Celebrating Resilience with the Scottish Refugee Festival

In today's blog, Wild Dundee Project Manager, Hope Busak, tells us about the wonderful experience she and her team had at the recent Scottish Refugee Festival.

This year, RSPB Scotland’s Wild Dundee celebrated the Scottish Refugee Festival alongside How It Felt with our exciting "Resilience in Flight" events, reflecting on the triumphant reintroduction of the White-tailed Eagle to Scotland after years of extinction. Just as these magnificent birds have found a home and thrived, so too have the refugees and asylum seekers living in Dundee, bringing their stories, cultures, and resilience to our community. 

Wild Dundee envisions a city where nature meets every challenge, and our New Scot communities have embraced us at every turn, sharing their stories of migration and resilience with us as a reflection of the migration and resilience we see in nature. Together, we are taking more notice of nature and feeling the benefits.

Resilience in Flight – Visiting Tentsmuir Forest

On 15 June, we welcomed 18 participants from Ukraine, Sudan, Palestine, and Eritrea, for an unforgettable walk through Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve.  A special thanks to NatureScot for providing the transport from Dundee, making this enriching experience accessible to all. 

The day kicked off with RSPB Scotland Patron, Richard Tough, sharing his wisdom about the magnificent White-tailed Eagles. Using props such as a life-size silhouette, feathers, pellets, and detection equipment, Richard brought the story of these birds to life. He shared his joy in tracking a pair during the COVID-19 lockdown and revealed the fascinating story of a male eagle successfully breeding with two females! 

Following this, NatureScot Rangers Sophie and Julie led a walk through the reserve, highlighting the diversity of habitats.  We saw Swifts, Swallows and moths, heard Skylarks and Oystercatchers, and used our binoculars to spot seals bathing on the beach. The breathtaking views made it hard to leave, but lunch managed to pull us all back.

Post-lunch, the talented artists and puppeteers, Debz and Rachel of How It Felt, guided our participants on a creative journey. Using the sights and sounds of the day, Richard’s tales of the White-tailed Eagles, as well as our own stories of movement and nature connection, we designed feathers that would become part of an incredible White-tailed Eagle puppet, set to be showcased the following week. Richard also surprised us by sharing his talent in weaving, supporting some participants to create a life-sized White-tailed Eagle’s nest!  

One participant shared their excitement: “Thanks a lot for such exiting event. I enjoyed everything, great people, interesting story about eagles. It inspired me to read more about eagles and in Ukraine as well. Thanks a lot and looking forward to seeing more places!” 

Family Food and Fun Day with ScrapAntics 

On 22 June, we joined forces with ScrapAntics and various organisations for the Family Food and Fun Day at Camperdown Park. Over 300 people came to celebrate Dundee’s diversity in this beautiful spot, surrounded by nature. The day buzzed with song, food, and excitement—especially when our magnificent White-tailed Eagle puppet appeared from hiding, soaring through the crowd, posing for photos, and proudly displaying its feathers crafted by our refugee and asylum seeker friends. Throughout the day, we engaged with many attendees. Some had taken part in our recent workshops, others knew us from our broader efforts in the city, and some were discovering Wild Dundee for the first time. What united them all was a shared enthusiasm for nature and a desire to get involved. Our White-tailed Eagle puppet captivated everyone’s attention:  

• “We need more workshops like this,” said one Ukrainian mother, giving me a huge hug. 
• “The eagle is my favourite animal,” exclaimed a young boy who remembered our friends from How It Felt from a previous project. 
• “This is amazing, how does it work?” asked another curious attendee. 

Reflections

The "Resilience in Flight" events were a soaring success. They not only highlighted the resilience of the White-tailed Eagle but also underscored the incredible strength and adaptability of our New Scot participants. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing a newfound appreciation for Scotland’s natural heritage and a deeper connection to their new home. 

These events truly embodied the spirit of collaboration, bringing together people, diverse talents and resources to create something special. It was a celebration of community, resilience, and the power of working together to make a difference. We are excited to continue this journey, strengthening these partnerships and welcoming even more participants to future events. Even more amazing was how the sun always shone during our activities, no matter what the weather report said! 

Acknowledgments 

A huge thank you to How It Felt for creating our incredible puppet and delivering inspiring workshops, NatureScot for their generous support with transportation, ScrapAntics for their collaborative spirit, and Marwick’s Vegan Kitchen for the fantastic catering. We are also deeply grateful to the Scottish Refugee Festival and our Dundee-based partners at the Scottish Refugee Council for funding and supporting these events.