Dear Green Futures - the changing of the guard

As our exciting HLF-funded project ‘Dear Green Futures’ continues into the winter months, Community Greenspace Officer Paul Gunn welcomes some new faces into the fold. 

With all student interest groups, there comes a time where a changing of the guard is prompted due to the graduation of those who went before. So if I could take this opportunity first and foremost to thank Kier, Lily, Fiona and all the rest of the guys who took part and worked so hard last semester. Thanks a bunch folks and all the best for the future! And a warm welcome to Niamh, Donald, Laura and Heather who have taken the reigns and will be pushing the garden into a biodiverse future. 

Last semester's crack team of enthusiastic gardeners. Thanks guys!

Dear Green Futures is a project centred round discovering people’s perceptions of greenspace within the urban landscape and how these spaces can be managed for people and wildlife alike. Through this project, we are gathering thoughts and stories whilst working to improve a number of sites for urban biodiversity. These include the Glasgow University Wildlife Garden pictured above, the GOOD garden on Viewfield lane, Glasgow Botanic Gardens, Hillhead High school and the Purden Street & Sandy Road community growers' sites in Partick. The end goal is to create a number of urban wildlife havens throughout this end of the city and communicate those stories and perceptions gathered as part of an exhibit within Kelvingrove Museum in May of next year.

 Bumblebee shed mural painted by Hillhead high pupils in the GOOD garden, Viewfield Lane

The GU Wildlife garden session run bi-monthly on Sundays from 11-2pm. Should you want to take part or even just pop by for a natter, please do. Dates of upcoming sessions can be found on the GUWG’s facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/wildlifegardeners/?fref=ts or alternatively, contact me for details – paul.gunn@rspb.org.uk .

Moving forward, we are working to create interlinked havens for wildlife across the west of the city and with our new band of up-beat, enthusiastic gardeners at the helm, things are looking bright! For more information on this project or indeed the rest of RSPB Scotland's work within Glasgow, contact gnahg@rspb.org.uk.