A Buzzing Gathering The seminar saw an impressive turnout, with over 75 attendees coming together from across the North East Scotland and further afield all eager to gain fresh perspectives and actionable insights. The variety of people and projects created the perfect habitat for a cross pollination of ideas and knowledge sharing—everyone had the chance to connect with like-minded individuals, share stories, and delve into emerging trends that affect local biodiversity.
An Exciting Line-Up of Speakers We were privileged to host a diverse range of speakers, each bringing their passion, expertise and experiences to the seminar. With representatives from Charitable Trusts, Regional Climate Hubs and Local Authority to volunteers, researchers and social enterprises, we enjoyed presentations featuring seagrass in the Moray Firth, rewilding in Renfrewshire, ground beetles, beavers and deer plus restoration of healthy hedgerow in Lothian, the Caledonian Forest, and dunes in Findhorn. Each project captivated the audience, shedding light on new developments and common challenges faced across the whole of Scotland when adapting to climate change.
Attendee Takeaways & Insights Throughout the day, speakers shared compelling statistics and case studies that highlighted the latest findings (we recorded the whole event and will be sharing the video soon – so if you’ve not already be sure to subscribe to our newsletter!).
The attendee feedback we received summed up the day better than we could, examples of which include:
“There was something to be learned from each talk, including better understanding if there are barriers to participating, we’re unaware of, different ways to approach funding, and that it’s ok to be really ambitious even if that feels scary.”
“Many of us share and are facing similar issues. Left feeling part of community.”
“Speakers from such varied projects, all of which were so inspiring.”
It was really good to be in a room with so many people who were enthused by their work and making a difference. It was energising, encouraging and thought-provoking
“Friendliness and positivity of all involved and breadth of activity and solutions.”
It is clear the insights shared provided attendees not only with inspiration but also achievable ideas and practical knowledge on how to apply in their communities and daily lives.
Engagement and Discussion Throughout the whole day there were many opportunities to network, connect with old friends and make new, engage in thought-provoking conversations, and exchange ideas—all activities that will undoubtedly influence future developments and peer to peer learning. In addition to the presentations, the speakers were grouped by themed topics enabling them to jointly answer interactive Q&A sessions—a format that was well received and allowed for further exploration of pressing climate and biodiversity issues.
Looking Ahead The success of this seminar reinforces the value of such gatherings and partnerships in fostering collaboration and driving innovation. With the positive feedback received, we are already looking forward to the 2026 Spring Seminar, where we will aim to bring even more impactful discussions to the forefront.
Stay tuned as we will soon share more insights, takeaways, and thoughts gathered by one of our attendees from SRUC. If you attended and haven’t yet completed our short (yet very important) survey, we’d love to hear your thoughts.
