Biodiversity at Slopefield

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Slopefield as an ecosystem contains a wide range of plants, fungi, invertebrates, mammals, birds and insects.

SAA have tried to enhance biodiversity by planting wild fruit trees and bushes,  building a bug hotel, planting wildflower verges, establishing a community pond and building bird and bat nesting boxes.

Individual plot holders have also taken part in the RSPB Birdwatch recording all our avian visitors and species sheets for bees and butterflies have been developed to record numbers.

"Open Hut Surgery" talks with Rose Toney our local biodiversity co-ordinator from the James Hutton Institute and Alister Allan from the North East Scotland Biological Recording Centre, NESBReC, have been of great interest and have resulted in SAA buying camera trapping equipment to record animal movements.

 

Click on the "wasp" icon to view our Biodiversity gallery

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Rose Toney wrote an article for the IYN June 2016 newsletter entitled "Green Fingers, Green Spaces, Green Awards" about the relationship formed between Slopefield Allotments, Airyhall school and the James Hutton Institute.

"This project is an excellent example of how local action is significantly contributing to the objectives of the 2020 Challenge for Scotland's Biodiversity, with everyone involved doing their bit: the allotment association provides a safe learning environment for the children, and biodiversity enhancements for local wildlife, biodiversity and research staff at the James Hutton Institute provide an insight into how living things are connected; and the school and parents make a significant commitment to the project by accompanying the children as they walk to the allotments each week. With so many obvious benefits resulting from this partnership working, it would be wonderful to see similar greenspace utilised in this way all across Scotland."  

Recently, Rose in conjunction with 19 other scientists and nature professionals from the north east have been involved in producing an information brochure called "20 Years For Biodiversity in North East Scotland" highlighting the most important ongoing nature projects across the region including Slopefield allotments project in partnership with Airyhall school and The James Hutton Institute.

Click on the PDF icon to view "20 Years For Biodiversity in North East Scotland"