Cumbernauld's Bloomin' Wild

Cumbernauld's Bloomin' Wild is a partnership that aims to work with local communities to improve Cumbernauld's green spaces for both people and wildlife, helping everyone in the community to connect with the nature on their doorstep.

It is working with people across the town to improve habitats for wildlife, improve access to green spaces, connect young people to nature, improve health and wellbeing through nature and bring people together to make a difference in their local community.

The initiative is a partnership between the Scottish Wildlife Trust, North Lanarkshire Council, Sanctuary Scotland, the James Hutton Institute and TCV.

In 2023, the group won the Health and Wellbeing Award, a one-off award for 2023, to celebrate this year’s Health and Wellbeing theme: in 2015, the group began developing an idea of connecting people to nature using the five steps to wellbeing, which are Connect, Keep Active, Learning, Give, and Take Notice. They piloted these five steps with a twist – delivering outdoors – and called it Wild Ways Well.

Nature identification was a key component, with sessions dedicated to the identification of trees, wildflowers, and fungi. These activities not only fostered a deeper understanding of local biodiversity but also cultivated a sense of wonder and curiosity about the natural world.

Mindfulness was another crucial aspect of the programme. Sensory-based mindfulness activities encouraged participants to engage fully with their surroundings, promoting a sense of presence and tranquillity.

Other local groups are also helping support people’s health and wellbeing. One community garden has donated a Buddy Bench, where anyone can sit in the quiet shady area of the garden, and if they are noticed sitting there, one of the group will go and say hello and talk about the garden. Another group has been delivering walks for a Men’s Mental Health Group.

Too often we take the natural world for granted. It is there every day, but we miss the value of it. By conducting walks, planting a garden or even a tree, we can take notice, reconnect, learn and give back to our communities all while staying active.

In 2021, Cumbernauld Living Landscape won the Garden for Life Biodiversity Award: With increasing urbanisation, we are increasing the risk of losing much of the wildlife that would have fed or sheltered in the greenspaces of the town, in particular farmland birds.  To help combat this, Cumbernauld Living Landscape, in partnership with local groups and the council, has created two meadow areas, one of which is now the town’s biggest bird feeder! The group is also helping to restore peatbogs, managing woodland and planting native hedging and trees, and there is a strong emphasis on introducing young people to the interesting natural environment on their doorstep.