Summary Report for NET 4 – Managing our Natural & Cultural Heritage Assets

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Summary Report for NET 4 – Managing our Natural & Cultural Heritage Assets not-so-grim-reaper-20180827_140613-e1537308097706 (2) a a b b c c d d e e
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A summary report of NET 4 (Managing our Natural and Cultural Heritage Assets) is now available to download as a PDF

Training, Inspiring, Connecting Scottish Natural and Cultural Heritage Professionals

NET4 ” Managing Our Natural and Cultural Heritage Assets” is a KA1 Adult Education for Staff Programme. NET4 is coordinated by ARCH, delivered through a consortium of 20 Scottish organisations and 13 European hosts,  funded by ERASMUS+ and supported by ECORYS. The NET4 Programme is now finished and this post provides a link to a pdf summary of the programme. All of the participants reports, films, and presentations are available on this website via the Reports section.

Please click here to download the NET4 Summary Report.

The NET5 programme will run in 2019 and 2020 and details for applicants will be posted in early 2019.

112 nature and cultural heritage professionals from 20 Scottish organisations took part in 14 individually structured courses of 1 week’s duration, with 13 host partners in 11 European countries.

NET4 aimed to equip Scottish professionals in natural and cultural heritage management with the practical skills and knowledge to enhance management of our heritage. The programme aims to connect individuals and organisations within Scotland and to partners and colleagues in Europe.

ARCH coordinates the NET Consortium in Scotland which sets skills training priorities, identifies participants & facilitates dissemination activities. Each consortium member has a NET contact point.
The current NET Consortium members are: Archaeology Scotland, Cairngorms National Park Authority, Earth Building UK & Ireland (EBUKI), The Forestry Commissioners, Historic Environment Scotland, the Institute of Chartered Foresters,the John Muir Trust, Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park, the National Trust for Scotland, Plantlife, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Scottish Countryside Rangers Association (SCRA), Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Scottish Rural Colleges (SRUC), the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Trees for Life, & the Woodland Trust.

Skills Training Priorities: The skills training priorities were set through a consultation exercise which is revised annually.

Species Management: Managing for Single Species & Adaptive Management, Reintroductions & Invasive Species; Habitats,

Landscapes, Protected Areas: Ecosystem Management, Terrestrial Wind Farm Impacts, Economic Development on and near NATURA 2000 sites, Managing for Climate Change, Managing Farmland for Wildlife, Community Land Ownership; Cultural Heritage & Environmental Interpretation, Cultural Heritage Interpretation – increasing and understanding of the value and cultural significance, developing outreach programmes, creating online resources; Developing Business Skills and Models to make Cultural Organisations more financially secure and less dependent on grants; Retaining traditional and cultural skills through training and education, and using them to increase engagement with cultural heritage and conserve collections; Facilitating training and research – supporting and enabling others to research and learn; Increasing social impact through well-managed cultural assets & increasing access for a wider audience –developing opportunities for community engagement and lifelong learning; Balancing volunteers and paid staff in vibrant and sustainable heritage organisations.

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What beguiled me on this trip was that it was evident from every Finnish person I spoke too that they had a deep respect for nature. This included the hunters. Even the predators were an important part of their mythology. For instance, people used to collect the first droppings that a bear produced after hibernation and kept them in a pouch to wear so that they would have the strength of a bear all year. Another indication of this respect was the almost total lack of litter found in natural places which can be a real problem in Scotland. Our student guides just didn’t understand why you would leave rubbish behind. Solo walks in the forest were common and important to people of all ages. My impression was that the Finnish culture still maintained a real connection with nature whilst some urbanisation in Scotland may have severed this connection.

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