The Falkirk Greenspace Initiative and the Helix – two projects which have transformed the local environment – have walked away with not one but the top two spots at the national Green Apple Environment Awards.
The 'EcoCo LIFE+’ project is an exciting and new habitat creation and restoration project in Scotland’s Central Belt for the ‘implementation of integrated habitat networks to improve ecological coherence across the Central Scotland Green Network area’. The project runs from September 2014 to August 2018 and is a £2.3m (€3.1m) LIFE biodiversity project funded by 8 partners including the EU.
The Hidden Gardens are currently recruiting for a number of volunteers: Taskforce Gardening Volunteers and Greenfingers Gardening Volunteers.
The new 2013/2014 CSGN Annual Review is now available to download from our website. It covers a year of significant change for us and our partners, including the establishment of the Central Scotland Green Network Trust and the inclusion of the CSGN within the third National Planning Framework (NPF3).
When considering lifestyle factors that reduce the risk of heart disease, the public might list a change in diet, stopping smoking or taking more exercise. They are unlikely to mention how far they live from the nearest park. However, scientists are increasingly realising that our risk of heart attack, stroke and other health problems are associated with limited access to green spaces. Green spaces may satisfy some inherent need to be close to nature – providing mental health benefits – or simply offer better opportunities for regular exercise.
An annual search for the best Lottery funded projects has highlighted The Helix as a finalist in its 2014 Best Environmental Project category.
Following the success of the Stalled Spaces initiative that won Glasgow City Council an international award in 2013, Stalled Spaces Scotland was launched in July this year. The initiative will support local authorities and communities to bring vacant and derelict land back in to temporary use to benefit local areas.