By Katie Monk, Species on the Edge Youth Panel member
I had been wanting to plan another community-based event as part of the Species on the Edge Youth Panel for a while, after organising a very successful biodiversity awareness day in St Andrews the previous year.
Having worked with Cambo Gardens and Cambo Estate for most of the semester, I wondered whether there could be an opportunity for collaboration, hoping to use their incredible venue and gardens to showcase the amount of biodiversity on the doorstep of many University of St Andrew’s students. Although Cambo Gardens is just down the road from the University, and is full to the brim of amazing flowers, plants and wildlife, many students have not heard about them. Therefore, organising a community event at Cambo would be the perfect opportunity to get more students exposed to nature, encouraging positive action. In April, there was a buzz of excitement ahead of Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday, with events being planned across the nation. I considered whether I could use this celebration as part of my Species on the Edge event; it would allow me to advertise an event for people of all ages and backgrounds, using Sir David’s legacy as a conduit to encourage environmental awareness and conservation.
Cambo Gardens and Cambo Estate very kindly agreed to host the event on his 100th birthday (8th May) as it also aligned with their eco-friendly, nature-based philosophies. By inspiring connection to the natural world and raising awareness of the ‘Species on the Edge’ programme, we promoted positive attitudes towards conservation and connectivity. Originally, the day was broken into two sections: the morning was aimed at engaging primary school children, with lawn games, food and educational activities throughout; however, due to challenges with school-organised transport, we decided to focus on the latter half of the day instead. This became the main event of the day aiming to engage students and the local community through celebrating Sir David’s life. The number of registered guests increased the day before the event from 25 to over 95 people which required a great deal of communication, coordination and adaptability which allowed us to accommodate the increased number of guests both in space, and with the free food available.
The event ‘Attenborough After-hours’ ran smoothly; visitors were greeted on the door by a life-size cut out of David Attenborough and cordial made with hand-grown ingredients and topped with a garnish of edible flowers, all from Cambo’s garden. A jazz band was also playing live music, which filled the air as guests from all walks of life got to know each other, Species on the Edge, and Cambo Estate. The weather smiled down at us, with the sun making a guest appearance, perfect for the BBQ food and salads which were available to eat in the courtyard. There was a stand for face-painting and temporary tattoos of several of the ‘species on the edge’ as well as information available to read more about each one.
Around the venue, wildlife photography from local artists was displayed, showcasing the nature around Cambo Gardens as well as several Species on the Edge species themselves! Over the course of the evening, people also had the opportunity to create their own birthday cards to send to Sir David. These were on seeded paper so could also be planted in their own garden instead.
At the end of the evening, everyone gathered around to sing happy birthday to Sir David over a collection of cakes, including a custom-made Species on the Edge cake, kindly donated by Fisher and Donaldson. James Erskine, the owner of Cambo Estate, then gave a short speech about the similar work that Species on the Edge and Cambo are doing to protect and benefit nature in Scotland. Guests then settled down to watch a film screening of Sir David’s Wild Isles. This particular episode focused heavily on different species across Scotland and the wider British Isles making it particularly poignant.
Hopefully, the event itself helped to encourage members of the public and students alike to return to Cambo Gardens and discover more about the Scottish wildlife on their doorstep. After collecting goody-bags of left-over cake and finishing off their popcorn, guests then left with a stronger connection to both nature and the community around them, as well as a better understanding of the work that Species on the Edge is doing.
