Discover Autumn Connections

Autumn is always a wonderful time to explore the outdoors.The air is crisp and sharp, the leaves are changing hue and our wildlife is winding down for the year. It’s a time of change when nature’s energies are drawn back to store for the coming winter. In some cases, wildlife is finding places to sleep or develop over winter. While

Discovering the Living Landscapes in Cumbernauld

When I was asked which environmental organisations I would like to visit as part of my internship, the Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Living Landscapes Project were definitely on my list. I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to learn more about the work of one of Scotland’s most important conservation NGOs. I am originally from Hanover, Germany, where I

Endings and beginnings

Last week we said goodbye to one of our Project Officers, Claire Bailly, who is moving on to a new post in Glasgow working with communities on flood resilience. Claire has been an amazing group leader and will be sadly missed, but I’m sure her new project will soon feel her benefit. There was a record turnout for her final Wild

Getty Arty in the Outdoors

There are few things in the world more beautiful than the nature that is all around us. Think about the all the amazing paintings, stories, songs, poems and even films you know that are based around nature. For centuries all sorts of artists have been inspired by the natural world – the exact same natural world that’s all around you. One

Lazy Summer Days

“It’s too hot!”  – the plaintive cry of the average Scotsperson on the first warm day of summer. Never mind all the complaints of cold from the dreich weeks before! Trees have many vital roles, but one of the most important ones for me right now is their undoubted value as a sunshade. There can surely be few more pleasant

Volunteers in the Willows

  The rain is trickling down the small of our backs, our bodies still warming from the tea. “Twenty five to go!” harks the cry from within the group, in an almost victorious tone. Bending the thin strips of willow down, intertwining them with last week’s work (and the week before’s), it’s fair taking shape. As the hiss of the fire

Phoenix trees

Some time ago, while in the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s amazing Cumbernauld Glen reserve, I learned about a new type of tree – not a new species, but one with a new way of living. Walking through the woods I came across a fallen tree. Even knowing the value of dead wood to wildlife I still can’t help feeling sad when

A journey into Cumbernauld’s wild centre

Picture an urban scene – is it full of crowds, cars and concrete? It’s no wonder that the hustle of urban life can make people feel disoriented, or even ill. Recently I found myself in Cumbernauld shopping centre feeling like I was having a heart attack. I couldn’t draw breath, was freezing cold and yet soaked in sweat. I felt

Beating the Winter Blues

It’s been a cold start to the year but that hasn’t stopped the Wild Ways Well group from getting out exploring Cumbernauld’s wildlife reserves. I suffer badly from Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as ‘the winter blues’. You might relate to an annual feeling of dread and depression during the dark days of winter. When it’s a struggle to get