Skip to main content

Projects with scope: Dundee Climate Fund

Total budget £375,000

Climate Heroes Project

Climate Heroes Project

2022-11-18  •  10 comments  •  l.a.kincaid  •  Dundee Climate Fund

The Climate Heroes Project is centred on community action against climate change. Providing learning spaces and opportunities to protect the environment with the development of a School allotment and Eco classroom at St. Fergus Primary School, Ardler, Dundee.

It will focus on key themes such as energy efficiency, reducing waste and improving biodiversity by increasing awareness and engaging communities and young people in climate change. Our application is based on dialogues with parents, teachers, and pupils of the school. Whilst the main thrust of the proposal aims to address climate change, it also seeks to advance child learning and development. It will also involve the Development Worker of Ardler Village Trust as a link to other local environmental projects and connects well with other community learning initiatives aimed at saving energy and costs amidst a cost of living crisis.

The Eco Classroom - An Outbuilding situated in the school ground that will create an immersive experience for learning and engaging with the environment, whilst promoting wellbeing. Having an outdoor practical space for education makes subjects more vivid and interesting for children to enhance their understanding and aid creativity. We intend to reuse natural resources by harvesting rainwater on the roof and using solar power. We propose to have a mini weather station. By encouraging pupils to use it, we can create a hands-on approach to learning about the ways or climate changes over time.

The School Allotment - A vegetable garden that will provide wellbeing benefits as well as educational benefits to the pupils about sustainability, producing our own food and how to reduce the carbon footprint. the school kitchen, Early Evening Cafe at Ardler Complex and Community Fridge can make use of the produce, making sure nothing goes to waste. Having a link with Ardler Village Trust and access to other projects within the community will enable us to share skills, tools, and experience from community volunteers.

We propose rewilding areas of the playground for nature to regenerate and grow, which will support dwindling populations of native pollinators including bees and butterflies. We intend to enhance the biodiversity in the area by creating more green space, boosting the presence of insects and wildlife. Getting pupils involved in making bird boxes and maintaining the minibeast hotel provides opportunities to learn about how we care for wildlife.

By inspiring school children within the community to be aware and take care of nature and wildlife on our doorstep, we can promote the importance of looking after our environment. The increased green spaces will benefit the environment and our health by improving air quality, connection to nature and mindfulness. They will also function as a sustainable urban drainage system, which will in turn prove to be beneficial with the current climate change challenges. We believe there is a need for community action against climate change now, more than ever. we need to educate people today for a better planet tomorrow. The aim of the Climate Heroes Project is to help achieve this.

£16,142
butt4.jpg

Backyard Botanicals haven for pollinators

2022-11-18  •  5 comments  •  gcstenson  •  Dundee Climate Fund

Dundee has a vast amount of unused green space areas on the doorstep of peoples homes. They are prone to littering, fly tipping, are unloved eyesores in communities, and difficult and costly for the council to maintain. 

Backyard Botanicals in Mid Craigie are neighbours who want to make our neighbourhood a happier, cleaner, healthier place to live. We have been given permission to maintain this unused council greenspace on our doorstep, which can only be accessed through houses which are on its boundary. 

We seek to rejuvenate the area with wildflower, plants, and trees which support our eco systems and improve bio diversity. Our vision with our space is to grow food but also to create a tranquil, colourful haven for insects, animals, birds and bees. We hope to grow local flowers and plants that will support insect pollinators that have been in steep decline due to climate change and habitat loss. In addition to the food that we eat, pollinators support healthy ecosystems that clean the air, stabilise soils, and support other wildlife. 

With investment we would like to use two Polycrub tunnels as they are a community based business dedicated to using recycled materials. "They are designed to withstand extremely strong winds, snow, frost, collisions from air born debris and vandalism". Backyard Botanicals invisage growing long term and any investment on equipment needs to be good quality and built to last.

All of the neighbours involved are determined to create a safe space where not only us but our children and grandchildren can be involved from the beginning, learning about growing food, pollinators and the environment that they helped create on their doorstep. 

Where possible, reusing and upcycling second hand items preventing them going into landfill; using natural materials to create a wildlife corridor; sharing of plants, seeds and cuttings through community engagement. 

We would like the grant money to purchase gardening tools, a lawnmower, 2 polycrubs, fruit trees and wood/materials to build raised beds as some of our neighbours have mobility issues. 

With surplus harvest, we aim to food share with family, neighbours, and local food larders.

We hope to inspire others to rejuvenate their greenspaces in their communities. Looking afresh at neglected sites within their neighbourhood could bring new possibilities for a healthier community and a healthier planet by reducing the carbon footprint on the food we eat and also bringing pride back into the areas where we live.

£9,875