News

First Nature Connection Sessions Cohort Complete

9 Jul 2026

We have completed our first round of Nature Connection sessions for the MCAS project, working with 30 women from two community groups: 14 women from SHAWN (Sharpen Her African Women's Network) and 16 women from the Arabic-speaking world, supported by WSREC (West Scotland Regional Equality Council).

Together, the groups explored their local parks, Country Parks and Local Nature Reserves, learning about local plant and animal life while discussing the everyday challenges of accessing greenspace here in Scotland. Our MCAS team supported the groups to get out and about, working through practical solutions to enable more trips in the future. Along the way, the women enjoyed the Scottish summer weather, shared snacks and refreshments, made art, and built connections with one another, celebrating both the relationships with nature many already carry from their home countries and the new ones they're building here in Scotland.

The programme's first trip to Loch Lomond brought the two groups together for a joint outing. With support from Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park rangers, 9 women from the Arabic-speaking world and 4 women from SHAWN explored Balloch Country Park, learning about the park's habitats and taking in views of some of its oldest trees and the Loch itself. The day finished with a well-earned lunch, catered by Afro-fusion Cuisine in Glasgow, which was a firm favourite with everyone.

The sessions surfaced some lovely moments of connection. Conversations about birdsong led women to share early memories of listening to birds in their home villages, while a simple game of spotting colours in the landscape sparked wider conversations about clothing, culture and shared experience. For one participant, who had only recently arrived in Glasgow, the day offered a welcome lift after a difficult few weeks settling in.

Participants told us:

"Coming from a country with deserts where it is difficult to grow trees, it is so special to be in a place like this. The air is so fresh, and I feel healthy being out here."

"There are so many colours I never noticed! I thought there was just green everywhere, not so much!"

Sessions like these also help MCAS keep growing and adapting our own approach, from choosing routes that work for a range of mobility levels and making sure toilets are always close at hand, to being clearer upfront about the support on offer, like funding towards transport costs.

We're looking forward to building on this first round of sessions as the Nature Connection Programme continues, and to welcoming more groups out into Scotland's greenspaces in the months ahead.

We have completed our latest round of Nature Connection sessions for the MCAS project, working alongside five families from the Linkes Community Project, with a peak of 22 participants across the sessions.

Over four sessions, families visited Knightswood Park and Dawsholm Park Local Nature Reserve before a joint trip to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. The Scottish weather was kind to us throughout, and with our nature packs in hand, families shared picnics outdoors, identified local species, made story sticks, and learned about local wildlife.

Running sessions for families with children of all ages brings fantastic energy, and we were supported every step of the way by Linkes staff and support workers, without whom these trips would not have been possible.

Our first outing to Knightswood Park gave families a chance to slow down and look closely at trees and plants they passed every day, through species surveys and observation games. For some, these simple activities sparked personal connections to home. As one participant reflected while looking at the trees:

"This reminds me of my mother in Afghanistan connecting one type of fruit tree onto another. She used to grow lots of fruit."

Another, who had lived nearby for ten years, told us:

"I've been in Scotland and coming to this park for 10 years and I never knew these were cherry trees."

At Dawsholm Park, families explored the woodland paths, searched for animal homes, and made story sticks from items gathered along the way. Several parents told us that despite living close by, they had never visited the reserve before, and said they planned to come back with their families. One child described Dawsholm as "not a park" at the start of the session because it had no play park. By the end she had changed her mind, and said she liked "being in the trees." Another summed the afternoon up more simply:

"It doesn't feel like we are in the city, but like we are in a jungle."

Smelling wild honeysuckle and roses growing near the park entrance led to conversations about how certain scents reminded the children of family members' perfume. Parents shared some of their own discoveries too. One told us she'd enjoyed learning about dock plants and how they can help with nettle stings, and was surprised by how wide tree roots grow.

The block finished with a trip to Balmaha at Loch Lomond. The group explored the visitor centre, walked through the Tom Weir garden to Balmaha Pier and up to the viewpoint, and gathered for activities in the woodland at the foot of Conic Hill. Children described the session as "fun" and "surprising." In the indoor classroom space at the Balmaha Visitor Centre, some parents noted how the setup recalled outdoor cooking spaces in Sudan, which led to warm conversations about gathering and cooking outside with family.

These sessions reinforce how important local, accessible greenspaces are for family wellbeing and community connection. A huge thank you to the families from Linkes and the support staff who made this block such a joy to run. We look forward to continuing the Nature Connection Programme and welcoming more community groups into Scotland's wild spaces in the months ahead.