Our Partnership

How does a partnership work?

Members of the partnership are drawn from Local Government, Statutory Agencies, and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). The Partnership aims to empower communities taking action for their local biodiversity and inspire others to follow suit by offering a broad range of information base on a number of topics and developing “joined-up” approaches to tackling biodiversity threats.

One of the Partnership’s early tasks was to create our own Action Plan, which specified the species and habitats that needed the most urgent local action. Over the years, NESBiP has directed more of its resources into implementing on the ground projects that enhance people’s quality of life and wellbeing in addition to our biodiversity.

In order to maximise everyone’s limited resources and achieve the best outcomes, we have also learned that collaboration is crucial. And that it is just as important to work with others outside our partnership and to find ways of making progress, even with those we may not always agree with.

Our Current Strategic Plan

Read our 4-year Strategic Plan to learn more about our Partnership Objectives, Strategic Priorities and Action Plan for 2024 – 2025.

NESBiP 4-year Strategic Plan 2022 – 2026.pdf

Meet the Coordinator

The Partnership takes action to preserve, promote and improve biodiversity through a number of projects and events to raise awareness, and employs a full-time coordinator to help fulfil this role.

The current coordinator is Abbie Ferrar, a Marine Zoologist turned Environmental Educator:

“I love being able to share my passion and enthusiasm of nature and biodiversity with others. There is something about seeing someone going from “What’s the point, it’s just a bug.” to “How do I make my garden more biodiversity-friendly?” Nature is for everyone and I’m very excited to be here helping communities in North East Scotland to connect to it more.

I grew up in the East Midlands of England. A land lock city. Watching green spaces disappear to buildings. Being surrounded by disconnected children. Fighting relatives to change their attitudes towards wildlife and nature. I knew I needed to make a change and wasn’t sure how. I’m very excited to be here, working with and supporting communities to protect biodiversity in a ways I did not have as a teenager.” 

Learn more about Abbie and her passion for connecting people to nature from this blog by The James Hutton Insitute.

Groups within the Partnership

The Partnership currently has three active groups which meet throughout the year:

• Advisory Group
• Management Group
• Awareness and Involvement Group.

Roger Owen is the chair of the Partnership’s advisory group at present. Roger is the current chair of the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Aberdeenshire section. He was the previous Head of Ecology at the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.