Environment

The next round of the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) has opened for applications today (17 January).

AECS is part of the Scottish Rural Development Programme. It supports environmentally-friendly land management practices that aim to safeguard and improve Scotland's natural heritage and help businesses adapt to climate change.

A new fund led by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) will support projects that encourage visitors to experience more of the unique nature and culture of the Highlands & Islands.

The Natural & Cultural Heritage Fund will invest in around ten major new projects that showcase the local scenery, wildlife and culture of the area. It also aims to benefit communities, with the projects it supports helping to retain local jobs and services.

A new three-part BBC Alba documentary offers a personal portrait of the crofting calendar on South Uist - past and present.

The first two episodes of 'San Fhuil/It's In The Blood' are available to watch on the BBC iPlayer, with the third episode airing tomorrow 12 December at 9pm on BBC Alba. All three episodes will be available on the iPlayer for 30 days after broadcast.

There is still time to enter the Anders Wall Award which recognises private individuals who have made a special contribution to the rural environment within the European Union.

Anders Wall Foundation from Stockholm in association with the European Commission, Directorate General for the Environment, Brussels, the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry and the "Friends of the Countryside", has introduced this award.

The landowner of the selected project will receive a diploma of recognition and prize of €20,000.

Wild Oak Woods Eco Campsite
Funding: 
Private source: £108,000; Dumfries and Galloway LEADER: £50,000

2018 Climate Challenge Fund Gathering

The 2018 Climate Challenge Fund Gathering will celebrate a decade of the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund and recognise youth contributions in this Year of Young People. The event will also provide opportunities to network with the CCF Community.

Tickets to the Gathering are free and open to CCF Grant Recipients and representatives of other organisations with an interest in taking community-led action on climate change.

In our new video case study you can hear about the Castlebank Park project which was supported by Lanarkshire LEADER.​

Castlebank Park is a local landmark that has been the subject of several restoration projects in recent years. The Lanark Community Development Trust have been working hard at Castlebank and a Horticultural Centre was unveiled in early 2014, with funding from Lanarkshire LEADER.

A new publication highlights examples of social innovation in mountain regions of Europe.

In the brochure from SIMRA (Social Innovation in Marginalised Rural Areas) you can find out how rural communities are capitalising on the natural and social assets in mountainous areas in terms of community life, living environment and dynamic approaches to governance.

A short film highlights the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere in South West Scotland and the role social enterprise plays within it.

The video, which you can watch below, shows people making the most of the natural assets through a range of adventurous outdoor pursuits such as mountain biking, canyoning and sea kayaking led by ACE Adventure Centre for Education.

Scotland’s west coast seas are a global hotspot for cetaceans and basking sharks, and need better protection, said Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust as it released a new marine atlas capturing key discoveries made over the past 15 years. 

The first Hebridean Marine Mammal Atlas showcases findings by the charity’s scientists and citizen science volunteers during annual research expeditions on its specialized yacht Silurian.

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