Nature & Biodiversity
Midlothian is the fastest growing region in Scotland. This means new homes, new communities, but it also means new pressures. As our communities grow, so does the pressure on our woodlands, our rivers and our green spaces.
How we manage this growth will shape what Midlothian looks and feels like for generations to come.
We are lucky. The Pentland and Moorfoot Hills rise around us. The Esk and Tyne carve magical wooded glens through the landscape. Gladhouse Reservoir hosts internationally important birdlife, and places like Fala Flow and Kitchen Moss hold ancient peatlands that lock away carbon and support rare plants.
Yet nature is struggling. Across the UK, 97% of wildflower meadows have been lost since the 1930s. Nearly half of Scotland’s monitored species have declined in the last decade. Fragmented habitats mean wildlife cannot move, adapt or survive.
Yet nature is struggling. Across the UK, 97% of wildflower meadows have been lost since the 1930s. Nearly half of Scotland’s monitored species have declined in the last decade. Fragmented habitats mean wildlife cannot move, adapt or survive.
The good news? Communities can make a real difference.
When people come together to restore and care for their local environment, nature recovers
What we're working towards
Nature is everywhere. It’s in our parks, our gardens and our waterways. When we make space for it, it comes back. And when it thrives, so do we. Access to green space is good for our mental health, our physical wellbeing and the resilience of our communities.
We want Midlothian to be a place where nature is valued, protected and given room to recover. Here’s what we’re focused on:
🌿 Community Gardens
Supporting community-led growing spaces that bring people together, support pollinators and connect people with nature on their doorstep.
🦔 Wildlife Corridors
Exploring opportunities to restore and reconnect fragmented habitats and create practical pathways for nature recovery across Midlothian.
We’ve supported projects restoring meadows, planting hedgerows and creating pollinator highways, run biodiversity learning days and hedgelaying workshops, and begun mapping natural spaces across Midlothian. This is just the beginning.
Our Community Garden Network
Community gardens mean different things to different people: growing food, supporting wildlife or simply having a welcoming place to come together. Whatever brings people to them, they strengthen communities and bring nature into our towns and villages.
Our community garden network connects groups across Midlothian to share knowledge and swap resources. From experienced growers to groups just getting started, everyone is welcome. Here’s the Community Gardens in our network:
Wildlife Corridors
Scotland is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. Only 14% of habitats important for wildlife are currently in good condition across the UK and one in nine Scottish species are threatened with extinction. One of the biggest reasons?
Fragmentation. When habitats become isolated islands, wildlife cannot move, feed, breed or adapt to a changing climate
Wildlife corridors change that: hedgerows, grasslands, wetlands, gardens and green spaces. Connected networks of habitat allow species to move freely through the landscape, between woodlands, wetlands, grasslands and gardens. single well-managed hedgerow can support over 2,000 species. Joined up across a landscape, the impact is enormous.
Our wildlife corridors working group is identifying practical opportunities to create and strengthen these connections across Midlothian.
Want to get involved? Whether you manage land, run a community group or simply want to understand what’s possible in your area, we would love to hear from you.
🗺️ Explore our interactive map
See Midlothian’s habitat connectivity opportunity areas for yourself.
How we can support you
Whether you have a fully formed plan or just the seed of an idea, we’re here to support you every step of the way. Here’s how we can support you:
🌱 Seedcorn grants: we have funding available to help turn your idea into a real project
📚 Upskilling & training: we can host hands-on workshops to help your group build the skills to run reuse, repair and sharing activities
💡 Project development: we can give support to help get your idea off the ground and connect you with other local groups to share knowledge, resources and experience
Ready to start something in your community? Whether you have an idea for a project or would like to get involved in reuse, share & repair opportunities in Midlothian, we’d love to hear from you!
What's happening in Midlothian?
Midlothian already has some fantastic community-led projects keeping things in use and out of landfill. From borrowing tools and getting bikes back on the road, to picking up a bargain at a community charity shop.
