Living Landscapes

What are Living Landscapes?

Red squirrels used to be able to get from one end of Scotland to the other without touching the ground. Now our woodlands are so fragmented this journey would be impossible. To tackle this, we need to be much more ambitious in the scale of our conservation efforts – piecemeal approaches simply will not work.

Living Landscapes are a way of rebuilding our natural environment on a larger scale than ever before for the benefit of wildlife and communities. They represent a new way of thinking about how we manage land, aiming to deliver environmental, social and economic improvements at a landscape scale.

In a truly Living Landscape, ecosystem health is restored and society benefits fully from the vital services that ecosystems provide.

Current Living Landscape projects

In both rural and urban environments - north-west Sutherland and the central belt town of Cumbernauld - we are already working with a range of landowners, community groups and other agencies to create vibrant living landscapes. Our goals are ambitious. We want to transform these areas - covering over 66,500 hectares - into nature rich landscapes and in doing so bring long-term benefits for communities and wildlife.

But even these projects are part of a much bigger picture. The way land is managed (and mismanaged) is driven by policies and laws formed by parliaments and governments here and in Europe. Few of these hugely influential policies were designed with nature in mind, but by campaigning at Holyrood, Westminster and Brussels, we can achieve a truly living landscape.

Click here for more information on the Coigach - Assynt Living Landscape.

Click here for more information on the Cumbernauld Living Landscape.

How you can help

The Scottish Wildlife Trust is seeking support for our Living Landscapes initiative, helping reconnect Scotland’s wildlife and enable animals and plants to thrive, disperse and re-colonise our landscape. To add your voice to over 30,000 others throughout Scotland, become a member of the Scottish Wildlife Trust today. Alternatively, if you would like more information on our projects, please contact our policy team on 0131 312 7765, e-mail enquiries@swt.org.uk