Base de données des projets PDR

Transnational cooperation project between UK, FI, IE and FR partners working in environmental management. This project refers to actions in Scotland focused on improving access to a raised bog nature reserve and improving awareness about the site.

Forth Valley and Lomond (Stirling, United Kingdom)

Flanders Moss National Nature Reserve (NNR) is located in central Scotland. It contains an 'active raised bog' habitat which is protected by EU laws. Local people had in the past a negative perception of the bog and this hindered its conservation. Actions were required to reverse local opinions and convert the bog into a valued local asset. Two Leader projects were established to carry out some of these actions.

This Leader project’s objectives aimed to encourage more people to visit, understand and support the bog conservation activities at Flanders Moss. New visitor facilities would be introduced to help local residents and tourists enjoy the NNR’s important wildlife and landscape features. This included constructing a new board walk to improve accessibility to the bog and develop promotional materials about the bog. The objective of the transnational component was information exchange, through visits to each country to study how each partner responds to the challenge of getting people engaged in peatlands.

The Scottish shared their method of engaging local communities & addressing conflicts between peatland conservation & farming. In Finland physical challenges of bringing people onto such difficult terrain were presented. The Irish partner led on the use of art to capture people's interest & challenge their perceptions about peatlands as 'just boggy wastelands'. The French informed about the use peatlands for education, training & how to get people actively involved in hands-on conservation work.

Transnational experience has been used: the project built a path and boardwalk, developed interpretation boards, and worked with a local school on an art project. Infrastructure was installed that makes Flanders Moss a visitor destination worthy of its natural heritage value. Increased (and increasing) visitor numbers have been recorded. Extensive community participation, from a range of age groups continues. People have a much greater awareness of Flanders Moss. These cover all age groups and many people who wouldn’t normally be interested in just a nature reserve.

‪Email communication among partners led sometimes to slow decisions & occasional misunderstanding. Agreeing very clear aims & principles at the outset is vital & more use of video conferencing could have helped, when all the partners needed to make decisions together. The partnership succeeded because there were good informal relationships between the people involved. Time invested to get to know each other helped taking the project forward.‬

Stirling, Clackmannanshire Local communities of Thornhill. Arnprior, Port of Monteith and Kippen

494214

203378

197531

93305

https://www.snh.org.uk/PeatforPeople/homepage.asp; www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/reserve.asp?NNRId=39

Alan McDonnell

Alan.McDowell@snh.gov.uk

+44 1786 450362

English