Greetings to all our friends across the Biosphere and beyond! Here's our monthly e-update, though as you'll find out below we'll be out and about across the Biosphere throughout July and August, so please do come and have a chat in person if you can.
Between our monthly updates, don't forget you can contact any of our team at info@gsabiosphere.org.uk and find us on social media via the links at the bottom of this page.
Our chosen photo shows some big Ayrshire skies at sunset on the last day of June, when we were in Ochiltree for Biosphere Footsteps.
We'll be at Newton Stewart on 21st & 22nd July hosting a Pop-Up Info Hub at The Vaults on Victoria Street. This is a drop-in event for local people (including schools, businesses, and community groups) to come along and find out more about what the UNESCO Biosphere designation means for southwest Scotland, and the projects and partnerships our team is involved in. On the 21st we're also running a special evening session for businesses (5 - 7pm, also at The Vaults) with our invited guest, VisitScotland's representative in D&G. Again this is an informal, drop-in event with plenty of opportunity for Q&A about the Biosphere's offering to businesses and how we support sustainable enterprise. We'll also be talking Scotland's UNESCO Trail, which is putting local businesses on a global map.
We are thrilled to have been invited to join our friends Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership in their Family Fun tent at the Stewartry Show on 4th August, where we'll have a stall alongside some amazing groups including Can You Dig It?, Propagate, Crichton Carbon Centre, the Loch Ken Trust and D&G Council's Active Schools & Community Sports team. If it's blazing sunshine on the day our tent will provide welcome relief; if it's pouring rain our tent will keep you dry! Whatever the weather there will be plenty of activities, info and great conversation - do come in and spend some time.
The Big Butterfly Count 2022 begins on Friday 15th July and will run until 7th August. Anyone can get involved, and we think it's a great excuse to go for a longer wander than usual, or to while away a couple of hours in a sunny meadow. The data collected will be used to monitor populations and distribution of our pollinators and map future initiatives to support their habitats and lifecycles. For inspiration here's a photo of a Green-veined White butterfly taken by Faith from our team.
Our initiative to support and promote wool produced in the Biosphere continues, and we are particularly grateful to the Blackface Sheep Breeders Association for their funding support. This is a creative journey as well as an opportunity for learning and knowledge-exchange and we are tracking the progress of our batch of Blackface wool as it goes from fleece to yarn. This photo shows the 'combing' stage - we think it looks somewhere between candyfloss and Mr Whippy! We are looking forward to exploring options for product creation with our friends at Knitlab Northwhich will be coming up soon.
Finally...a warm welcome to all the individuals, businesses and community groups that have signed up as Proud Supporters of our UNESCO Biosphere recently. The amount of support for people, nature and Global Goals is amazing and everyone on Team GSAB firmly believes it demonstrates how southwest Scotland can be a model of better living for other regions and communities at home and abroad. Please do check out our Proud Supporters map below to see all the businesses that are members of our Proud Supporters scheme.
