Dom Hall from Glasgow National Park City shares news of a community celebration at the Hidden Gardens in Pollokshields on Saturday 2nd September and outlines what GNPC is all about in this guest blog…

The idea of a National Park City is simple – to use the familiar idea of a National Park to inspire a shared vision for Glasgow as a greener, healthier and wilder city for everyone where people, places and nature are better connected.

But a National Park City is very different from a traditional National Park which is a formal designation with statutory powers and involves the funding and resourcing of a National Park Authority. Instead, National Park Cities are a movement and network with a shared vision for greener, healthier, wilder cities.

The National Park City group believe that this movement & network can help deliver two crucial elements for a greener, healthier, wilder city:

1: That people see cities differently and recognise the key role that things like nature, greenspaces, heritage, adventure and play can have in cities just as much as they do in traditional rural National Parks. We believe seeing the city differently is key to encouraging people to get out and explore cities more and to collectively see that a positive, greener, healthier, future is possible.

2: There’s a fantastic network of individuals, organisations and communities who are contributing to this greener, healthier, wilder vision. They believe the National Park City designation would provide recognition for their work, and the opportunity for greater collective voice and resources for these organisations in the future.

The first National Park City was declared in London in 2019, followed by Adelaide in 2022. In Glasgow the National Park City group is a community movement led by volunteers who have been working to develop a local vision and a network for the National Park City since 2018.

By the end of 2023 we’ll submit an application to the National Park City Foundation with the aim of Glasgow being recognised as a National Park City. We’ve produced a proposal for a shared vision and charter for Glasgow and since then nearly fifty organisations from across the city have signed up as supporters of that shared vision ranging from community groups and charities through to Glasgow City Council.

Now we’re expanding ways for you to get involved:

1 – Come along to the Event at the Hidden Gardens behind the Tramway in Pollokshields on Saturday 2nd September

2 – Coming soon – share your ideas and opinions on the National Park City – watch the National Park City website and social media (Twitter / Facebook) for an online questionnaire soon to have your say

3 – Get involved – this can be as simple as signing the charter, through to joining the committee or developing your own projects. Find out more here.

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Thanks to Dom for this guest blog. South Glasgow Heritage & Environment Trust is a supporter of Glasgow National Park City – discover the city-wide range of supporter groups & organisations and get info on joining the Glasgow National Park City network.

Header image: Hidden Gardens in bloom and Tramway brickwork by Deirdre Molloy

Photos of GNPC outdoor exhibition in June 2022 copyright of Friends of King’s Park

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BOOK HERE (free but registration required): https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/community-archives-heritage-group-scotland-network-conference-cop26-tickets-167455093693

VENUE ADDRESS:
The Point Community Hub, 180 Queen’s Drive, Glasgow G42 8QD (1 minute walk from Queen’s Park train station and Pollokshaws Rd)

Deirdre Molloy and Romy Galloway from SGHET will present on ‘Digital Dilemmas: Creating a Sustainable & Accessible Community Archive‘ sharing their archive design research findings and touching on some of SGHET’s key archive collections, including Southside Memories, Southside Lockdown Lens, and Pollok Free State.

In turn, they’ll explore some of the challenges digitisation and digital activity in general presents for a climate-conscious heritage archives sector, and to communities already being affected by the consequences of the climate crisis.

The event (9.30am-4pm) offers a varied programme of presentations, workshops and a ‘one-minute-mayhem’ session of rapid fire talks, plus refreshments. During the breaks attendees can browse a range of heritage stalls including ours, at which we’ll have our South Glasgow Heritage Trails guidebook on sale (cash only).

For those who can’t make it in person, there’s also a livestream of the event accessible from anywhere, bookable below.

BOOK HERE:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/community-archives-heritage-group-scotland-network-conference-cop26-tickets-167455093693

SPEAKER LINE-UP & EVENT SCHEDULE:
https://www.scottisharchives.org.uk/explore/community-archives/community-archives-and-heritage-group-scotland/sustainable-stories-capturing-an-age-of-change-in-community-archives/

TIMINGS:
9.30am – Registration & tea/coffee
10am-4pm (with 12.30-1.30 lunch break) – Conference programme

Follow the organisers Community Archives & Heritage Group Scotland on Twitter for updates:
https://twitter.com/CArchivesScot

The post Sustainable Stories: Community Archives & Heritage Group #COP26 conference Govanhill appeared first on SGHET.

The trail is a circular route starting and finishing at the gates to Queen’s Park and leads trail followers through three Southside parks. The route introduces walkers and cyclists to 12 Southside trees, which are also common across Scotland. We suggest you set aside a good hour or two to enjoy the route.

To embark on the tree trail, pick a leaflet up from South Seeds at 514 Victoria Road or check out and download the leaflet online.

The tree trail leaflet is packed full of information explaining how to identify the trees. There’s a clear map to follow and the locations of the trees are marked. It also features descriptions of the trees and an illustration of the leaf shape.

During the winter, when some trees lose their leaves, tree identification can be a bit tricky. For this reason, we’ve included ‘What three words’ for each tree. Using the three unique words and the What Three Words app you will be able to easily locate each tree.

Spotting & identifying historic and everyday trees

The route introduces walkers to some outstanding southside tree planting. This includes the tree-lined Queen’s Drive, the ancient yew trees in Queen’s Park, the cheerful Rowan trees of East Pollokshields and the magnificent Ash trees In Govanhill Park.

Once you have walked the trail and located the tress you can keep an eye on those trees throughout the year and notice how they change throughout the seasons.

Learning how to identify trees at any point in the year is a valuable skill. The next time you’re out and about in town or the countryside, you’ll be able to tell the different between a Beech and a Birch tree.

South Seeds’ urban croft for the community

The tree trail route takes walkers past the entrance to the Croft on Queen’s Park recreation ground. Through the chain link fence passers-by can see the community garden where residents are invited to adopt-a-raised bed each March. There are 24 raised beds to be adopted and they are allocated to those that apply in March each year.

There’s a programme of support for the growers delivered by South Seeds’ expert gardener Eric. Growers adopt the beds until November, when they will have harvested all their produce. South Seeds looks after the beds over the winter to nourish the soil and conduct any maintenance in time for the next round of adoptions.

Southside Tool Library & home energy advice

South Seeds has an office on Victoria Road, open 9am–5pm on week days and 10am–2pm on Saturdays. From it South Seeds also runs the Southside Tool Library where you can borrow tools. In turn, we have energy officers who can help people reduce their energy bills.

If you’re interested in any of our projects or services, mitigating climate change, saving the environment or becoming more sustainable drop in to our Victoria Road unit!

Share ideas Sat 21st Aug at Queen’s Park Recreation Ground Croft!

South Seeds is holding its open AGM at the Croft, our beautiful community garden on Queen’s Park recreation ground. We’re keen for locals to help us shape the next 10 years, so please do come along and share your ideas. The AGM is on Saturday 21 August 2021, it starts at 10.30am and will finish by 11.30am.

Guest blog post by Lucy Gillie, South Seeds

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For more information about South Seeds visit www.southseeds.org and find them on Twitter and Facebook and at their premises at 514 Victoria Road, Glasgow, G42 8BG.

If you spot any trees around the Southside and have identified or guessed the species, share your images and tell us on Twitter or Facebook.

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