Nature Connection
Growing a local culture of nature connectedness, belonging and stewardship amongst the people who live and work in the River Findhorn watershed
Our vision for nature connectedness,
at a watershed-scale
Nature recovery and restoration is as much about human relationships with the natural world, as it is about planting more trees or retaining more water in the landscape.
Building on the Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie Rivers Trust’s charitable aims to provide education and enhance understanding of the river environment and river catchment management, the Findhorn Watershed Initiative community engagement programme seeks to inspire pro-nature conservation behaviours amongst the people who live and work in this place.
Three interdependent intended outcomes:
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Increased nature connectedness supports wellbeing for all watershed inhabitants
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People feel a deeper sense of place and belonging; rooted in and as part of their watershed
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Stewardship mindsets are fostered, inspiring pro-nature behaviour changes
Human Ecology Research Residency
As a key strand of the Nature Connectedness programme, Findhorn Watershed Initiative commissioned Raghnaid Sandilands and Mairi McFadyen as Human Ecology researchers in residence for the project.
Drawing from various sources: maps, manuscripts, periodicals, newspapers, song collections, oral histories and audio archives, Raghnaid and Mairi’s work traces the rich human story found in Gaelic place names, music, song and story, acknowledging that humans are not separate from ecological systems but rather a fundamental part of the ecology of a place.
To date, the residency has produced a programme of community events, maps, publications, podcasts, the re-imagining of songs from the watershed and more.
