Skye Climate Action’s “Creative Climate Conversation”

By Roz Birch

We started the workshop exploring the success and achievements of Skye Climate Action, especially appreciating the amazing work and impact of members, groups and climate activities that had been achieved throughout Lockdown and in spite of living through the pandemic.

Everyone was invited to share a personal story about Skye Climate Action and what it has meant to them. The Word Cloud summarises just some of the key themes and words that many of us shared. The care, connection and solidarity of being part of a climate action community were all said to be vital for sustaining personal hope in these difficult and uncertain times.

The workshop also inspired a wide range of aspirations for 2021, which I have summarised here under five key themes. We hope these ‘visions’ and ‘actions’ for 2021 inspire and catalyse more connecting through our climate action work together.

Food Growing

1.     Supporting everyone growing through:

• Knowledge Sharing
• Top Tips – Best crops for different areas and climates of the area
• Growing/Harvest Mapping – Some way to show where people are growing and knowing what crops are being grown nearby.
• Growers Marketplace – Seed Bank, Seedling Swops/Exchanges, Gatherings (post-lockdown) as a ‘market’ of growers and makers using local halls.

2.     Broadford Growers Hub – could this model be extended to a couple of other places on Skye?
3.     Inspiration to develop a local food economy and food security plans.

Connecting to Local, Regional and National Action

1. Continue collaborating with Groups across Highlands and Islands, and sustain our relationships with Highland Council and other regional organisations
2. Contributing to the Skye Development Plan
3. Joining campaigns to shape climate action – Divestment from Fossil Fuels across Scotland.
4. Using the Climate Féis as Skye Climate Action’s contribution to feed into COP26.

Care of Places

Supporting a sense of care for our immediate place and surroundings (in the absence of Highland Council funds for litter picking, can we look after roadsides, beaches, shores and other areas?):

• Adopt a layby / Adopt a road section – Mapping patches that are being cared for
• Keep Britain Tidy – ‘Big Spring Clean’ weekend May – June.
• Raise awareness – local press? signs?

Connecting People

Sustain and continue zoom gatherings, Skye Climate Action events , projects and identify ways of connecting people. How can we know what’s going on across the Island?

• Community Mapping – pin drop maps with activities, projects and groups
• Apps to help communicate and co-ordinate resources and exchanges? Growers App? Reuse/Rehome App?

Communication and Sharing Knowledge

1. West Highland Free Press – see if different groups, activities and people from Skye Climate Action can enter articles or press releases about their work. Use the monthly feature to really showcase excellent projects and ideas.
2. Using mapping, Apps, spreading the word across more groups to engage with more people across the community – Outreach events.