Category: Inspirational

Summer fun and sun

, by Laura Healy Smith
There are so many activities to do here in Cumbernauld!  Pic (c) CLL  With the summer sun comes the thought of summer holidays, and with that comes the thought of … “how on earth are we going to keep the kids entertained for seven weeks?” Well, we’re here to lend you a hand and give you some nature-based activity ideas,…

One swallow does not a summer make…..

, by Laura Healy Smith
Swallow, (c) Chris Gomershall, 2020Vision Every spring, I long for the sight of swallows returning to perch on telegraph wires and preen themselves after a mammoth journey which seems impossible for such a tiny, slight bird. Their chatter has been the constant soundtrack to my life over the years and their petrol blue and red plumage – and forked tails…

New beginnings…..

, by Laura Healy Smith
At this time of year, I think it’s very appropriate to talk about new beginnings. As a DreamWorks character stated “Easter is new beginnings, new life. Easter is about hope,” and so is Spring itself. Hello, I’m Natalie, a new Trainee with Cumbernauld Living Landscape and I’m very new to conservation as my background is actually in childcare, which I…

The magic of forests

, by Laura Healy Smith
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…

Over to you…

, by Cumbernauld Living Landscape
Over the last couple of years I have really enjoyed writing pieces for this blog telling you about some of the fantastic wildlife that we have in Cumbernauld, and about the amazing people that we have worked with to protect and improve our beautiful greenspaces. Sadly this will be one of the the last pieces for a while, as the…

This Time It’s Goodbye

, by Katie Brown
Sometimes you don’t realise how far you’ve come until you look back. When I think about the timid trainee who joined the Cumbernauld Living Landscape Project at the end of 2020, I can’t help but feel proud of the journey she has been on. Even just a year ago my imposter syndrome was so severe that I almost didn’t apply…

The empress of flowers!

, by Cumbernauld Living Landscape
All around the town, on the verges, next to the footpaths, on the playing fields, the fast-greening grass has been sprinkled with splashes of white and pink where daisies are taking advantage of the short time before the mowers come out in force. In some people’s eyes, of course, these are weeds, not wild flowers. Weeds because they’re everywhere, rather…

What a re-leaf it’s finally spring!

, by Katie Brown
I always breathe a sigh of relief once we reach the Spring Equinox. After months of darkness, day and night are finally equal and it feels good knowing that the evenings will continue to draw out until the Summer Solstice in June. One of the best things about working outdoors is getting to experience the seasonal transitions in all their…

International Women’s Day: Celebrating Our Nature Ninjas

, by Katie Brown
It was a drizzly autumn day at St Maurice’s Pond. Our volunteers were soaked through, armed with scythes, teeth gritted against the rain. And as I watched them working their way through the meadow, I couldn’t help but be reminded of old photos of the Women’s Land Army. It’s important to note, Nature Ninjas is not exclusively a women’s group,…

Wassailing apples

, by Paul Barclay
Recently Cumbernauld Living Landscape’s Saturday nature group headed out into the woods on a special mission. “Wassail the trees, that they may bear, many an apple and many a pear…” While the domestic apple is not native to the UK we do have our own version – the crab apple. A member of the rose family, its small fruits taste…

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