Countesswells will be the first new town development to collaborate with a national biodiversity initiative on some pioneering wildlife projects.
With the aim of being one of the greenest and most attractive environments in which to live and work in North-east Scotland, Countesswells represents an £800million investment in a new community with 3,000 homes, built in distinctive neighbourhoods, an academy and two primary schools, community facilities, offices, formal and informal parkland, play parks and civic spaces.
Countesswells Development Limited (CDL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Stewart Milne Group which is behind the new town, has joined forces on several wildlife projects with the North-east Scotland Biodiversity Partnership (NESBP).
These initiatives will do even more to protect existing wildlife and promote even more biodiversity within the 400-acre site.
Initial ideas include regular ‘BioBlitz’ events with the community participating in recording wildlife over a fixed period and camera trapping with young people to film wildlife and learn about their movements and habits. The more people know about the wildlife they share with at Countesswells, the more likely they are to contribute to maintaining their environment in a way that becomes even better for wildlife.
One of four pilot partnerships set up by the Scottish Government to promote and protect biodiversity, NESBP has a proven record of delivering positive, novel and collaborative initiatives across the region which help the Government meet their international obligations on biodiversity for the good of nature, communities and our economy.
Ewen Cameron, chairman of the North-east Biodiversity Partnership’s Awareness & Involvement Group said: “We were struck by the fact that open green space and woodland were an integral part of Countesswells from day one with a focus on actively encouraging wildlife. NESBP is not involved in the development planning process but we were impressed that CDL wanted to do environmental work that went above and beyond that required by planning conditions and obligations.
“Our role will be to work with CDL and the growing community at Countesswells to help them understand the wildlife they share space with and how they can care for and nurture that wildlife. This is the first time we have entered into such a collaboration with a developer at this scale and we are grateful to CDL and Stewart Milne Group for their forward-thinking in this regard.”
Environmental consultants, Ironside Farrar, were commissioned by CDL to conduct a study into the biodiversity of Countesswells. This found that birds, bats, badgers and bugs of all shapes and sizes have burrowed and built nests throughout the many green spaces.
Red squirrels have been spotted in gardens in and around Countesswells, in line with a reversal in regional decline of these animals, recently announced by the SSRS (Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels).
Allan McGregor, project director for Countesswells added: “As the new £800m community to the west of Aberdeen is phased in, CDL will continue to channel resources into creating a haven for new and existing plants and wildlife. The new green spaces, waterways and parklands at Countesswells, which replaced the low grade agricultural land, have now joined Hazlehead Wood with Countesswells Woods to create a sprawling natural green landscape. Within this, we’ve been able to provide a natural forage route for amphibians, birds and insects. In addition, landscaping in the wider area includes vegetation species, which are attractive to badgers, such as crab apple, elder, gean, guelder rose, hawthorn, holly, dog rose and rowan.”
“With people also making their home at Countesswells, we’re keen through this collaboration with the North-east Scotland Biodiversity Partnership, to demonstrate that living amongst and interacting with nature promotes a sense of well-being and is vital part of all modern communities.”
A recent study by the University of Derby found evidence that living amongst and interacting with nature provides a myriad of physical and psychological benefits.
The study involved more than 18,500 people and proved that interacting with our natural world meant a reduced risk of hypertension, respiratory tract and cardiovascular illnesses and fatigue as well as boosting vitality, mood, mental health and attention capacity.
Moreover, contact, emotional connection, compassion and engagement with nature has been shown to significantly boost greater life satisfaction, vitality, meaningfulness, happiness, mindfulness, and lower cognitive anxiety.