Thrilled to see so many people attending the Forest Bound – Art Exhibition Opening Event yesterday.
Forest bound was a partnership between UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and ELREC, and funded by Natural Environment Research Council.
The project emphasized the importance of making forests and green spaces accessible to ethnic minority communities as research shows that Ethnic minority neighborhoods, in general, have 11 times less access to parks, gardens, and playing fields than predominantly white communities. This means that access to open spaces for exercise or fresh air is significantly more limited.
It has also highlighted the need to protect our forests and our natural heritage and that it is equally important that ethnic minority communities be a part of this preservation process.
During the project, more than 40 community members of the Polish, Chinese, and Syrian communities engaged with Scottish Forests, while sharing their experiences and values with the team.
A massive thanks to our funder, Natural Environment Research Council, for supporting our work. To the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology for inviting us to take part in this remarkable project, to Tamsin Grainger who is the creative mind behind the art exhibition, to Written in Film for developing a great film of the project, to the volunteers who helped to set up the exhibition, to Geoff Palmer and Foysol Choudhury MSP for Lothian for speaking brilliantly at the opening event, and lastly our deepest gratitude to each participant of Forest bound, they certainly were the main artists in the project!
Watch the project’s video here: https://www.facebook.com/writteninfilmedinburgh/videos/856636725437757/
Today and tomorrow are the last days to come and see the exhibition at The Out of the Blue Drill Hall.
10am-5pm today and 10am-3pm tomorrow.
#ClimateActionNow#BiodiversityConservation#EthnicMinorities#forests#naturetherapy#MentalHealth#ClimateEmergency#BioDiversityMatters
