Findhorn Watershed Initiative Community Engagement Delivery Partners
The Findhorn Watershed Initiative aims to grow a culture of nature connection, deepen a sense of pride and belonging in the watershed, and encourage a spirit of stewardship and hope through caring for and protecting the places we love.
Between September 2023 and March 2024, the Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie Rivers Trust has commissioned a selection of local delivery partners to deliver a community engagement programme to help animate the first phase of unfolding river and ecological restoration activities currently underway for local residents, and to nurture watershed residents' senses of connection with, belonging to, and care for the river, its inhabitants, and the wider watershed.
Upper catchment Human Ecology Researchers in Residence
Raghnaid Sandilands and Mairi McFadyen
Raghnaid and Mairi are creative ethnologists, writers, map makers and facilitators. Gaelic speakers and educators, they are both rooted locally to the Findhorn watershed, where their work engages across themes such as folk culture, heritage, land, environment, human ecology, geopoetics, climate justice, degrowth and hopeful futures - set within the context of the Scottish Highlands.
Raghnaid and Mairi have been commissioned to undertake cultural research and engagement themed around the Human Ecology of the Strathdearn and upper River Findhorn catchment area. They will be creating audio fieldwork recording in the watershed communities, and hosting a series of inspiring and convivial community events and activities throughout their residencies.
Environmental Education and Nature Connection experiences
Jack Farge and Oonagh Brady from Wild Things
Fellow Findhorn watershed based environmental education charity Wild Things have been commissioned to help us engage school groups and other residents of the catchment of all ages in the Findhorn Watershed Initiative.
Jack and Oonagh from Wild Things will be leading adventures, walks and talks, outdoor activities, citizen science and volunteering opportunities over the coming months, from source to sea of the River Findhorn.
A big emphasis of all the engagements Wild Things will be offering will be about how we as humans can help foster a deeper sense of connectedness to the amazing landscapes, wildlife and ecosystems of the watershed.
Lower catchment Creative Practitioner and River Animateur in Residence
Findhorn Bay Arts and Eve Mosher
Inspired by Destination Tweed’s ‘Connecting Threads’ project, and building upon previous collaborations to bring Mark Zygadlo’s ‘WaterOrgan’ and Scotland the Big Picture’s ‘Riverwoods’ film to the Findhorn Bay Festival, the Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie Rivers Trust has commissioned Findhorn Bay Arts to deliver a strand of cultural and creative engagement activities for the Findhorn Watershed Initiative.
Eve Mosher has recently joined Findhorn Bay Arts to take up the role of Lower Catchment Creative Practitioner and River Animateur. Working at the intersection of climate change and imagination, Eve has a long held practice of working in the context of river catchments and watersheds. Over the coming months, she will be engaging with communities in the lower river gorge, bay and coastal villages.
