Online Celebration for North East Biodiversity Champions

Bio awards

“It’s been really uplifting and encouraging for me to read about the innovative and dedicated work of the award winners, which provide shining examples of how local action can help wildlife and promote biodiversity; and this has never been more important than it is now as we face the twin challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss"

Recognition of the North East Scotland Biodiversity Partnership’s (NESBiP) 2020 Biodiversity Champion Awards has this year gone virtual. The awards acknowledge the efforts of local individuals and projects that have had positive impacts in the community.The Champions include farmer Dan Gordon and his “alien eating” sheep, Banchory Golf Club manager Richard Mullen welcoming wild bees to his bunkers and Matthew Agnew of the Bin Rangers Club.

The celebration of the 2020 Champions and their achievements now feature in an online video, complete with introduction from Scottish Government Minister, Mairi Gougeon MSP.  Mairi said: “It’s been really uplifting and encouraging for me to read about the innovative and dedicated work of the award winners, which provide shining examples of how local action can help wildlife and promote biodiversity; and this has never been more important than it is now as we face the twin challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss”.

NESBiP’s Chair, Roger Owen, said: “The Covid pandemic has demonstrated just how important access to “greenspace” is to our physical and mental wellbeing.  The natural world is not just an optional extra - it is a basic human necessity. Responding to the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss is not just forothers to sort out, we all have to play our part in making things better, especially for future generations”.

NESBiP’s Co-ordinator, Alex Stuart added: “There are many ways in which we can all make a difference - even if individual contributions are small, added together they make big difference. Let one of your resolutions for 2021 be - I will do something positive to help deal with climate change and biodiversity loss. Check out our website and Facebook pages to start with.

Once again, congratulations to all our inspirational 2020 winners for everything that you do.  On behalf of the Partnership, I would also like to thank all the organisations which continue to support our work.  Our funding partners include Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, Moray Council, NatureScot, Scottish Forestry, and of course many thanks go to the James Hutton Institute who host the Partnership, and the Craigiebuckler site which would have been the location of our 2020 Seminar and Awards day. “

Mairi Gougeon added: “So while we’ve acknowledged that there is still much work to do, we couldn’t ask for a better example of good practice than the North East Scotland Biodiversity Partnership, which is considered to be the most well established, active and dynamic in Scotland. So, thank you once again, not only to the award winners but to everyone involved in making the Partnership such a success”.

Complete details of the Award Winners,along with both videos, can be found on the NESBiP Website News Section.

Notes for Editors

• The North East Scotland Biodiversity Partnership (NESBiP) is a non-profit making Partnership working to protect and promote the biodiversity of North East of Scotland on which much of our social and economic wellbeing still depends. The Partnership includes Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray Councils along with NatureScot, Scottish Forestry, RSPB and other organisations as well as a small number of individuals. The Coordinator’s post is funded by the partners and hosted by the James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen.

• On 20th December 2020, Mairi Gougeon MSP, Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment, moved to take on the portfolio of Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing. At the same time Ben Macpherson became the Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment.