Scottish award shortlist for Fife group which got young people involved in nature

Balbirnie’s Future Foundation: Nature Pioneers has been shortlisted in the 2024 RSPB Nature of Scotland Award. It is in the running in the youth action category, and will find out of it has won at a ceremony at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on November 28.

The project’s nature education sessions for children have delivered bulb planting, tree planting, and wildflower meadow planting through the seasons; and given opportunities for youths and adults in outdoor leisure activities, volunteering, new skills and friendship using outdoor projects to help improve local greenspaces for nature.

Its achievements from October 2023-June 2024 culminated in 21 school sessions with Markinch Primary, 39 community sessions, 358 man hours removing ponticum, 475 trees planted, over 1000 bulbs planted and 10 fruit trees planted during the Golden Orchard event hosted by the Nature Pioneers with the school to celebrate 50 years of the Tree Council. Young members continued to carry out tree care over the summer months and applied for further funding to continue their sessions with the school and community for people and for nature.

Amy Thomson project lead, said: “It is incredible what the young people involved in this grassroots youth-led project has achieved, planting nearly 500 trees and being committed to caring for them for two years. Their passion for nature, wildlife and for Balbirnie Park shines through, and their want to teach younger youth how to look after their environment is inspirational. It is amazing for these roles models, a generation of new teachers, to be recognised by the RSPB Nature of Scotland Awards.”

The organisation is backed by funding from the National Lottery Community Fund, Greenspaces, Fife Charities Trust, Fife Council, and the Co-Op. It also has the support of the Scottish Wildlife Trust ‘Nextdoor Nature’ pioneers programme, local communities, Markinch Primary School, police, local tree officers, Fife Coast and Countryside Trust and the people within the various departments within the local authority.

Added Amy: “All this collaboration has made this project successful and positively impacts our communities, our children, our parks as a whole.”

Balbirnie’s Future Foundation Nature Pioneers was announced as a finalist at a shortlist reception held at the Scottish Parliament.