NE Biodiversity Partnership celebrates 20 years with inaugural Champions Awards

"Each and every Biodiversity Champion has an inspiring, and in some cases humbling, story to tell"

The North East Scotland Biodiversity Partnership (NES BP) celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2017, and to mark the occasion it organised its first-ever Biodiversity Champions Award prize giving ceremony to recognise the efforts of local individuals and projects that have achieved spectacular success.

Awards were presented by Stewart Stevenson MSP at NES BP’s annual seminar, which included presentations on biodiversity research and conservation delivered in the North East. The well-attended event was held at the James Hutton Institute’s site in Aberdeen.

Partnership Co-ordinator, Rose Toney, said: “We are delighted to recognise the efforts of our biodiversity champions. Each and every one has an inspiring, and in some cases humbling, story to tell. We were also delighted that several MSPs joined us to celebrate growing public understanding of why biodiversity is so important to all of us.

“We are fortunate to have an outstanding natural environment in the North East. The safe-guarding of our amazing biodiversity is something that all ages can, and should, be involved in. When all these individual efforts are joined together, it can have a very powerful impact”.

The awards were open to public nominations for various categories ranging from schools and community groups to farming and mixed estates. Winners of the first Biodiversity Champions Awards were:

• Estate Champion: Mar Lodge
  Highly Commended: Glen Tanar
• Individual Champion: Lina Elvira-Back
• Primary School Champion:  Craigievar School
• Secondary School Champion:  Bucksburn Academy
• Community Champion: Portlethen Moss Conservation Group
  Highly Commended: Kirkton of Maryculter Community Wood
• Collaboration Champion: NE Scotland Water Vole Conservation Project
  Highly Commended: Return of Red Squirrels to Aberdeen
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr Mark Young

NES BP includes the local authority areas of Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City and Moray. It is one of four pilot Biodiversity Partnerships set up by government 20 years ago and is actively supported by a range or organisations including the James Hutton Institute, as well as agencies, groups and individuals.

The Partnership’s work follows the aims and objectives set out in the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, 2020 Challenge for Scotland’s Biodiversity and Scotland’s Biodiversity a Route Map to 2020. The Strategy and Route Map highlight the need to protect biodiversity for both its own sake but also because of the benefits the environment gives us such as the contribution of biodiversity to the Scottish economy (over £21.5 billion annually) and insect pollination services (valued at £43m per year).