Partners

D&G Woodlands

Dumfries and Galloway Woodlands is working with SCAMP to explore coastal and maritime woodlands and their role for biodiversity, heritage, wellbeing and the role they might play in the future.

The Dumfries & Galloway Woodlands Initiative is the coming together of a range of partners – organisations and individuals – that want to support trees, habitats and the people that depend upon them in Dumfries & Galloway. Registered as a not-for-profit SCIO, the initiative is involved in a range of projects that aim to provide a response to the climate & nature crises, better understanding and appreciating the natural heritage of our region as a result.

Crichton Carbon Centre

The Crichton Carbon Centre has been working with peatland restoration and will be working with SCAMP around hydrological connections in the landscape, saltmarsh restoration and nature/climate education in schools and the community.  

The Centre is a not-for-profit organisation which focuses on practical rural climate solutions, working on peatland restoration, carbon management, sustainable land-use and environmental education.

They train practitioners in how to restore peatland; advise policy makers and champions on carbon science; and run educational programmes and projects to reduce damaging impacts on the planet. They play a key role in bringing people together, to form consensus and to restore carbon ecosystems.

RSPB

RSPB have a number of reserves on the Solway including Mersehead and the Crook of Baldoon nature reserve at Wigtown Bay. A panorama of saltmarsh, mudflats and hills, it is a thriving habitat for birdlife and in winter hosts thousands of visitors such as pink-footed and barnacle geese and a large number of shelducks, whooper and mute swans which feed and roost on the merse. RSPB Dumfries and Galloway will be working with SCAMP on building a healthy biodiverse habitat for birds and many other species.

The RSPB is a charity for the conservation of birds and nature. They bring people together who love birds and other wildlife, and who want to take action to restore the health and diversity of the natural world and carry out conservation on a large scale, protect and restore habitats, and save species from extinction. 

Galloway & Southern Ayrshire Biosphere (GSAB)

GSAB is a key partner in SCAMP and will be working with us on delivering SCAMP education and aspects of tourism and enterprise related to fostering benefits for local people. The Biosphere has now expanded its boundaries to take in a large area of the marine environment within the Solway. 

The Galloway & Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Partnership is a non-profit organisation working across the UNESCO Biosphere region in nature recovery, climate resilience, education and sustainable development. GSAB collaborate with multi-sector partners in initiatives that benefit people and nature alike.

Southern Uplands Partnership

Southern Upland Partnership will be working with SCAMP on access and interpretation to engage people with their coastal environment. 

 The Southern Uplands Partnership (SUP) is a rural development charity, started in 1999 by local people keen to keep the communities and countryside of the south of Scotland alive and healthy.

The charity spans the breadth of southern Scotland from Dumfries & Galloway in the west to the Scottish Borders in the east, and works with a whole host of people, groups, government bodies, agencies and councils.

SEAS (SCAMP Ecological Art Strand)

SEAS are a group of artists invited to come together to explore the role of arts practice which explores ecosystems to work across SCAMP Landscape Connections. The aim is to develop a SEAS Blueprint to explore the potential roles for art practice to collaborate and flow across SCAMP’s habitat restoration work helping to engage new audiences and uncover new perspectives and ways of working together for the delivery stage of SCAMP.

Dumfries and Galloway has many artists working in this field and over the years the region has become well known nationally and internationally for arts and ecological practice. Working with these artists allows SCAMP to engage with their unique perspectives on place, people and environment.

Powfoot Charity Group

Powfoot is a small village which was developed in the 19^th century as a resort. It is mainly saltmarsh and has an extensive beach which is home to much wildlife including the rare Natterjack Toad. Powfoot Charity Group have been developing all ability access onto the beach. Since the all ability access path has been built to give wheelchair access onto the beach it has been transformative for many people allowing everyone to benefit from the wellbeing benefits of a walk on the beach surrounded by spectacular views.

Newton Stewart Sub Aqua Club

Newton Stewart Sub Aqua Club will be working with us throughout the SCAMP project helping to dive sites to explore if there is any evidence of seagrass meadows or oyster reefs. They will be diving wrecks to explore the biodiversity that lives there and plan to support a coastal and  marine archaeology project.

Creative Stranraer

Creative Stranraer will be a conduit and venue for SCAMP to base workshops and community events. We have been invited along to their Vision and Action Meetings to share the latest updates about SCAMP.

Stranraer Water Sports Association

Stranraer Water Sports Association will be a partner with us to develop opportunities for the young people who we will work with to develop their understanding and connection with their marine environment. There will also be opportunities for young people to go out onto the water and take part in data collection and active learning through snorkelling, paddle boarding and sailing.

Better Lives Partnership

Better Lives Partnership who are based at Dumfries and Galloway College in Stranraer. We are  working together to find innovative and empowering ways to involve their young people in SCAMP with a particular focus on fostering wellbeing from feeling connected with the coastal and marine environment.

Stoneykirk Community Council

Stoneykirk Community Council have developed a rewilding strip along the foreshore. The brainchild of a small group of people in the community, the rewilding is taking shape, and we will continue to help them feel supported and empowered to nurture this project. In addition to the biodiversity, it is fostering, the project has also ensured that there is all ability access onto the beach via rubber matting access paths.

The Community of Port William

The community of Port William have been exploring the recreation of a historic tidal pool and the potential of saltwater swimming to peoples’ health and wellbeing as well as the opportunities for this coastline to expand its reputation for being a place of wellbeing tourism. The tidal pool would be mindful of climate change and ensuring it was respectful to the surrounding sea life and coastal biodiversity.

Wigtown Community

Wigtown is a community partner with SCAMP. With its own Local Nature Reserve and wildlife hide not far from the town there is a real desire in the community to provide more learning experiences for young people and multigenerational citizen science monitoring opportunities. 

Wigtown Book Festival

The Wigtown Book Festival 2024 has been working with the SCAMP team on a Coastal Fringe programme. This work will continue to develop allowing SCAMP’s knowledge and skills to be shared both with visitors and the local community through walks and talks and environment focused talks. 

Stranraer Development Trust

Stranraer Development Trust aims to achieve sustainable regeneration of the community of Stranraer addressing a range of economic, social, environmental and cultural issues. It will take forward projects that will increase opportunities, improve the attractiveness of the town, attract more visitors and revive the lost sense of pride in the town and what it has to offer.

They support the Stranraer Oyster Festival which brings in many visitors and local people to celebrate the connection Stranraer and Loch Ryan has with oysters. This year invited SCAMP and other partners working with the coastal and marine environment to be part of their new Climate Zone.

Elmvale School

Through the recent ImMerse Festival, SCAMP worked with Elmvale School in Annan, where three classes of 25 pupils got to take part in water testing, invertebrate investigations and saltmarsh science. This gave the children access to new knowledge about the environment they live near, including “the merse” or saltmarsh and the river Annan Estuary. SCAMP will continue to develop further education projects with schools.

The Wild Goose Festival

SCAMP has supported The Stove Artists Network’s Wild Goose Festival. The festival celebrates both the inspirational journey undertaken by the geese and our deep connection with the natural world. The family-friendly programme of events aims to engage our communities through creativity, education, and play, building meaningful relationships and encouraging people across generations to reconnect with the environment they live in. 

Annan Harbour Action Group

Annan Harbour Action Group have been helping to reconnect the people of Annan and their young people with their river, estuary and saltmarsh. Running walks, talks and citizen science activities that help people understand more about saltmarsh and feel a sense of pride for their special natural and marine environment. We hope to develop and continue to support this important work. 

Species on the Edge

At Powfoot Species on the Edge have successfully working with the local primary school, the local quarry and estate to extend the habitat for natterjack toads. There is also interest in helping restore the sand dunes to protect the community from the increase in storms and water level rises.