Scotland: National Rural Network
The Cairngorms National Park, Britain's largest National Park is a unique place including a variety of habitats, wildlife, cultural landscapes and land uses. It provides important ecosystem services like water, carbon storage, presence of rare species, recreational resources while being home to around 17,000 people, living and working in the Park.
The special qualities of the Park face the threat of environmental and global change, combined with social and economic pressures. The Cairngorms National Park Authority is committed to safeguard the special qualities and the long term interests of the area for future generations.
The Park is currently working on the new National Park Plan in order to provide a framework to guide management and decision-making in an integrated way.
This is a great opportunity to involve researchers and practitioners more effectively in the management of the Park. Knowledge regarding current research about key topics like biodiversity land landscape conservation, tourism or sustainable land management is still patchy and there is a high demand to actively and effectively engage research and practice in the sustainable development of the Cairngorms.
The Centre for Mountain Studies at Perth College UHI and the Cairngorms National Park Authority are now creating a network of researchers and practitioners working in the park.
The aims of this project include identifying recent and ongoing research in Cairngorms National Park and who has been doing it, identifying which practitioners, communities, landowners and other stakeholders may be interested in this research, or possible future research, and engaging them in a knowledge transfer process which aims to apply research findings in the Park planning activities and in the day-to-day activities of stakeholders.
A dedicated website including extensive information on "who-is-who" and "who-does-what" in the Cairngorms will be set up. This will increase the accessibility of research results and projects for anyone interested in sustainable development in the Cairngorms. Persons or organisations working in the Cairngorms will be able to access information, link and exchange experience with others.
On 15th-16th November 2010, a networking workshop will take place in the Park which will bring researchers and practitioners together to knowledge and identify research gaps in order to support the Park in delivering their future National Park Plans.
Then support the network by becoming a member and contributing to increasing awareness and involving research and practice in Cairngorms National Park. By filling in the online form with information on your activity in the Cairngorms, the information will be collected in a centralised database which will be available for users of the Cairngorms web-portal in order to enable communication and networking.
For any further questions or to explore common interests please contact:
Catalina Munteanu
Knowledge Exchange Associate
The Centre for Mountain Studies
Perth College UHI
Crieff Road
PERTH PH1 2NX
Scotland
Tel: + 44 (0) 1738 877223
Fax: + 44 (0) 1738 877018
Catalina.Munteanu@perth.uhi.ac.uk
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