Scotland's First Biodiverse Town
Blairgowrie & Rattray
Updated 13:51 Sunday 16 January
Biodiverse Town
We are proud that Blairgowrie & Rattray's Community Action Plan included an action to establish Blairgowrie & Rattray as Scotland's first Biodiverse Town.
Introduction
We have been working with Catherine Lloyd of the Tayside Biodiversity Partnership who has been helping to set up Scotland's first Biodiversity Villages at St Madoes and Glencarse and Guildtown. Because of the work undertaken during 2020 and 2021, the creation of our own Blairgowrie & Rattray Biodiverse Action Plan which integrates with our Community Action Plan and the activities being driven by the Open Spaces Group, Catherine was delighted to advise that we are the first town in Scotland to commit to being a Biodiverse Town.
We are aware there are many towns, villages and neighbourhoods working to integrate biodiversity into their communities and we hope that they will join us in helping Scotland become a Biodiverse Country aiming for Carbon Net Zero and No Net Loss of Biodiversity.
Please email admin@discoverblairgowrie.co.uk if you would like to find out more about our activities or if you waould like to help.
Groups involved:
The following local groups are involved with Open Spaces:
Blairgowrie & Rattray Development Trust
Proactive Communities Blairgowrie & Rattray
Blair in Bloom
Blairgowrie and Rattray Access Network
Blairgowrie, Rattray and District Climate Cafe
Blairgowrie and Rattray Community Football Club
Blairgowrie Rattray and District Angling Association
PKC Greenspace
Blairgowrie & Rattray Comunity Council congratulated the Open Spaces group on the achievement at their meeting on 11 Nov 2021.
Activities
Here is a copy of our in progress Biodiversity Action Plan which was developed from the Tayside Biodiversity Partnership's draft 'Biodoversity Village, Town & Neighbourhoos Toolkit':
Blairgowrie & Rattray Biodiverse Action Plan (click to download)Progress
The following items are in progress or completed (updated 16 January):
- Reduce Food Waste - 25 tonnes of surplus food redistributed from 3 local supermarkets in 2021
- SuDS and Ponds Surveys to be undertaken
- Pond dipping kits to be purchased for Pooling our Ponds Surveys
- Urban Greenspace review
- 10% for Wildlife& Wildlife Trees and Edible Hedge Projects
- Safeguarding Our Pollinators (Pollinator Stepping Stones Project)
- Green Graveyard Initiative (including Snowdrops for Pollinators)
- Living roof initiative
- 200 native trees to be planted
- Hedgehog hibernation homes purchased - to be sited in conjunction with local schools
- Bat boxes purchased - to be installed
- 5,000 bulbs planted by Blair in Bloom
- 3 x Bird Box Trails created (summer activities 2021)
- Foraging Group formed
Phase 2 includes the following:
- Safeguarding our amphibians and pond doctor projects
- Wildlife in the Rough
- Swift Conservation Project
- Heritage Trails linking local heritage sites to Biodiversity
- Tree Wardens
- Town Tree Trails – Council Tree App
- SuDS – Sustainable Urban Drainage, Swales and Raingardens