A talk by Professor Ria Dunkley, University of Glasgow
Tuesday 14th January, 7-9pm. Free, no booking required.
Most Scots live in towns and cities, and may think that wildlife live in the countryside. But a city like Glasgow is rich in wild plants and animals. This talk discusses how city communities can become more aware of their local wildlife, and through awareness become involved in observing and looking after it.
Ria will share live examples from the “GALLANT Project”, a University of Glasgow-led project seeking to support positive transformation in Glasgow in the face of climate and biodiversity crises. She will share insights into biodiversity initiatives that are community-centred and situate place-based understandings at their core. Local communities can be meaningfully engaged through community initiatives such as urban composting and tree mapping, leading to tangible environmental and social benefits. Ria will also discuss the challenges of implementing biodiversity projects in urban areas and share strategies to overcome these barriers through collaboration, creative communication, and shared decision-making.
Together, we can explore the possibilities of integrating community-generated biodiversity into urban planning in the city and explore how data can be shared within and beyond the city to help address environmental challenges that are simultaneously local and global.