Heritage Grants
The Creating Natural Connections project in Cumbernauld is part of a landscape-scale conservation partnership with the Scottish Wildlife Trust.
Cumbernauld is a ‘green’ town with lots of accessible high-quality greenspace. The project works with young people and under-served communities to build a long-lasting network of people who have the skills to care for these areas.
Wild Ways Well
Cumbernauld has a high level of social disadvantage, with many people experiencing poor mental health.
A part of the project, called Wild Ways Well, encourages people to spend time in nature to benefit health and mental wellbeing. It organises a variety of public events and sessions, such as:
- walks (often at a Scottish Wildlife Trust wildlife reserve)
- social sessions where participants share hot drinks and conversation around a fire
- conservation-themed activities like art with nature, plant identification, habitat maintenance and wildlife monitoring and tracking
“I am grateful for feeling I belong and am never judged for having poor mental health. This has been a saviour and a haven for me this year.”A participant of Wild Ways Well
During the pandemic, the workstream continued to support participants through online sessions and activity packs. To date, Wild Ways Well has engaged with 143 people.