Tue, 19 Nov 2024 17:30 – 20:00 GMT
The Social Hub Glasgow, 15 Candleriggs Glasgow G1 1TQ
On 19th November 2024 Paperboats, in partnership with The Scottish Rewilding Alliance, held a creative writing workshop at the Social Hub in Glasgow. Local people shared stories about, and their passion for, the wild lives in their parks and gardens (even their doorsteps and roofs!), as well as the animals and plants of Scotland’s woods and hills, rivers and seas. They talked about how much has been lost, the preciousness of what remains, and the crying need for replenishment.
The result is this ‘letter-poem’ to The First Minister of Scotland, calling for action. Voice upon voice, people will make a difference.
Dear First Minister
We are seeing peat bogs, wetlands, our west coast rainforests threatened by greed, hubris, blindness. By us. For how much longer must we tolerate the mass murder of ospreys, eagles, buzzards on our moors and hills? Where is the buzzing rush of insects of yesteryear? Lives are going, going. So many already gone.
Nature is not an afterthought. If nature is broken, Scotland is broken. We are broken. But it is not too late. Lockdown opened our eyes and ears to the nature on our doorstep – foxes, deer, squirrels, our neighbours the bawling gulls. There could be so much more. We want urban sprawl – gorse, bracken, lichen, wild raspberries sprawling in our city spaces – a dunnock cheeping from its wee bush. We want our parks and gardens packed to the gunnels with amazing wild life.
We want more trees – good trees in the right places. We want wolves, bear, lynx, wildcat, auroch bulls (an actual star sign!) prowling and howling and galloping through our woods and glens. We want beavers splashing in the Spey, the Tay, the Clyde, the Kelvin. We want our cracking seas teeming with fish, shrimp, lobster, orca – kelp and sea grass swaying in the tides.
We want places where nature can be left to its own wise devices. It can be done – Seawilding, Carrifran Wild Wood, Wildland Cairngorm and so many other honest, passionate, earthy, life-loving folk are showing the way.
Mr Swinney, imagine a Scotland full of vibrant communities, where nature’s restoration inspires and supports local enterprises, where people of all ages can find rewarding jobs, and where nature-rich landscapes are accessible to everyone, reawakening our connection with the wonders of the natural world.
Mr Swinney, make it happen.
Sign the Rewilding Nation Charter
We are concerned citizens who participated in the creative writing workshop at the Social Hub, Glasgow on 19th November 2024, facilitated by Rewilding Nation and Paperboats.
Download the poster version of this letter:
If you belong to an organisation that would be interested in hosting a Paperboats workshop and making your voice heard, please email hello@paperboats.org
About Rewilding Nation
The Rewilding Nation Charter campaign urges the Scottish government to commit to nature recovery across 30% of our land and seas. Scotland now ranks as one of the most nature-depleted countries on Earth. Rewilding offers the chance for Scotland testore the health of the natural world we depend on. But what does rewilding mean for local communities and how can we ensure it works for everyone?
About Why Not Scotland?
The film accompanies Flo, a young Scot from Glasgow who is concerned about the state of nature in her home country. She embarks on a journey around Europe, to discover stories of nature’s comeback, and the people benefiting from it.
Sign the Rewilding Nation Charter
Add your voice to ours and call on the Scottish Government to declare Scotland the world’s first Rewilding Nation, committing to nature recovery across 30% of our land and seas – for nature, climate and people. Sign the Rewilding Nation Charter today: https://www.rewild.scot/charter