2021 Winners and Shortlist

Scotia Seeds believes in biodiversity from the roots up. They are pioneering producers of wildflower seeds which have been used to create spaces for nature all over Scotland and beyond and Mavisbank, the home of Scotia Seeds, is itself a valuable haven for wild birds, insects, mammals and amphibians.

Nairn Dunbar are leading the way within the turf industry to increase environmentally sustainable management, increase habitat varieties, provide positive contributions to wildlife and continually improve the playing experience for members and guests. Implementing economically sound and socially responsible management that utilises the least chemicals, fertiliser and water for maintenance.

The Scottish Invasive Species Initiative is an exciting and ambitious partnership project delivering an innovative community-based strategic approach to the management of Invasive Non-Native Species alongside rivers in northern Scotland.  The Initiative has developed a sustainable volunteer-led approach to secure and maintain biodiversity gains in the long term.

Pioneering nature based solutions in central Scotland, Revive the Allan aims to work with landowners and nature to improve the upper reaches of the Allan Water benefiting fish, birds, invertebrates and communities within the catchment.

Little Acorns is a community-based nature and holistic learning forest school setting. Through environmental sustainability young and old have come together to design, build and maintain a thriving woodland learning habitat for both humans and nature!

Coigach & Assynt Living Landscape is one of the largest community-led partnerships in Scotland, with 10 of 14 partners drawn from local communities. Despite a population of just 1,400, this community has pulled together to bring significant positive change for the nature, heritage and economic prospects of this remote area.

Through Growing for Garnock, Eadha Enterprises have planted over 3,000 wild plants across the Garnock Connections landscape. They’ve inspired volunteers and community groups to undertake this work as well, creating new and improved greenspaces in places that matter to local people, from urban parks to riverside meadows.

Kinclune Organic Nature Farm demonstrates that it is in the power of Scottish farmers to farm our way out of the biodiversity crisis by placing environmental and biodiversity considerations at the heart of management decisions. This benefits, not only important wildlife, such as threatened waders, but also upland livestock farms. 

Propagate is a collective of sustainable food educators, practitioners, producers and community researchers. They organises and facilitates collaborative projects that work towards a fair and resilient food system. Propagate believe that healthy, sustainably produced food should be affordable and accessible to all, regardless of economic, social or cultural background.

The 15-year transformation of Glen Feshie - from over-grazed pinewood to Scotland’s most exciting and celebrated forest recovery project, this is a profound and spectacular demonstration of restoration potential.  It is testament to the commitment of the Wildland Limited team, and the drive and determination of visionary owner, Anders Holch Povlsen.

This is a healthy lifestyles project looking to address health inequalities.  It runs in areas of deprivation in South Edinburgh.  Encouraging communities to be more physically active through exercise, gardening, conservation, and environmental activities. Taking notice of outdoor surroundings, developing strategies to create spaces to feel part of for years ahead.

NHS estates across Scotland include a wide range of greenspace resources, from small courtyard gardens to more extensive parkland and woodlands. This project demonstrated how sites planned for people and nature can contribute to sustainability and biodiversity along with the wellbeing of healthcare staff, patients, visitors and local communities.

The Walking with Nature campaign encouraged people to be active, connect with nature, and do small kind things that improved the places where people walked. This was achieved through encouraging people to take part in activities that were linked to the five pathways to nature connectedness.

B-Lines provide an opportunity to create a network of wildflower-rich areas across Scotland providing essential routes for pollinators to use.  The B-Lines network in Scotland includes our best habitats and this new map identifies key areas to restore and create new wildflower-rich meadows and important grassland verges across the country.

Project Puffin is a citizen science project that asks the public to be members of the Puffarazzi and submit photos of puffins carrying prey. Our Puffineers (a group of fantastically dedicated volunteers) run this flagship citizen science project, that generates crucial data for conservation science and facilitates high public engagement.

The Easter Beltie river restoration project transformed the middle reaches of a degraded agricultural stream into a rich complex of wetland habitats in the river Dee catchment, bringing multiple benefits for biodiversity, water quality and climate resilience. The site is being used to evaluate and demonstrate river valley restoration techniques.

Small ripples can bring about tides of change…but only if you’re bold enough to rock the boat and create a few waves, to begin with.  The young people of Sunnyside School of Conservation have shown they’re brave enough to set sail, creating and spreading inspiring campaigns such as #DrainCampaign and #DareToSoar; challenging Government policy and bringing about change across many biomes. Their work for nature is truly ‘summit to sea’.

Find out more here.

Children in primaries 1-3 use weekly blocks of outdoor learning to help improve awareness of their local environment, the importance of protecting it (the flora and fauna within), and ways to encourage wildlife into the school grounds – providing a safe-haven for nature.

Blairvadach Outdoor Education Centre has developed an environmental education course teaching pupils about the history of Glasgow’s canals and how they can help make the canals and surrounding green spaces inner-city wildlife havens. Accredited by the John Muir Trust, pupils who complete the course receive a John Muir Discover Award.

• Forth Rivers Trust - Forth Rivers Consulting
• Nairn Dunbar Golf Club – Environmental Golf Course of the Year
• Scotia Seeds - Scottish wildflower seed production - for and with wildlife
• Seilich - natural ingredients that support nature conservation

• Community-led Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Project
• On Our Wave Length
• Revive the Allan
• Scottish Invasive Species Initiative - Communities Tackle Invasive Species
• The 'Wild South Esk'

• Carron Valley Community Woodland – Nurturing Nature, Championing Community
• Coigach & Assynt Living Landscape Partnership Scheme
• Growing for Garnock
• Little Acorns CIC: Nature-based and holistic learning community forest school
• Paws On Plastic - 21,000 amazing litter-picking dog owners

• Kinclune Organic Nature Farm
• Nature Friendly Farming Network 
• Propagate (Scotland) 
• Spital Tower Sustainability – integrated plans for the future

• Barrhill Woods: At the heart of the community
• Bowshiel - restoring an ancient woodland sustainably
• Creative, functional woodland - as it should be done!
• Dunbar Community Woodland – for Trees, for Wildlife, For People
• Newtonhill School
• Wildland Cairngorms – native forest restoration at landscape-scale

• Ayr and Ailsa Hospitals - Greenspace for Health
• Boots & Beards
• Dundee Green Health Partnership
• Healthier, Greener and Better Connected in the Community
• NHS Greenspace – better places for people & nature
• Outdoors for You - reconnecting people with nature
• TCV Building Roots project
• Think Health Think Nature
• Tom's hidden garden - a place to relax
• Venture Trust – harnessing the power of nature for wellbeing
• Walking with Nature

• Aberdeen City Council - Woodlands, Wetlands & Wildflowers
• B-Lines map for Scotland
• Cairngorms National Park Authority - Cairncraft Youth Engagement Project
• The Puffineers
• The 'Wild South Esk'

• Aberdeen City Council - Woodlands, Wetlands & Wildflowers 
• Restoring rivers, sustaining livelihoods – Tweed’s nature-based climate solutions 
• River Calder Restoration - Flowing into the Future 
• The Easter Beltie Restoration 
• Wetland farming for climate adaptation - Seawater Solutions ltd 

• Blairvadach@Pinkston Basin - development of an Outdoor Education Environmental Course
• Canonbie ECO Committee Primary 1/2/3
• Leading the Way - Scottish Wildlife Trust Young Leaders
• New Abbey Primary School Eco Warriors
• RSPB COP26 Climate Change Youth Steering Group
• Venture Trust – learning and development in nature
• Wild Planet Explorers - inspiring a new generation of biologists and conservationists.

• Cairngorms Wildcat Project
• Championing the Return of Beavers to Scotland COAST - Community of Arran Seabed Trust 
• DEEP - Dornoch Environmental Enhancement Project 
• Lynbreck Croft 
• Mull Eagle Watch 
• Native Woodland Survey of Scotland
• Seasearch 
• Sunnyside Primary – how small ripples bring about tides of change’
• TCV Natural Talent programme – closing the ecological skills gap