Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere OPIN

We’re joined by Derek Robeson from the Tweed Forum to explore their catchment-scale action across the River Tweed and the surrounding landscape and communities. We discuss their various projects including Eddleston Water and Destination Tweed and cover topics including natural flood management, working with landowners and economic drivers, to showcase what it takes to turn ambitious ideas into practical, beneficial action on the ground. Host Harry Fisher, Producer Iain Boyd, Editor Kieron Sim, Executive Producers Kerry Hammond & Kirstyn Blackwood

Join us for a conversation with Dumfries & Galloway Woodlands, the not-for-profit initiative is taking a proactive approach to restoring and connecting native woodland across the region. We explore the importance of woodland connectivity, the realities of creating woodland on working farms, and how the Dumfries & Galloway Woodlands and their projects are helping landowners turn good intentions into trees in the ground.

In this episode, we're joined by Abi Mordin from Propagate and Colleen McCulloch from the Soil Association to explore the work of the Scottish Agroecological Partnership (SAP), a collaboration of organisations working to make agroecology central to farming, crofting and growing in Scotland. We discuss what agroecology means in practice, how collaboration is helping farmers, crofters and growers build more resilient businesses and their project to upscale agroecology. Through on-farm workshops, peer-to-peer learning and knowledge exchange, the partnership is supporting the adoption of farming practices that are good for soils, nature and people. We also explore the barriers to change, the economic case for agroecological farming, the role of policy, and what Scotland's farming future could look like. Host Harry Fisher, Producers Iain Boyd & Fiona Salter, Editor Kieron Sim, Executive Producer Kerry Hammond

In this episode, we are joined by Lorna Cole, Louise Bond and Alistair McVittie to discuss their collaboration on the newly published CREW report; Natural Capital and River Basin Management Planning, and what its findings could mean for the future of Scotland’s water environment and land use. We explore the report's recommendations, including taking a whole-catchment, natural capital approach to river basin management, to consider the wider landscape and the many benefits healthy ecosystems provide. The conversation covers the evidence behind nature-based solutions as well as the opportunities, trade-offs and challenges associated with implementing them at scale. We also examine the economic implications of changing land use, how the value of environmental improvements can be measured, and what future funding models, including public and private investment, blended finance, and emerging environmental markets could mean for farmers and land managers. Host Harry Fisher, Producer Iain Boyd, Editor Kieron Sim, Executive Producer Kirstyn Blackwood

In the first episode of the new series, we speak with Donya Davidson and Sophie Manson from NatureScot about their Natural Capital Tool and find out what it is, the challenges it addresses, and how it supports land managers in Scotland. We have a walk through showing how the tool works in practice and how it allows decision makers to identify strategies that maximise positive outcomes. The Natural Capital Tool is a free, easy-to-use spatial decision support tool designed to enable a natural capital approach to land management. Considering the full range of benefits and ecosystem services nature provides, it helps users plan land use in ways that deliver multiple benefits for both people and the environment. Developed by NatureScot in collaboration with Liverpool John Moores University and EOLAS Insight, it is tailored specifically to Scotland’s landscapes and needs. Host Harry Fisher, Producers Iain Boyd & Fiona Salter, Editor Kieron Sim, Executive Producers Kirstyn Blackwood & Kerry Hammond