Access your wild side

When was the last time you ventured out into nature? If you live in Cumbernauld this may simply be part of your daily routine. Cumbernauld is an incredibly green town, and most people are fortunate enough to live a short distance away from a park or nature reserve. However, despite this fact, not everyone finds it easy to get outdoors and explore.

While the town was designed with pedestrians in mind, today Cumbernauld’s greenspaces are not always as accessible as they should be. Narrow walkways, uneven surfaces, challenging slopes and overgrown vegetation can all cause issues for anyone with special requirements. At Cumbernauld Living Landscape we believe that everyone should feel welcome, safe and secure while enjoying the nature on their doorstep, which is why over the next few years we’ll be upgrading paths at various priority sites around the town.

We believe that everyone should feel welcome, safe and secure while enjoying the nature on their doorstep

The first project starts this week at St. Maurice’s Pond. Very soon the site will have a brand new boardwalk, plus part of the connecting woodland path will be upgraded.

It’s a special place for nature. Ducks, swans and herons patrol the pond year–round, and in summer the boardwalk comes alive with butterflies and dragonflies. It’s also a great spot for pond-dipping, often used by children and young people as part of our Natural Connections programme. There are all sorts of creepy crawlies to discover! However, regular visitors will know that the current boardwalk and path can be difficult to navigate, and it’s a bumpy ride for anyone on wheels.

While improvement work is ongoing a section of the circular path round the pond will be temporarily closed, but we hope you agree that the changes will be worth it – helping more people get closer to the amazing wildlife that calls St. Maurice’s home.