Written by NBN Trust CEO, Lisa Chilton
Spring has sprung once more, bringing a lush green surge of hope and optimism. Yes, we’re in the full throes of a biodiversity crisis, but that doesn’t stop Nature from stopping us in our tracks, enchanting us anew with beauty and abundance, and reminding us what we’re fighting for.
Here at home, it’s the birdsong that does it for me. The perky banter of the Tree Sparrows in my garden and the sky-high tweedling of Larks overhead. Walking back from putting my son on the school bus, I pause and listen for a moment or two, tuning my ears to the rising and falling trills and buzzes that are such a quintessential summer sound. Sometimes, if it’s dry, I’ll find a sheltered spot to sit, in the lee of a sprawling gorse hedge, and take a few minutes to soak it all up before I start the day’s work.
Hauling myself back to my feet, my eyes will scan the distant coast. The enormous turbines of the Aberdeen Bay Offshore Wind Farm stand proud above the horizon. To me, they’re a striking symbol of hope: a victory for green energy and a defeat for Donald Trump. They never fail to make me smile.
This is the perfect time of year to visit the extraordinary seabird colony at nearby Bullers of Buchan. The cliffs are crammed with Kittiwakes, Fulmars, Guillemots, Razorbills and Puffins, while splashes of Red Campion and yellow Creeping Willow line the coastal path . It’s an incredible sight matched with a breath-taking soundscape. A former colleague lives in a fisherman’s cottage on the clifftop there. When the impenetrable sea mist, the haar, rolls in (as it often does after a day or two of fine weather), Puffins and Guillemots sometimes overshoot the cliff and end up in his garden. How exciting would that be?!
After a long, dark winter, we all need things to get excited about, to lift our spirits and renew our passion and optimism. To reaffirm our conviction that we can fix this. We can bring nature back. So get out there and immerse yourself in all that the season has to offer.