A PARTNERSHIP between a food brand and a conservation charity is set to protect 15 million square feet of Scottish wildflower meadow.
Ella’s Kitchen, which sells organic baby and toddler food, has teamed-up with the RSPB in order to protect wildflower-rich grasslands around Loch Lomond and on the island of Tiree.
The habitat on Tiree set to be preserved is one of the rarest habitats in Europe: the biodiverse grass plains known as machair.
Machair is constituted of fertile and low-lying grassy plains which provide habitat for endangered bees, birds and insects such as great yellow bumblebees and lapwings.
Support from Ella’s Kitchen will allow the RSPB to continue traditional crofting practices and grazing management which maintain the habitat on their Tiree reserve.
Chief executive at The RSPB, Beccy Speight, said the deal showed how businesses can help solve the biodiversity crisis.
“Nature is facing many threats, from the destruction of habitats to pesticide use and climate change, resulting in problems like the loss of pollinators. But it’s not too late to intervene. Ella’s Kitchen is facing into these challenges through targeted action in this new partnership that is both good for nature and good for people.
"Businesses have a crucial role to play in addressing the dual nature and climate crises, and partnerships like this that seek to restore and sustainably manage ecosystems and restore the biodiversity that we all rely on are so important.”
On Loch Lomond, some of the last remaining fragments of native wildflower grassland in West Dunbartonshire will be protected by the partnership.
READ MORE: Fringe show cancelled after Graham Linehan features on line-up
The project will maintain A Coronation Meadow, one of 60 wildflower meadows supported by King Charles to celebrate the diamond jubilee for Elizabeth II.
These meadows contain over 120 flowering species of plant and support a wide range of birds, bees, and bugs, including the threatened Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary, and Grasshopper Warblers.
The partnership forms part of Ella’s Big Pledge to Little People: a commitment to invest in the future to ensure every little one grows up on a healthy planet that has plenty of food.
With the UK having lost 97% of its wildflower meadows in the last century, it is hoped the deal will protect and restore 30 million square feet of UK wildflower meadows and grassland by 2030.
Mark Cuddigan, CEO of Ella’s Kitchen, said: “Nature and business go hand in hand. At Ella’s, we want to do everything we can to protect nature, our pollinators, and our little ones’ futures.
"By working with the RSPB not only can we help protect and restore vital wildflower habitats across the UK, we want to continue to learn about the challenges our little ones face and how we can tackle them”.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel