The Creating Natural Connections project in Cumbernauld is part of a landscape-scale conservation partnership with the Scottish Wildlife Trust.

Cumbernauld is a ‘green’ town with lots of accessible high-quality greenspace. The project works with young people and under-served communities to build a long-lasting network of people who have the skills to care for these areas.

Wild Ways Well

Cumbernauld has a high level of social disadvantage, with many people experiencing poor mental health.

A part of the project, called Wild Ways Well, encourages people to spend time in nature to benefit health and mental wellbeing. It organises a variety of public events and sessions, such as:

• walks (often at a Scottish Wildlife Trust wildlife reserve)
• social sessions where participants share hot drinks and conversation around a fire
• conservation-themed activities like art with nature, plant identification, habitat maintenance and wildlife monitoring and tracking

“I am grateful for feeling I belong and am never judged for having poor mental health. This has been a saviour and a haven for me this year.”

A participant of Wild Ways Well

During the pandemic, the workstream continued to support participants through online sessions and activity packs. To date, Wild Ways Well has engaged with 143 people.