Fife’s first biodiversity village set to restore wildlife corridor

The initiative in Strathmiglo will see more than 400 small trees and shrubs donated by the Woodland Trust planted.

They will run from the bats' roosting area in the south of the village to the River Eden.

Led by Strathmiglo Conservation Community, the biodiversity village will get rid of non-native plants and planting native ones, creating better habitats for wildlife and learning together how to make the village more biodiverse.

The group has been busy developing partnerships with Climate Action Fife, Fife Council, Fife Coast and Countryside Trust (FCCT), Nature Scot and Inspiring Scotland in order to turn the tide on the decline of native species in the area.

On Sunday (March 19), Working alongside Fife and Kinross Bat Group, it will get the trees into the ground before the growing season begins in earnest via a family planting day.

Robyn Warrender, founder member, said: “"After advice from Fife’s Coast and Countryside Trust (FCCT), we applied to the Woodland Trust for hedging to facilitate bats flying between their roosts and the River Eden where they hunt for insects to eat.

“We were delighted to be awarded a pack of some 420 shrubs and we're now looking forward to welcoming volunteers to a family friendly tree-planting session on Sunday. Helping to restore wildlife habitat in the village is a key part of Strathmiglo's bid to become Fife's first Biodiversity Village."

Strathmiglo Biodiversity Village aims to restore and create habitat sites for all wildlife in the surrounding area through the involvement of local businesses, residents and community groups.

Patrick Higgins, who chairs the conservation group said he hopes others in Fife will follow in Strathmiglo’s footsteps.

He added: “The hope is that the village-wide tasks we have planned will bring the community together with a newfound sense of purpose, and quickly help build resilience as we begin taking responsibility for our own environment in small manageable ways, while the achievement of becoming Fife’s first Biodiversity Village will pave the way for other settlements to follow.”