Green Times Magazine Summer 2024

You’re Invited to Celebrate Sustainability in Style at Envirolution Aberdeen

The first Envirolution Aberdeen—an inclusive, environmental, and free festival that aims to raise awareness about sustainability while bringing the community together—will take place on Saturday 28 September.

Save the date and come along to the city’s picturesque Seaton Park, for a packed day of green activities, entertainment, and education—all free of charge. Whether you're new to climate action or looking to connect with like-minded people, there's something on offer for everyone.

The many partners behind this unique event, focused on promoting eco-friendly living, extend a warm welcome to everyone to get involved with workshops, talks, performances, games, interactive stalls and more—all designed to be fun, interactive and relaxed ways of inspiring positive change!

We are actively seeking stallholders, activity coordinators, volunteers, and sponsors to help make this inaugural event a success. Whether you’re a local business wanting to support your local community as well as the planet, an environmental group eager to educate, or someone who simply wants to contribute time and energy, there’s a place for you at the festival.

Join us in making Aberdeen’s free, environmental festival an unforgettable celebration of green living. Together, we can create a more sustainable future for our city and beyond.

Learn more about the event, including volunteer opportunities, stalls and activities, and sponsorships and get involved: you’ll be in good company, just look who’s already part of Team Envirolution: Envirolution, NESCAN Hub, Aberdeen University Students' Union, Aberdeen for a Fairer World MDEC, Station House Media Unit, CFINE, Earth & Worms, University of Aberdeen, NHS Grampian , Aberdeen City Council

Sponsor Envirolution Aberdeen

Volunteer at Envirolution Aberdeen

In the Spring of this year the Aberdeen B-Lines project launched, which is a partnership between the Council and Buglife Scotland, aimed at creating flower rich grasslands across the city to help our pollinators thrive.

The conservation officer working on the project, Ruth Quigley, has been busy working with volunteers to sow native wildflower seeds at various sites across the city with areas starting to bloom this summer. If you take a walk along the Donmouth Nature Reserve you will see a bright border of coastal wildflowers, currently showing a stunning display of poppies, red campion and mayweed!

Ruth said “It’s so great to see flowers in bloom this summer, knowing how much hard work the dedicated volunteers put in seeding these areas by hand. It’s also been really nice to hear peoples positive feedback about the sites we have worked on so far, and of course to see a wide range of pollinators visiting the flowers.”

Volunteers have also helped Ruth by receiving training on surveying pollinators and preparing some sites for further habitat work coming in the Autumn- including removing docks from sites and collecting wildflower seed to use in the flower rich grasslands.

If you would like to get involved in the Aberdeen B-Lines project, please email Ruth at ruth.quigley@buglife.org.uk.

Aberdeen B-Lines is supported by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, managed by NatureScot as well as funding from Milkywire, the Hugh Fraser Foundation and an anonymous funder. 

Empower Your Community with NESCAN Hub’s Seed Fund

The NESCAN Hub is thrilled to announce the return of its Seed Fund, designed to support small community climate action and biodiversity projects in the North East. The fund provides grants of up to £500 for local not-for-profit organisations with an annual income under £50,000. This initiative aims to support projects that mitigate climate change, enhance local biodiversity, and build community resilience.

Eligible projects should focus on long-term change, skill-building, collaborative efforts, sustainability, and climate action. Special consideration will be given to initiatives led by young people, disadvantaged, or minority groups. The Seed Fund encourages innovative approaches to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, recycle and upcycle goods, and promote native flora.

By participating, you’ll join a network dedicated to creating a fairer, healthier, and more sustainable future. Don’t miss this opportunity to make a tangible impact in your community. For more details and to apply, visit the NESCAN Hub website and become a member today. Let’s work together to nurture our environment and inspire change!

For applications and more information, visit NESCAN Hub.

Aberdeen wins champion of champions in major bloom competition

Aberdeen is celebrating after the city won the champions of champions award – the Rosebowl - along with five other awards in the Scottish in bloom competitions.

The city – including community organisations, friends groups, and residents, all contributed to the accolades at the annual Beautiful Scotland awards which were held in Aberdeen in September.

The complete list of prizes is:

• The Rosebowl, won by Aberdeen Communities Together (led by Aberdeen City Council).
• Aberdeen Communities Together won the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society Award and the VisitScotland Award for Tourism.
• Aberdeen Communities Together also won the City Award and a gold certificate, as well as being awarded runner up, along with Aberdeen City Council, in the David Welch Memorial Award for Something Special - for their Meadow in a Box project.
• Aberdeen City Council also received a runner-up certificate for the Wright Sustainability Award for the B-Line project.
• Powis Residents Group received the Residential Community Award and a Silver Gilt certificate.
• In the non-judged category, Brighter Bucksburn and Cove in Bloom received Certificates of Recognition.

The wins add to Aberdeen’s extensive success, having won a medal in either Britain in Bloom or Beautiful Scotland every year since 2008 and has been award-winning in the competitions since 1964. This year Aberdeen is also celebrating 60 years competing in Britain in Bloom and Beautiful Scotland.

The Lord Provost of Aberdeen Dr. David Cameron, who was official host of the event, said: “We are over the moon about winning the Rosebowl and the other awards today – it’s such a tribute to our hard-working gardeners and greenkeepers as well as all the amazing community organisations, groups, and individuals who help to continue make Aberdeen’s green spaces beautiful.

“Aberdeen has a long and prestigious history in the Beautiful Scotland and Britain in Bloom competitions so it’s fantastic that we’ve won this accolade in our 60th year of entering the competitions.

“We’d like to say a big ‘thanks’ to everyone who makes a contribution to our parks and green spaces and encourage everyone to come and see for themselves what beautiful – and award-winning - places they are.”

Celebrating twenty years of Fairtrade in Aberdeen

In 2024, Aberdeen celebrates its 20 year anniversary of its commitment to Fairtrade and maintaining its status as a Fairtrade community.

On 19 September, a civic reception took place at the Town House to mark the occasion. Invited guests were piped in at the entrance, and guests included representatives from the University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen University Student Union, Co-Op, Aberdeen for a Fairer World, Aberdeenshire Fairtrade groups, Dundee Fairtrade Group, Scottish Fair Trade, faith based groups, volunteers, elected members and staff from the Council.

Guests were able to have a look at a display of the history of Fairtrade in the city, as well as see what other organisations were doing for Fairtrade.

The civic reception had a range of food and drinks that were local, sustainable and Fairtrade sourced and a beautiful chocolate cake baked by the talented staff at the Breadmaker using Fairtrade cocoa.

To end the evening, Marischal College was also lit up for the occasion sporting blue and greens as part of the Fairtrade logo colours.

The event tied in with Fairtrade Foundation’s Fairtrade Fortnight 2024, which ran from Monday 9 September to Sunday 22 September, this year commemorates 30 years of the Fairtrade Mark.  Home - Fairtrade.

To find out more about Fairtrade in the city visit Aberdeen Fairtrade Facebook

24 hour Glitter Pick makes welcome return

Clean Up Aberdeen’s 24 hour Glitter Pick made a welcome return on the 20 June this year. The event, which takes place on or near the longest day, aims to involve volunteers from the community of Aberdeen in 24 litter picks in 24 locations in 24 hours.

This year we achieved a fantastic 42 litter picks.

The Council’s Library Services kicked off the event at midnight followed by volunteers from Environmental Services through the early hours of the morning.

East Grampian Coastal Partnership joined proceedings at 8am at a stunning Donmouth North.

The Glitter Pick then toured the city visiting schools, friends groups, community flats, wellbeing groups, community gardens, and other partners. The epic day finished after 11pm with a litter pick of Burger King beach car park. Volunteers came out in force and the sun shone from dawn ‘til dusk.

In an exciting collaboration for 2024, the Glitter Pick linked up with Aberdeen, Washington State USA. Aberdeen Improvement Volunteer Joshua Francy was stoked to be included in the day and held two litter picks in his hometown.

Back in Aberdeen, Scotland, Environmental Services Manager Steven Shaw went one hour better than his 2019 total, completing a whopping 21 hours of litter picking after starting at 3am.

He said “the Glitter Pick is always a fantastic, fun event that highlights the issue of litter while celebrating the splendid work of Clean Up Aberdeen volunteers.

"To be litter picking the Deeside way as the sun rose and go all the way through to the setting of the sun at Fittie was brilliant!

"It was privilege and inspiration to spend the day with so many positive people who care so much about their city. The enthusiasm and commitment from every litter picker, both in our Aberdeen and in Aberdeen WA, kept us going throughout a very long day.”

At the end of the day 601 participants filled 204 bags. Thank you and congratulations to everyone involved!

Litter picking is great fun and makes a noticeable difference to areas. If you would like to get involved e-mail cleanaberdeen@aberdeencity.gov.uk for advice and equipment.

Public squirrel sightings ‘more important than ever’ as Annual Great Scottish Squirrel Survey begins next week

Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) is calling on the public to get outside, explore nature, and take part in its annual nationwide Great Scottish Squirrel Survey next week. In a year with red and grey squirrels appearing in unexpected places, and the first death in Fife of a red squirrel due to squirrelpox, public sightings of both species are more important than ever.

Running between 30^th Sep – 6^th Oct, the annual citizen science nature survey is a chance for members of the public to make a valuable contribution towards vital red squirrel conservation.

Red squirrels are one of Scotland’s most loved animals, and our only native squirrel species. Once widespread throughout the country, in recent decades red squirrel populations have declined due to their replacement by introduced grey squirrels who outcompete them for food and habitat and spread the deadly squirrelpox virus.

Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels, a partnership project led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, is working with local communities, landowners, partner organisations and volunteers to protect red squirrels in key priority areas where they are most under threat from greys.

Programme Manager Nicole Still said: “Red and grey squirrels have turned up in some very unusual places in 2024 - from reds in urban areas such as Bishopbriggs, the first in Glasgow in many decades - to greys further north than we would normally expect. Alongside this we had our first confirmed death in the Central Lowlands of a red squirrel from squirrelpox earlier in the year.”

“As such its more important than ever that we gather as many public squirrel sightings as possible. Reporting a sighting is a simple thing anyone can do to help – by being our eyes on the ground the public can make an invaluable contribution towards critical Scottish nature conservation efforts.”

“Last year over 1300 people reported almost 2000 squirrel sightings in just one week. Let’s make this year’s survey even greater!”

Squirrels spotted anywhere in the country, from back gardens to local parks and woodlands, or even busy urban areas, can be reported to SSRS via scottishsquirrels.org.uk/squirrel-sightings. These directly inform conservation action on the ground by helping staff, volunteers and partners understand how the distribution of each species is changing over time, where efforts should be prioritised, and alerting the project to situations where grey squirrels are posing an immediate threat.

The Great Scottish Squirrel Survey week will feature a programme of events across the country as well as self-guided opportunities. More information can be found at scottishsquirrels.org.uk/2024-great-scottish-squirrel-survey

Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is a partnership project led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust and supported by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, managed by NatureScot.