Biodiversity projects flourish on rail network
MORE than 50 biodiversity projects have been created since 2017 on property leased by the Scots train operator, ScotRail.
It follows a partnership agreed six years ago between the train operator and the community volunteering charity, The Conservation Volunteers.
Says ScotRail, here, to date, ScotRail’s biodiversity improvement programme has:
- Invested £40,000 annually;
- Enhanced habitats for foraging insects and animals;
- Created nine wildflower meadows and three ponds;
- Delivered more than 750 dedicated volunteer hours on biodiversity projects;
- Upskilled more than 190 volunteers in local communities;
- Increased awareness of the importance of biodiversity among school children;
- Promoted the re-use of waste materials at ScotRail stations and depots;
- Carried out ‘citizen science’ sessions to record species data; and
- Improved access to wildlife spaces at depots for staff.
The property is owned by Network Rail.
ScotRail adds: “The benefits of the programme extend beyond the environmental impact, as volunteers improve their physical and mental health and wellbeing by being outdoors, active, and connected with others.
“The train operator also has more than 250 stations and over 1,000 volunteers across the country enrolled in its Adopt-a-Station volunteering programme.”
Picture credit: ScotRail
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