Heritage Horizons - Project Overview Document
Cairngorms 2030
People and Nature Thriving Together
Am Monadh Ruadh 2030
Daoine agus Nàdar A’ Soirbheachadh Còmhla
Heritage Horizons – Cairngorms National Park Authority Project Overview Document for NLHF Stage One submission (February 2021)
OUR BIG IDEA
We believe it is by people coming together that we tackle the climate emergency and nature crisis, and deliver an economy that works for all.
Our ambition is to focus on the large scale, inclusive, transformational changes required to deliver on our climate and biodiversity responsibilities. Our project is on a larger scale and aims to be more transformative than anything previously attempted in the UK and will be a shining beacon to rural and urban communities throughout Scotland and beyond.
We will act comprehensively across the UK’s largest National Park, giving people the agency and the tools to make a difference, including:
- Improving people’s health and livelihoods by fundamentally shifting our approach to deliver a wellbeing economy, outdoor health programmes, a nature based dementia centre and engaging, inclusive learning and outreach.
- Empowering diverse communities through sharing power to co-design decisions and activities via citizens’ assemblies, substantial community managed grants and innovative land use collaborations.
- Enhancing nature through green finance, woodland expansion, peatland restoration, river catchment management, deer management, nature friendly farming, landscape connections and sustainable transport.
- A global knowledge exchange programme to openly share our learning as we go.
With over 45 committed partners, our collective endeavour is for the Park to become a global exemplar with integrity and heart, where the future is placed in the hands of the people and communities that live, work and visit here. Within the Cairngorms National Park, people and nature will thrive together.
OUR AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
CROSS CUTTING PRINCIPLES
THEME 1: PEOPLE
AIM 1 To enhance ecological and economic wellbeing through transformational, collaborative and innovative change.
OBJECTIVE 1 People’s health and livelihoods will be improved through the development and promotion of a wellbeing economy in the Cairngorms National Park (CNP).
AIM 2 To inform and change attitudes and behaviours to deliver net-zero and biodiversity targets.
OBJECTIVE 2 People and businesses will be more knowledgeable about climate and carbon and will have changed their behaviours to help deliver net-zero and biodiversity targets.
People and Nature Thriving Together
Inclusion and Diversity
OBJECTIVE 3 To empower people to take responsibility for decisions affecting change in their environment and see the benefits of those changes flow to their communities.
AIM 3
THEME 2: POWER System Change and the Wellbeing Economy
People will be more involved in their community’s governance and practical activity.
CNP will be a rural exemplar for sustainable and active travel, embracing technology and design innovation, to reduce transport-related carbon emissions.
CNP will contribute to net-zero and biodiversity targets through landscape scale enhancements to woodlands, peatlands, river catchments, uplands and farmlands.
CNP will trial new models of land use and land management and pioneer new collaborations to engage with nature.
AIM 6 To place active travel at the heart of a greener future, leading to a fairer and regenerative local economy during Covid recovery.
Knowledge Exchange
THEME 3: PLACE
OBJECTIVE 5 To mitigate the climate emergency, improve biodiversity and connect landscape change to community aspirations.
AIM 5
OBJECTIVE 4 To be an international showcase for inclusive and equitable land management change.
AIM 4
CROSS CUTTING PRINCIPLES
The project’s theory of change is based on greater involvement and empowerment that is more diverse, more inclusive and more equal.
The project’s lessons will be learned and shared through robust and inclusive longitudinal knowledge exchange, measuring, sharing and guiding throughout the project and beyond at an international level.
The project’s goal of a more sustainable future for all is based on transformative system change through community-led co-design and collective leadership models.
TRANSFORMATION, INNOVATION AND COLLABORATION
IN OUR PEOPLE THEME WE WILL:
- Host fully inclusive participatory workshops for people to reimagine the future of their communities to identify what matters to them.
- Involve partners from sectors we don’t ordinarily work with to deliver life-changing facilities and services based on the latest evidence.
- Work in partnership with the NHS to deliver outdoor green health referral programmes to improve physical and mental wellbeing.
- Co-design with young people a learning for sustainability framework involving schools and communities.
- Develop an inclusive participatory process for community empowerment that fosters participation and trust from people who would not normally engage with our services.
- Create a shared vision and sense of belonging for the Cairngorms in 2030 and beyond.
IN OUR POWER THEME WE WILL:
- Deliver an engaging and informative climate learning programme based on the latest research.
- Develop deliberative techniques to enable all communities to be involved in decisions that lead to actions and make a difference to their lives.
- Support communities to define, design, fund and deliver projects that matter to them.
- Rethink people’s relationship with land and open up opportunities for greater community benefit and more diverse land ownership and management.
- Forge novel and diverse partnerships that will bring new ideas, fresh approaches and enable a deeper and wider engagement with nature and land.
IN OUR PLACE THEME WE WILL:
- Deliver nature-based solutions to climate change on an unprecedented landscape scale in Scotland, working across multiple land uses, habitats and characters.
- Bring together communities and land managers to create a shared vision for a net-zero future.
- Better understand people’s connection to the land and the value they place on it, giving them a voice to achieve positive change.
- Establish a robust and inclusive knowledge exchange that facilitates continued engagement with Park communities over the long term, shaping change, opportunities and benefits.
- Co-create a sustainable transport vision for 2030, which will ensure that all our rural communities and visitors have access to healthier and sustainable low carbon transport options.
- Be equalities-focused, ensuring that those in poor health (mental or physical) or on low incomes can benefit equally from the net-zero transition and green transport options.
PEOPLE AND NATURE THRIVING TOGETHER: PROJECTS
We will deliver 23 distinct, but linked, projects across the national park under the themes of people, power and place.
PEOPLE THEME:
1a. Wellbeing Economy: Developing an economic model for the Park that benefits people and nature, whilst protecting the planet’s resources for future generations.
1b. Public health and the outdoors: Developing an NHS cross sectoral partnership focused on preventative green health referrals and access to the outdoors.
1c. Dementia Activity Resource Centre: Demonstrating the benefits of outdoor dementia care and designing world class therapeutic green health interventions.
2a. Climate learning and education: Empowering and inspiring our young people to deliver net zero and biodiversity targets.
2b. Outreach and engagement programme: Park wide inclusive participatory programme of workshops to create a shared vision for the Cairngorms in 2030.
2c. Community Arts and Culture programme: Connecting people with their traditional culture to develop community, belonging and sustainability.
POWER THEME:
3a. Climate conscious communities: Empowering people to take responsibility for change and see the benefits flow to their communities.
3b. Citizens’ Assembly / Jury: Create a forum to explore and develop ground-up projects to contribute to net zero targets and a wellbeing economy.
3c. Community Managed Grant Scheme: Giving communities the power to define, design, fund and deliver projects that matter to them.
4a. Regional Land Use Partnership & Land Rights and Responsibilities: An international showcase for inclusive and equitable land management that tests new models and collaborations for people to engage with nature.
PLACE THEME:
4b. Green Investment Plan: Planning, piloting and delivering a blend of private and public finance to contribute to net zero and biodiversity targets.
5a. Woodland expansion: Increase woodland cover in the Park by 1,000ha between 2023 and 2028.
5b. Peatland restoration: Restore 3,500ha of peatland in the Park.
5c. Climate Resilient Catchments: Increase climate change resilience to reduce flood risk and ensure that rivers continue to deliver for the people and wildlife that depend upon them.
5d. Deer management: Deer management is a major land use covering over c50% of the Park. We will develop Strategic Land Use Plans with Deer Management Groups to deliver climate, nature and economic benefits.
5e. Cairngorms Future Farming: To demonstrate that carbon zero (or even carbon negative) farming is possible, practical and profitable in the Cairngorms.
5f. Landscape and communities project: Discuss, celebrate and promote the Parks landscapes, its value to people and options for change.
6a. E‑bike network: To develop an integrated e‑bike network that results in a significant reduction in personal car use by visitors and residents moving around the Park.
6b. Glenmore Transport Plan: Develop new sustainable visitor transport model for Aviemore – Glenmore – Cairngorm area.
PLACE THEME:
6c. Active Travel in Badenoch and Strathspey: Create the infrastructure required to connect communities and provide an alternative to car use for short daily journeys for residents and visitors.
6d. Sustainable Transport in Deeside & Angus: Developing, testing and delivering electric public transport that meets community and visitor needs.
6e. Sustainable Transport in Highland Perthshire: Developing high quality walking and cycling infrastructure to reduce car use and promote sustainable and active transport.
6f. Active Aviemore: Developing high quality segregated walking and cycling infrastructure to increase active travel and reduce car use in the Park’s biggest and busiest town.
KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE AND COMMUNICATIONS
These projects will be accompanied and underpinned by a comprehensive and inclusive communications plan and an innovative research/knowledge exchange programme monitoring, evaluating and sharing lessons both during the project and after.
A LASTING LEGACY
Our project will deliver the landscape scale mass-adoption of new community-led lifestyle, land management and visitor models that improve wellbeing, help nature and contribute to net-zero.
It will do this fairly, based on greater involvement and empowerment that is more diverse, more inclusive and more equal. The project’s goal of a more sustainable future and transformative system change will be achieved through community-led co-design and collective leadership models, and the project’s lessons will be used to guide the project and be shared with communities large and small around the world.
Our legacy through this project is that in the Cairngorms National Park people and nature will thrive together.
CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY ÙGHDARRAS PÀIRC NÀISEANTA A’ MHONAIDH RUAIDH
Produced by the Cairngorms National Park Authority © CNPA, February 2021. All rights reserved.