NatureScot

We are Scotland’s lead public body on issues relating to our nature.  We look after areas protected for their special features, which can include plants, birds, geology and landscapes.  We advise people, businesses and organisations on the importance of our natural heritage and how they can help keep it in good condition.  We also promote Scotland’s nature and encourage  people to get out and enjoy it more.  We aim to improve everyone’s understanding about why Scotland’s nature is so important.

A key part of our responsibilities is promoting and restoring Scotland’s biodiversity.  Scotland holds an incredibly diverse range of habitats, which in turn supports an enormous variety of species, including some unique to Scotland, such as Scottish crossbill.  We can’t protect all this on our own and we rely on Local Biodiversity Partnerships around Scotland, like the North East Scotland Biodiversity Partnership (NESBiP) to help us achieve this.  By working together with local authorities and other organisations we can achieve much more for Scotland’s biodiversity.

Fiona Cruickshank, NatureScot’s Operations Officer says “We have been a part of NESBiP since the partnership was set up over 20 years and it has gone from strength to strength, helping us save declining red squirrels and water vole populations in NE Scotland, and raising awareness about the importance of biodiversity with everyone from school children to housing developers.”