Every eighteen months, CCN members and supporters from across Scotland come together for a weekend of knowledge-sharing, discussions, and socialising. This April, we were in Ardentinny Outdoor Centre on the shore of Loch Long.
We welcomed old and new members, as well as Friends of CCN and representatives from NatureScot. Since the last gathering, CCN has grown quite a bit and it was great to see lots of new faces.
One of the most anticipated aspects of every gathering is hearing updates from community groups, and this year our presenters did not disappoint! We heard from several CCN members on what they have been doing lately, including creating art projects from marine litter, taking part in international sea water temperature monitoring initiatives, and running native oyster restoration projects.
We also heard from COAST on their Communities and the Sea project, and how they are using community engagement and citizen science to build knowledge and interest in marine issues across north Arran. As part of this, we had a demonstration of their remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) in the loch.
Our Saturday afternoon we split into two workshop groups. The first focused on building support networks to support community groups and was led by Fauna & Flora’s Community Support Specialists, Peg and Ceris. The second group discussed how to ensure citizen science data is used effectively and has real-world impact. Participants highlighted the sheer amount of citizen science platforms that exist, and the need for greater transparency and feedback in what data has already been recorded, and how data collected by communities is used.
We also held a ‘meet the funders’ panel, where three funding organisations shared their thoughts on what makes a good funding application and what they expect from a funding relationship. It was highlighted that each funding organisation works in different ways, though there were some commonalities amongst all organisations present, such as the need for open communication of both progress and failure.
Celebrating CCN’s new charitable status, we looked ahead to the next few years and identified some of CCN’s priorities for the future. In a really exciting milestone for the network, we also held CCN’s first AGM since becoming a registered charity. Here we looked back on the year so far and elected our Board of Trustees. After a very packed day and a successful AGM, members then had an opportunity to connect and relax with a glass of wine.
CCN members FIMRO were also celebrating 25 years of the Fair Isle Demonstration & Research Marine Protected Area. We heard about their journey to gaining this designation, and the huge amount of research that the group has run since. After a very packed day and a successful AGM, members then had an opportunity to connect and relax with a glass of wine.
We gathered bright and early on Sunday to hear an update from NatureScot and have a short discussion of some of the upcoming issues and priorities in marine management. Attendees highlighted the need for robust and enforced management measures to allow our Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to recover, particularly ahead of the long-awaited consultation on MPA management which should be introduced by the next Scottish Government.
Then members joined two workshops – one was focused on the Local Place Planning process, and including coasts and shorelines in local planning and was delivered by Hannah from the Dunoon Community Development Trust. The second was delivered by Young Sea Changers Scotland and outlined the importance of including young people in local marine conservation, and some tips on making events and projects more inclusive.
As with all our gatherings, the connections made over the weekend are often invaluable to members. There were lots of discussions of possible collaborations between members on issues that matter to them, and lots of inspiring ideas put forward over the weekend (watch this space!).
We are hugely grateful to Fauna & Flora for supporting CCN members to come together, and to our supporters, trustees, and members who made this weekend so special.