2016 will be an eventful year for the Edinburgh Biodiversity Partnership, led by the City of Edinburgh Council. A fourth Edinburgh Biodiversity Action Plan (2016-18) is being prepared which includes an exciting range of projects and activities to improve the city for wildlife and people. The Plan will be launched in the spring this year, followed by a programme of events throughout the year.

The Partnership works with local communities across Edinburgh to deliver biodiversity improvements. A mix of local and national partners such as Water of Leith Conservation Trust, Edinburgh and Lothian Greenspace Trust, Historic Environment Scotland, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, RSPB Scotland and Scottish Wildlife Trust and of course ourselves at the Council, all contribute to the Plan. These partners work with community groups, schools and volunteers to support some fantastic projects. Programmes such as RSPB Giving Nature a Home, Edinburgh Living Landscape and the Eco-schools programme all help to deliver the aims of the Edinburgh Biodiversity Action Plan.

Moveable feast – Volunteers learning about edible plants in the city.

Edinburgh also has a wealth of voluntary expert naturalist groups and individuals who carry out invaluable survey and monitoring work as well as practical tasks (such as meadow management) to help rare – and less rare – species. Some of our wildlife monitoring programmes have been running for over 15 years, and they help us to understand longer term environmental changes. The new Edinburgh Biodiversity Action Plan will build on the success of this previous work.

If you’d like to get in touch email us at biodiversity@edinburgh.gov.uk or for more information about the action plan visit www.edinburgh.gov.uk/biodiversity

Yellow rattle – A wildflower meadow at Burdiehouse Burn Valley Park