Increasing Natural Heritage Resilience

Climate FORTH worked with Stirling and Falkirk Councils and Green Action Trust to demonstrate innovative approaches to managing two urban parks, increasing their climate resilience, wildlife value and value to communities.  This will ultimately help to address  biodiversity loss and demonstrate ways to move towards a net-zero carbon society.

At Rannoch Park (Grangemouth, Falkirk), the works included woodland enhancement, meadow creation, specimen and orchard tree planting, and the creation of new wetland scrapes - plus the introduction of a swale to help alleviate flooding at the park. Picnic benches and native tree planting will improve the park for wildlife and local people, too, when more established.

At Glendevon Drive (Raploch, Stirling) works began in March 2026 to create new meadow areas,  plant specimen and orchard trees, and installation of new picnic benches and shaded areas for hot summer months. It is hoped this will have benefits for wildlife and people who live close to the site. 

We completed community consultations at both sites and received 93 consultation responses in total. We undertook the consultation online, door-to-door, using flyers and posters to promote and reach as many locals as possible. We also took part in a consultation event at Rannoch Park with community bulb planting.

Communities were consulted on the design proposals to make each green space more climate resilient and useful to them. Feedback on the proposals included other suggestions from community members on how to make the greenspaces more useful and resilient. 

Our thanks go to the communities for all of their responses and patience whilst these works were carried out. 

We hope this activity – together with Climate FORTH activity Increasing Historic Heritage Resilience – will demonstrate how heritage can be used to facilitate a just transition, how it can support local resilience and be an integral part to the green recovery.