Spring Seminar 2026: reflections, celebrations, and asking for help – Guest Blog

The Spring Seminar hosted by NESBIP and NESCAN Hub is always a pleasure to attend. With a warm atmosphere, welcoming hosts, delicious lunch, and of course the variety speakers sharing their contributions to ecological wonder. This year’s theme was Nature in North East Scotland: Connected, Protected, Expanded, Resilient.

How did I connect with this year’s theme?

Reflecting on my time since Spring Seminar 2025, I have completed another year of Wildlife and Conservation Management BSc and feel a little less tender and new to the ecology world. You could say that I’ve connected with my confidence. In June, I sailed with the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust as a citizen scientist, recording cetacean data and actively contributing to the protection of cetaceans in Scotland’s seas. In autumn, I travelled to RSPB Rousay with a great gang of friends to expand my experience of habitat management for species conservation. I can say I am now nearly 100% resilient to rain. Since winter, I’ve been pursuing student advocacy with EQUATE Scotland and SRUC’s student research partnership. It’s been quite a year!

How did you connect with this year’s theme?

Now, after laying my celebrations on my celebration table for your delectation (see hand-drawn picture), I join Ian Hay and the East Grampian Coastal Partnership in encouraging you to set out your achievements since last spring. Do they tie in with this year’s theme of connected, protected, expanded, and resilient? Have you made time to connect with yourself and your achievements? I hope your celebration table decorations are lovely.

Grace’s celebration table

Grace speaking with Maggie Chapman, Green MSP for North East Scotland

The biggest impact

Clearly one of my main takeaways was the invitation to visibly rejoice in our achievements. Frankly, how would the spring seminar be possible without this? But no matter how sparkly the tablecloth and shiny the decorations, nor how inspiring the positive news for the northeast’s nature, I cannot ignore what most impacted me at the 2026 Spring Seminar.

As I walked home past budding limes and bobbing snowdrops, I let a wee tear touch my cheek. It was my tear, and it was followed by others because I was raised to never ask for help. Be quiet, be convenient, and never need help. This was how I learned to survive. As an adult the mere thought of asking for help inspires a near allergic reaction.

But the spring seminar showed me that there is another way. In fact, there are many other ways. Each speaker’s face flashed through my mind, and I realised that all of these people from each of these influential organisations created ecological magic not by themselves – they had worked as a part of teams, with volunteers, with other organisations, with councils, with charities, with global organisations and government departments. There was no shame; there was only celebration. There was no quietness, only the deep quietness of a good day’s work. There was no inconvenience, only the privilege and excitement of sharing knowledge, passion and expertise.

I let the tears fall. I let the feelings be seen. I acknowledged the parts of me that were scared to ask for help and played them the memories of the spring conference. I showed these parts of myself that there is no need for quietness or convenience any longer.

Grace chatting with attendees about their experiences.

The next steps

Since attending Spring Seminar 2026 hosted by NESBIP and NESCAN Hub, I’ve joined Greyhope Bay’s Coastal Discovery Team and helped draft SRUC’s first Student Partnership Agreement. I have learnt and celebrated and even asked for help! I may have come out in a rash, but it was worth it.

I often share aspects of myself candidly in the hope of letting folks know that they’re not alone. So here she is, Grace Green, asking for your help. How? I want to see you celebrate! What are your achievements for nature in the North East? Have you helped reintroduce a rare species or collected litter? Have you helped people connect with nature or attended a nature prescription walk? Did you learn a new species or submit a record to NESBReC? Let yourself glow with pride and excitement. Celebrate yourself today, and who knows where it could take you.

And if you can help me with one more thing? The next time the opportunity arises that you ask for help, do it boldly. Truly the biggest differences are made by the smallest acts.

Grace is in her 4^th year of Wildlife and Conservation Management BSc at SRUC. She loves coastal environments, community engagement, and producing events. If you’ve got an event Grace can help you with, find her on LinkedIn, at the beach, or planning a party.