Environment

A new campaign has been launched today urging the public and waste industry to speak up anonymously about illegal waste dumping.

Large quantities of waste are being dumped in warehouses and farm buildings in Scotland. The illegal dumping is a danger to life and health, damages the local environment, disrupts the lives of residents and rural communities and costs the economy.

The finalists for the 2018 Scottish Rural Awards have been announced.

The Scottish Rural Awards, partnered by Scottish Field magazine and the Scottish Countryside Alliance, celebrate the industry, innovation, dedication and community spirit of those who live and work in the countryside.

Finalists have been announced for the following eleven award categories:

Emilie Lindbladh from Angus LEADER/European Maritime and Fisheries Fund tells us about the Arbroath Litter Summit which took place on 13 November 2017 in Arbroath.

The community group East Haven Together launched Scotland’s first community-led litter summit on 13 November, fully funded by LEADER. They provided a powerful voice for members of the public involved in clean up initiatives throughout the county. The event brought together representatives from across the Angus community.

Winners of the 2017 Nature of Scotland Awards include Scotland's first-ever snorkel trail, a community garden and a project tackling plastic pollution.

Find out about the recent European Rural Parliament event held in Venhorst, Netherlands in this event report from Scottish Rural Action.

The village of Venhorst in Noord-Brabant did not exist until the early 20th. century when the municipality sold seven hectare plots to families wanting to settle and make a living. The nearest school was an hour’s journey away.

You can now view five paths within Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park on Google Maps.

Some of the most popular paths in the National Park have been filmed by staff and volunteers using equipment from Google so that members of the public can see the terrain before visiting.

The paths which feature on the site are:

Kirsty Crichton from the Scottish Rural Network reports from the recent Through A Rural Lens event held in Belfast.

Delegates from across the UK and Ireland attended the Through A Rural Lens: Rural Development and Networking Conference at the Clayton Hotel in Belfast, Northern Ireland on 14 and 15 November 2017.

Scotland was well represented by a range of organisations, as well as panel member Professor Sarah Skerratt from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC).

The Annual Implementation Report (AIR) of the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) has been published.

Covering the first three years of the 2014-2020 Programme, the full report and Summary for Citizens can be viewed on the Scottish Government website.

Buildings for Biodiversity Conference

Tay Landscape Partnership (TayLP) are delighted to offer a one-day conference on 9 November 2017 to raise awareness of how important both rural and urban buildings are to the survival of key species like swifts, barn owls and bats and to explore cost effective ways to accommodate them, whilst avoiding delays to work, and complying with the law.

Who should attend
The event has been designed to appeal to professionals who plan, build, repair, maintain and manage buildings.

What you will take away

Launch Event: Phos4You

Are you interested in:

  • Phosphorus recovery?
  • Improving water quality?
  • Recycled products as fertiliser?

This event, part of the European Union Phos4You research project, seeks to engage with stakeholders at an early stage to inform and direct the work of the Scottish research team so they can address concerns and capitalise on opportunities.

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