Merry Christmas Everyone

It is coming to that time of year again where we huddle up in front of the telly to watch the old favourites of Miracle on 34th street, Elf and Wonderful Life etc. while raiding selection boxes for a quick sugar fix. It is very quiet here in the office and with the project ended I’ve been busy doing other

It is goodbye from Creating Natural Connections

It is a bittersweet time here at Creating Natural Connections, with us saying farewell to The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) team as the project delivery ends. It still amazes me that it has been 5 years since beginning this project with consultations and events during the development phase to create a project that was driven by the public. Four years later

Let’s hear it for the volunteers!

      Litter picking at Cumbernauld House Park (C) Aimée Moretti Volunteers are at the very core of Cumbernauld Living Landscape. The work we have delivered over 4 years would not have been possible without the dedication, strength and joyous spirits of our Nature Ninja volunteers. We want to take the time to celebrate these brilliant people who have

Going a bit batty!

Bats are one of our most interesting and elusive mammals in Scotland. And they’ve just started to emerge from hibernation. They are one of the only mammals to hibernate here – the dormouse and the hedgehog being the others. If you’re out walking the dog or coming home at dusk, the chances are there are bats overhead, flitting around streetlights

Looking out for Bluebells

(c) Katrina Martin/2020 Vision    ‘There is a silent eloquence In every wild bluebell’ – Anne Brontë As we begin to see the bluebell carpets rolling out, this quote certainly rings true. I want to take this time to highlight the importance of protecting these beautiful flowers. Throughout the blog, I will be referring to the ‘common bluebell’ but that

Big Spring Clean in Cumbernauld

There’s so much to look forward to at this time of the year.  As we start to see Spring awaken the plants and animals around Cumbernauld, we also find ourselves preparing for the warmer weather and longer days.  Here at Cumbernauld Living Landscape we’re no different.  We’re excited to be outside with many of you improving our greenspaces, as we

The magic of forests

As we come up to International Day of Forests, I thought it would be an idea to reflect on how our woodlands hold so much wonder and curiosity, and how they are beneficial to both people and wildlife. Take a saunter through the woods and you are immersed in a whole new world, of dappled light, earthy smells, and a

Hello again, hedgehogs!

March is here and that means many things for nature but, this week, we are all about the hedgehogs, who should soon be emerging from hibernation. These prickly nocturnal characters are one of the few species of mammal to enter hibernation in the UK – alongside the dormouse and our native bats.  Hedgehogs go into hibernation around October or November

A helping hand for bees

Spring is beginning to awaken and last week our Project Officer spotted her first tree bumblebee of the year. As you can imagine, the bee was a bit sluggish after a long winter sleep. The bee would have been seeking food and heat. The risk is that this mild period of winter could be a false start for many of

Path works at Broadwood Loch

Swans at Broadwood, (c) Laura H Smith This spring sees the final set of access works being completed through the Cumbernauld Living Landscape.  Works at Broadwood Loch begin on the 20th of February, there are 3 sections of the path network that will be upgraded including the woodland walk which has been flooding for many years. I have a particular