space for thinking about more ambitious action across East Lothian. We are aware of the lapover between biodiversity and food growing and will share opportunities between these themes and have the occasional joint site visit.
Supporting nature connectivity
We are trialling activities in the following areas and will reflect on their effectiveness and impact:
- A hedgerow group to share knowledge between different projects, promote opportunities for volunteering across East Lothian, and with the intention to work towards hedgerow restoration and planting, in collaboration with any interested landowners
- Investigating hedgerow and river mapping to identify key opportunities for wildlife corridors across East Lothian, working in collaboration with East Lothian Council and with any interested landowners
- The establishment of a rivers group as above
If you are interested in being involved in any of nature connectivity work please email hello@eastlothianclimatehub.org
East Lothian Biodiversity Case Studies
Tranent Wombles Forest Garden
The Tranent Wombles have created a Forest Garden in the heart of Tranent. Read more about what they have planted, and how have they involved the community!
Sustaining Dunbar's Pledgehog Project
A very simple but successful project which has engaged the Dunbar community in doing more for hedgehogs (and in turn, for other wildlife) in their gardens and outdoor spaces.
