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People and nature: learning through doing GalGael Trust action research project 1

The GalGael Trust

Reclaiming Heritage

People and nature: learning through doing

Action research programme

March 2011


“The modern culture of today is isolating people from their heritage - sitting in the house watching TV, children on computers and all the time children not being allowed to play in the dirt and mud. People don’t seem to be as close to nature as before.” - GalGael volunteer

People and nature: learning through doing was an action research

programme which aimed to identify successful approaches to involving

people from excluded and disadvantaged groups in enjoying, learning

about and caring for nature. Action research is often defined as research

done of and by a particular group of people, rather than on and to them –

with the aim of increasing understanding and achieving change.

Six community and voluntary sector groups took part in the programme,

each undertaking their own action research project to explore what could

help people from a range of backgrounds and circumstances to get closer

to nature – and the benefits they experienced when they did.

The programme was supported by Scottish Natural Heritage and Scottish

Community Development Centre and ran from Autumn 2009 until Spring

2011.


People and nature: learning through doing

The Galgael Trust

Executive summary

Involvement in the ‘People and nature: learning through doing’ action research project has provided the GalGael Trust with a valuable opportunity to examine how important it is for people coming from deprived areas like Govan to engage with the natural world.

The focus groups and questionnaires we used through the research process highlighted the benefits to mental and physical health, identity and general well being of people and their communities through gaining some respite from the confines and oppressiveness often experienced in the urban environment.

Concentrating on three main areas -‐ Access, Health and Culture, a clear picture emerged from the testimonies of our respondents; the overwhelming majority derive a wide variety of benefits from engaging with nature.

While confirming much of what we had previously observed, we also learned more about the barriers and enablers regarding access to nature as experienced by those who attend GalGael.

We learned more about some of the effects of exclusion from meaningful connection with natural and cultural heritage and how this can impact negatively on personal identity and behaviour. We also learned more about the fact that, for some in deprived areas, exclusion is connected to issues like poor health or even substance abuse when lives spiral out of control due to lack of meaning. While this is only a part of the problem, offering people a chance to get out and about in the landscape can go a long way to helping them retrieve a sense of connection and meaning.

From what we witness through our work at GalGael, many people from Govan still feel a strong sense of community, possibly passed down from the people from rural communities who populated Govan for work on the industrial Clyde. We are also aware of the fact that getting out of the city into natural landscapes has helped reconnect many of the people we work with to their cultural heritage and the stories they are a part of.


We hope that the findings from our research will support and inform the work we presently do and assist us in continuing to improve the services we provide. We also hope that the evidence we have gathered will inspire others to look at how we can find more ways of engaging people who experience poverty from urban areas with their natural heritage for the mutual advantage of people and place.

“Orcuan” sailing the West Coast. Crewed by GalGael Participants.


1. Introduction

Since our inception, the GalGael Trust have incorporated into our work a recognition that lack of contact with nature has a detrimental effect on people on a number of levels. The effect is often greater in areas where high unemployment is prevalent and where living on benefits or a low wage often restricts people from venturing out of the city to enjoy Scotland’s rich natural heritage.

The effect is often exacerbated in instances where lives become more chaotic due to substance abuse and addiction with obvious impacts on physical and mental health. Govan is an area once populated by a workforce often cleared from rural areas or lured to the city by the promise of employment in connection with the shipyards and big industry. They often brought with them strong values of community and a sense of resilience learned through dealing with the hardships of living in isolated areas. The names of places they came from live on in the many street names in Govan reminding us of their Gaelic origins; Uist Street, Golspie Street, Luath Street and so on.

Learning to appreciate and relate to the landscape and spending time in the elements are well known catalysts for not only health and healing but for rebuilding a sense of identity contributing to better citizenship. We would add to this an understanding that people often find the space to experience a spirituality that is difficult to find within the confines of the urban environment. The benefits of more engagement with nature could yield a wider social return through reduced contact with health professionals or addiction agencies and the criminal justice system. In GalGael’s experience this is brought about by an increase in personal motivation and confidence contributing to a greater sense of responsibility, personal dignity and positive identity. While there are many benefits arising from the work they undertake at the benches in our workshop, our range of weekly excursions and farm trips have left us in no doubt that there is a huge need among our participant group to connect with nature and the kind of benefits outlined above.

“I have always loved nature and enjoy coming to GalGael because I can relate to people on that level.”


The GalGael workshop in Fairley Street, Ibrox.


2. About GalGael

GalGael are situated in the former ship building area of Govan, an area of Glasgow, which lost 95% of the jobs related to the ship building industry between 1951 and 2001. While the local shipyard still carries out contracts for the Royal Navy, it seems that this creates little local employment compared to its heyday when the shipbuilding industry was by far the biggest employer locally. Many people in Govan have now become so distanced from the workplace that it would seem there is no way back, with some families who have in many cases experienced three generations of unemployment.

The loss of local industry has left a legacy of poverty and economic injustice while opening the door to high rates of crime, addiction and homelessness that plague communities like Govan. In fact, South West Glasgow neighbourhoods feature significantly on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2006 in crime, health, unemployment and addiction. This picture has changed but little in the more recently published 2009 SIMD. This is supported by data cited in the Glasgow Centre for Population Health’s Health and Wellbeing Profile for South West Glasgow in February 2008. Hospital admissions for drug abuse in the South West Glasgow Community Health Care Partnership area are 205% above the national average, and 193% above for alcohol abuse. In Ibrox, where our workshop is situated, the rates of alcohol admission are 338% higher than the Scottish average and South West Glasgow has the third lowest life expectancy in Scotland. These statistics are a harsh reality played out daily on the streets of Govan and a constant of life in our community.

Those arriving through GalGael’s doors simply wish to get some meaning back into their lives. Reconvening with cultural heritage through engaging with Scotland’s outstanding wealth of beautiful natural places is a powerful catalyst for change in folk who feel excluded from it.

GalGael, through our various activities strive to redress the balance by facilitating the fullest expression of life. We challenge the very notion that nature is “something other” that is disconnected from our daily lives and culture. Our activities serve to remind us that we are indeed part of nature and that we rely on it on many levels.


“GalGael - that’s just been quality man, changed my whole outlook on (life) as well. My social worker told me about GalGael years ago, I was too busy getting stoned and steaming to bother my arse, then I saw them on Secret Millionaire. GalGael are really welcoming and I want to use the skills I’m learning to be a farrier.”

What do GalGael do? Through our activities we provide unique opportunities for people to reconnect with the cultural and natural heritage of Scotland to assist them in building a renewed sense of identity and willingness to be a positive citizen. Last year (2009 – 2010) 65 people completed our 12-‐week Navigate Life course with 45 receiving SVQ qualifications. Of these participants, 77% had backgrounds of multiple deprivations, 60% of which were unemployed for over three years. As well as working with course participants we also offer space for volunteers, many retired or made redundant from industry. Our volunteers are happy to offer mentorship, support and share skills in the supportive environment that is the GalGael workshop. It is a model that replicates much of the old apprenticeship system and other even more traditional structures.

In our workshop we offer a creative, mutually supportive learning environment where people not only reclaim the work ethic but become involved in a wider learning experience that makes them more resilient and resourceful to embrace responsibility for themselves.

“I was in a real bad depression for seven months before coming to GalGael and I’m feeling better already - a far better person.” What is the impact of the work of GalGael? Through traditional crafts, boat building, sailing trips, excursions and fashioning natural materials into beautiful objects, people left on the scrapheap of unemployment learn to carve out a living, forge a positive identity and weave back into the fabric of their community. The Navigate Life course builds on personal capacity to deal with life’s ups and downs as well as raising work skills and personal skills towards employability. And while it is recognized that jobs are scarce, many leave our project with a willingness to take on potential work and other further education opportunities that they would not have considered before.


One individual, who completed GalGael’s Navigate Life course, says:

“I was on heroin when I started here but having something positive and useful to do and being with a mixed group of people who didn’t focus on my problems really helped me come off it all together. I was still on methodone when I left GalGael but seven months later I am totally clean. I want to go back and keep working at GalGael and help others who are struggling.”

GalGael started life in the mid-‐nineties as an environmental campaign group formed by residents of a deprived area of South West Glasgow. The camp that was set up in Pollok not only challenged the building of a motorway (M77 extension) to protect an important natural habitat – for people and wildlife alike, but also highlighted the importance of the natural environment for an area like Pollok. GalGael was founded on that initial spark of individuals coming together from different backgrounds, building shelters, making fires, growing and cooking food, creating art and engaging in inspirational dialogue. While the campaign to stop the motorway in itself was not successful, those involved learned many skills including how to make community in a difficult space, how to take responsibility and articulate our concerns. We created GalGael as a vehicle to take forward what we’d learned and to move from being about what we didn’t want to what we did want.

Today, those walking through the door of our reception area and into our workshop space in Govan invariably comment on the welcoming atmosphere and the creative energy that pervades the building itself. We believe that this reaction to the space can be attributed to being surrounded by natural materials and an environment created by people who simply enjoying working in a friendly atmosphere of mutual support. In today’s consumerist and often-‐individualistic culture, we seemed to have drifted from our harmonious relationships with each other and with nature, with the majority of the population living in cities or large towns, which for many also means a reduced connection to rural spaces.

GalGael are probably best known for building and sailing boats, though the main body of our work goes on at the benches in our workshop with our course participants and volunteers.


As part of our twelve-‐week Navigate Life course we take unemployed adults on regular Friday excursions to places of cultural or natural interest while the rest of the week they undertake to complete a certificated course in basic woodwork. We also offer opportunities for course participants to spend a few days working up at our farmhouse near Loch Awe where they can chop firewood and plant trees. In the summer months there is the chance to get on the water on Orcuan, our West Highland galley. Its ancient design helps to reconnect folk with our ancestors on some of the most beautiful lochs and seascapes in the world. It is the perfect example of the “rite of passage” dynamic of our work where challenges posed by the natural world offers the opportunity to test both our strengths and our limitations.

Our staff regularly witness that on returning from a trip, our participants display an exuberance they did not embark with. Eyes reflect the uplifted spirit. Excited conversation and even improved posture are visual evidence of the inspiration provided by reconnecting with the elements. Generally, we see a huge improvement in overall wellbeing of many of our Navigate Life participants as a result of this connection. Similar empirical evidence leave us in little doubt that these experiences are beneficial not only in terms of health, but in ways that contribute to the individuals social, cultural and spiritual capital and fulfil a deep need.


3. The research proposal

GalGael have for some time sought a suitable opportunity to explore the benefits arising from areas of it’s work that enable engagement with nature. Much can be gleaned from the experiences and thoughts of our participants and volunteers who join us on our regular Friday excursions or have a few days of working at Barmaddy, a farmhouse we have leased from the Forestry Commission in Argyll.

The people we work with are long term unemployed adults, some dealing with addiction, homelessness and mental health issues. Others of our participants are students who are between studying and employment. It’s a rich mix where new social norms are formed, mutual support and peer led activity takes place and work is the focus rather than the problematic issues.

The Action Research project, ‘People and nature: learning through doing’ with Scottish Natural Heritage and Scottish Community Development Centre, was the ideal opportunity to explore these issues more fully to find out exactly what works in engaging socially disadvantaged communities from Glasgow with their natural and cultural heritage.

The action research focussed on people from within the GalGael community and particularly engaged with people who are disadvantaged by their personal, social and geographical background. We also focussed on people among this group dealing with long-‐term unemployment, poor mental and physical health, addictions, crime and those from backgrounds who have less opportunity to engage with the natural world.


Largs - on a Friday GalGael group excursion.


4. Research Process and Methods

Focus groups and questionnaires were the main research methods used in this enquiry. Focus groups were felt to be appropriate in that they provide an open framework for discussion and highlight key areas of people’s opinions and viewpoints. We began with an outdoor round-‐the-‐fire session involving staff, volunteers and participants from GalGael to identify what would be the most appropriate questions for the focus group.

The focus groups themselves provided a context for honest sharing and straight talking while not requiring that quotes be attributed to individuals. Two focus groups were held in February 2011; Pollok Park around a camp fire and also in GalGael’s premises. Each session involved approximately twelve people from GalGael’s Navigate Life participants and volunteers. GalGael staff, at the former protest site near Pollok Park facilitated the discussions with input from storyteller Alasdair Taylor. The groups were mainly comprised of men of working age and a couple of women similar to the ratio of those who attend Navigate Life. While the course is equally open to men and women, we find more males are referred to us by outside agencies and because much of our activity is based around traditional work activities associated with males. We recorded the focus groups on video camera , primarily as a way of capturing evidence. However, we felt that the quality of heartfelt discussion by the participants was such that we decided to produce a DVD as an effective way of sharing our findings with others.

Focus groups were complemented by the development of a questionnaire with a mix of closed and open questions. This was distributed to participants, volunteers and others who attend our Thursday evening gatherings and to the LEGUP community garden volunteers in Govan. We distributed 30 questionnaires and received 30 returns due to our ongoing contact with those involved. Of those, 43% were GalGael volunteers 40% were Navigate Life participants and 17% were other.


GalGael action research focus group at the former protest site near Pollok Park.


5. Research Results

Using the ‘action research’ approach proved to be an ideal process to help us gather and gauge the valuable thoughts and experiences of our participants and how they feel about their relationship with nature. In particular we were keen to find out what helps or hinders them from engaging with it. We plan to use the findings to offer our participants improved and more meaningful opportunities to engage with the natural world. Our hope is that the findings will also help to raise awareness among other agencies and groups of issues that hinder or enable access to the natural environment and the impacts this has on community and individual well being.

The results of the research portray a very clear picture around three main themes; Access, Health and Culture, and are reinforced by some powerful testimonies from our respondents. Findings from both the focus groups and the questionnaire highlighted that there are many different barriers to people engaging in and enjoying the outdoors. The most significant barriers and enablers have been set out below, supported by quotes extracted from the focus groups and questionnaire.

(See Appendix for full results of the questionnaire.)

GalGael excursion to “The Whangie” - between Glasgow and Loch Lomond.


5.1 Access: Barriers and Enablers

“Money? Where to go? Where am I allowed to go?”

Access is a significant issue in supporting disadvantaged communities to tap in to the well-‐documented benefits of engagement with the natural world. Our action research found that there are a range of barriers and enablers, which are not just financial.

Money and Transport

“I would like the opportunity to go fishing, sailing, canoeing and other activities. Unfortunately, these things cost money which I don’t have.”

“Ye need hunners of dosh to get out to nature.”

Many people from poorer backgrounds have difficulty in accessing natural areas due to lack of finances or transport. From the findings of the questionnaire only 23% of respondents owned a car, walking and cycling were reported by many (43% and 40%) as their means of getting to places to enjoy nature and the outdoors. This often restricts them to local green spaces they can access, mainly parks and 90% of our respondents named this as a place they went to enjoy nature. Accessing more wild spaces further afield, where it could be argued a deeper quality of experience may be had, throws up issues in terms of money and transport. 57% of respondents said that more money would help them get out and enjoy nature more regularly.

“I would like to get further away from the city but I can’t afford the travel and don’t drive.”

Public transport was shown to be one of the means of travel (47% train and 43% bus) in accessing wild spaces – and 27% said that better public transport would help them do this more -‐ although this can be comparatively expensive in itself.

Interestingly 80% of respondents said they go to rivers and 77% to woodlands, to enjoy the outdoors. These could present a low cost, accessible option and there may be opportunities to link in to networks such as the Glasgow and Clyde Valley Green Network in exploring what opportunities they are already offering or potentially could offer.


Company

Less expected as a barrier than lack of money, was the lack of someone to go with.

“I would like to do the West Highland Way but lack of money and no-one to do it with.”

47% said in the questionnaire that not having someone to go with was the second highest barrier after money, indicating that the social aspect was an important factor to almost half of our respondents. Digging deeper, this is an indictor of the fragmented social networks of many of our participant group and largely an experience echoed through out more deprived neighbourhoods. Companionship is clearly an important part of experience in spending time outdoors regardless of your background. This perceived barrier is most likely also linked to confidence and there is undoubtedly reassurance and safety considerations in accessing the outdoors with others.

(See Appendix for full results.)

Safety

Where public parks are available there are often issues around litter, territorialism and antisocial behaviour which some regard as a barrier to enjoying natural spaces in urban areas.

“Some Glasgow Parks are full of rubbish and anti-social behaviour. It stops me taking my children to parks and wild parts as there re often needles and condoms.”

“People are scared in parks. Cameras everywhere, but no park rangers. People feel safer with park rangers, don’t want people drinking and swearing in front of their kids.”

Clearly this indicates that parks especially in low-‐ income communities, offer less of the potential benefits of other outdoors and more natural spaces. Parks are often venues for gang violence, drinking etc, and many of the social issues that our participant group are seeking to escape or seek respite from. Some associate camping with a drinking session that can mean that safety becomes an issue outside of the city too. Again this adds another possible barrier to the kind of positive benefits that can be gained when the quality of the outdoor experience is not impacted on by these kinds of


considerations. Another option for the urban dweller to engage with nature is through community gardens and these seem to be springing up in various bits of spare ground around Glasgow. 40% of our respondents said that they did access nature through local food growing initiatives though this high rate is probably due to members of LEGUP being involved in the research. The rise in food growing initiatives such as LEGUP may be a valuable opportunity to observe how those involved benefit in terms of improved physical and mental health through being more active and improved nutrition by eating fresh food. Other benefits have been noted. Community gardens are wonderful social spaces, are ecologically viable through localising food produce and by recycling and create a venue where people can learn more about nature and in turn appreciate natural heritage as a whole.

“(We need) more green spaces and wildlife gardens within cities, community gardens. It’s good to go into the countryside too but we need these in cities.”

“Unemployed people or people with addiction, mental health problems, OAP’s or people with children who have had no access and unaware how to enjoy green spaces.”

Rights of Access On the wider front, some are unsure of their rights of access to natural areas. A low cost way for people from low-‐income communities to get outdoors is by wild camping and fishing. Another advantage to this option is that these activities are part of an existing cultural tradition in poorer communities in Glasgow. But recent changes in laws may have left some unsure of where they are and where they are not allowed to go.

“I would love to learn more about public rights of access in terms of camping, fishing.”

Fishing permits and campsites are not an option because of the cost involved. This limits opportunity to engage in these activities and encroaches on the areas where wild fishing and camping may be enjoyed without the worry of falling on the wrong side of the law.


Information

Our findings illustrated that many who took part in the research were unsure of where to visit in order to engage with the natural environment or did not have the knowledge to interpret what they were looking at in order to get the best out of it. 40% said more information on where to go and how to get there would help them and 37% related that more information on access rights would be helpful towards getting them out to enjoy nature more often. In terms of more fully understanding nature to get more out of it, 14% said that information on how to understand and interpret nature would be beneficial.

“You don’t know what you are looking at, the heritage of it, so for someone to explain it to you - you would enjoy it better.”

Intergenerational Aspect

Passing on acquired knowledge of nature proved to be an important aspect of intergenerational relations.

“The more you know, the more you do it and the more you can pass it on to your kids and grandkids. You take everything for granted until you start learning about things then it opens your eyes.”

Sharing the experience of positive challenges in the natural environment with family and friends benefits in the form of greater affirmation and sense of worth for individuals as well as bonding the group as a whole. It also contributes to a feeling of being more resilient and capable of handling different challenges arising from changes in life circumstances. This is shown in our survey, with 47% rating “sense of achievement” as a benefit derived from such activities as hill walking, cycling, sailing etc in the natural environment, with 27% saying it increased their confidence.

“Fondest memory - caravan holiday with my son, I’ve seen it on the telly, but to see it above you... a golden eagle. That was amazing, a pure bit of magic just flying about the sky.”

This kind of direct experience of nature connects us to “bigger than self” concerns and leads us to care for the natural world in ways that are deeper than more traditional, authoritarian or institutionalised methods. Beyond this, an experience of this kind and the memory of


it, give us positive frames of reference for the stories that describe and frame our lives.

“Many years ago, your mother was in the house so when your father was working you could go away for the day. Can’t do that now, both parents working so the kids aren’t getting the same enjoyment. Parents don’t have the time.”

This testimony hints at a further barrier in the form of time constraints and the importance of good family structures in accompanying children into nature and putting in place life patterns that can last for many years.

“I’ve never really been, I love nature and all that but just not enough of it close by to where we are. You need to know where to go, to travel to. Most people don’t go to parks because of gang culture, people are scared to go to parks.”

This comment picks up on the need for information, to know where to travel to in the first place. It also reinforces the earlier point of safety presenting a barrier particularly in regard to local parks.

Information for those in low-‐income communities seems to be a real issue and there would seem to be little material designed for the particular needs and constraints of this participant group. Good quality, highly accessible information presented in a clear format could help people identify suitable destinations within the confines of the public transport networks or suggesting alternative means such as cycling. It could also interpret the natural and cultural heritage so adding to the quality of the experience.


Digging up tatties at Barmaddy Farmhouse, Argyll.

5.2 Health: Mental and Physical

Through our regular GalGael excursions, we often witness how connection with nature through colours, sounds, smells, textures in a woodland or meadow can have a calming effect on people whose senses are usually assaulted by the sights and sounds of city life. For millennia, much of human activity, like work, community or family life, has taken place in the natural environment and it is only relatively recently in human history we have seen a shift to densely populated urban areas, often to our physical and mental detriment. The effect is typically worse in deprived neighbourhoods with dense populations, less access to garden space and few suitable natural spaces. The results from both questionnaires and focus groups evidenced the positive impact that engaging with the outdoors has on both our physical and mental health. In fact, all respondents stated that they enjoyed nature.

“I can’t do without it (nature) - I get depressed as fuck. When I come out and do shit like this it gives me a wee lift.”


While the language is earthy, this testimony is a powerful expression of the impact that being outdoors has on people’s mental health. Ninety percent of respondents said that getting out in the natural environment has a beneficial impact on their mental wellbeing.

“Every time I go away I come back refreshed, fitter. Often when away I don’t smoke at all. It’s amazing.”

As you would expect, time spent outdoors has a direct impact on people’s physical health; 83% of respondents felt this to be the case. This statement captures the ways in which many of the health benefits of being outdoors are mutually reinforcing. Physical health impacts positively on mental health and reducing the need for unhealthy habits.

“To feel the perfect night again. Dark, warm, no clouds. On the shore of a lake, the water is flat calm. Fishing line is in the water. The fire is going - the tent is up.”

This comment, which captures almost poetically the outdoors experience, could be interpreted as an indication of the ways in which time spent in the natural world inspires creativity and self expression and GalGael participants regularly feel the urge to write heartfelt words about trips into nature.

“...felt like I was on holiday – away from the city.”

“Peace of mind, relaxation from daily life, exercise.”

“It is essential that people engage with nature and the great outdoors for their own physical and mental wellbeing, as well as for the wider society as life cycles can be learned.”

Comments such as these indicate that many of our participants have highly sophisticated understanding of issues at a societal level. It is important to remember that living in a poor area does not mean that there is a lack of understanding of these wider issues. On the contrary, it can sometimes be that this depth of understanding and need for connection contributes to depression and other issues such alcoholism.

“Went to the farm (Barmaddy) for four days and came back a different person.”


The benefits of getting out into the natural world and in particular the health implications of these benefits are highlighted in the results from the questionnaire. Respondents clearly saw mental wellbeing (90%), relaxation (90%) and physical health (83%) as the main benefits. Interestingly a significant proportion also saw “feeling part of nature / connectedness” as an important benefit (67%), closely linked to spiritual fulfilment (63%). These have clear links to mental health and a general sense of wellbeing, as does sense of achievement, with 47% seeing this as a benefit. This picks up on the “rites of passage” dynamic GalGael explore through their work; providing ideal opportunities for people to test their strengths and limits. This is thoughtfully described in the testimony below.

“I had a bike with a wee bogie behind with a few things in it, a couple of cans, to go to Barrhead Dams - trout fly rod fishing. Just as the sun was going down around 6 or seven o’clock at night the fish started jumping, went flat calm, no clouds, dark sky, felt great, cooked fish there and then. Uncertainty in going, didn’t know how it would turn out. Before I got up there, didn’t know how it was going to turn out but when I was coming home the following morning around 8 o’clock, felt sad. I wanted to stay- a voice inside saying ”stay, stay” another one saying “got to go.”


A small sample of the harvest from Elderpark community food garden, Linthouse, Govan.

5.3 Culture: Identity and Stories

Scotland has a unique natural and cultural heritage, which is part of our story as Scots regardless of ethnic origin. Engaging with these stories helps us build a positive identity that transcends narrow forms of nationalism and is particularly welcomed by people whose world stretches little further than the few blocks of their neighbourhood. The findings show that respondents particularly value the connection to heritage and culture that comes from engaging with the landscape around them; 50% rated “learning about cultural heritage” as a benefit of their outdoor experiences.

“It has given me more of a connection with Scotland’s history and culture. I have always enjoyed Scotland’s great outdoors.”


GalGael’s observations indicate that many of those we work with experience a sense of rootlessness. As a result our work is based on the belief that a sense of place is important to people’s sense of self. Engaging in our natural and cultural heritage can bring meaning and a range of positive benefits, as these testimonials show.

“It has been a tremendous thing for me - to achieve the knowledge of our history and culture here in Scotland.”

“It has made me more aware of how much Scotland has lost over the centuries.”

Clearly, a sense of history and the impact it has had on the landscapes around us holds importance for people. Our experience has shown that far from fuelling narrow expressions of nationalism that it makes a significant contribution to self-‐respect. From this position comes real capacity for respect and care for others, their cultures and for our natural surroundings.

“GalGael has instilled in me a desire to engage and learn as much as possible about nature and diverse landscapes.”

“I have always loved Scotland, from the green rolling hills of the Lowlands to the majestic mountains of the North. GalGael has re-kindled my interests.”


Chopping wood - or “anger management” - at Barmaddy Farmhouse.

“It is our birthright.”

At the outset, we were aware of the historical and political backdrop to many of the barriers people experience in accessing Scotland’s natural heritage. As we went through the research process, gathering peoples views, it became a recurring issue expressed by many of those who participated in the focus groups and filled in the questionnaires.

This seemed to be a particularly emotive issue for people on low incomes or unemployment benefit can find it dificult to access large swathes of land that some see as their birthright. The findings of this research would indicate that the pattern of land ownership in Scotland is an important issue for many and some resented exclusion from that which they feel they have a stake in.

“I have the view that we are not allowed to do anything, fish in our own lochs, camp or hunt. It’s our country and we are not allowed to do anything in our own country.”


The structure of land ownership is an issue for people from areas of Scotland where levels of home ownership is already low, leaving many with the feeling they do no have a stake in their own nation. The experience of exploring the outdoors is often one where they are told to “Get off my land.” As the testimonies indicate this directly contributes to the sense of there being “no place” for them and that the great outdoors is “not for them”. This appears to at times create a cultural barrier. Changes at a political level through the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 do not appear to have trickled down to changes in the experience for people from low income communities.

“The issue of ownership of Scotland’s natural heritage is a big issue for me. Some people claim ownership to land that is not actually theirs e.g. moving fences further out to gain more land then telling people you are not allowed to walk there. We are from and indigenous culture, we have a right to access the land.”


6. Key findings: What have we learned

The findings of the action research not only shed new light on some areas of GalGael’s work but also helped to stress the importance or relevance of some of our methods and practices in providing experiences for our participants and volunteers to engage with nature.

Access

“Money? Where to go? Where am I allowed to go?”

We were surprised to find that almost half of the respondents (47%) felt that having “no one to go with” was a significant barrier to enjoying natural spaces. More obvious barriers such as finances (57%) or transport (27%) may have previously obscured this factor. The research figures supported our assumption that these were important barriers, which is helpful in justifying the continuation of our regular Friday excursions and visits to Barmaddy Farmhouse and informing the future direction of our activities.

The study has also revealed that as children 60% of respondents went to the countryside with their families but now found it difficult as adults. Unfortunately, we were not able to find out why this might be within the scope of this study, though it does suggest that inherited habits are not the issue.

Accessing local parks does not often deliver the same range or depths of benefits as wilder natural spaces due to urban problems often spilling over into the parks themselves, especially territorialism and anti-‐social drinking. One concern might be that this negative experience could colour perceptions of green spaces more generally where people have a tendency to feel out of their comfort zone anyway.

The research findings were particularly helpful in assisting our understanding of the needs of our participant group in accessing the natural world and the factors the help or hinder their engagement. This will be important in designing future projects and services.

To pick up on the barrier presented by lack of company, this could take the form of a notice board to put those looking to set up a camping or fishing trip in touch with others and linking people in to green volunteering opportunities where there is assistance with travel as well as it being a group activity.


To recognise that lack of information is also a barrier, a possible project to address this could be involving our participant groups in the production of a map or booklet with accessible text that clearly set out; how to get there, with information including public transport, cycle routes, access rights, and some interpretation of the natural and cultural heritage they can expect to see.

Health

The health benefits of engaging with nature have been well documented. Our findings strongly indicated that engaging with nature makes a very positive impact on the health and well being of people from low-‐income communities, with 90% of our respondents stating mental wellbeing as a benefit. Again, 90% also related that they derived a sense of peace and relaxation when escaping from the city into the countryside with 83% stipulating the positive effects on physical health. Our findings also indicate a high degree of awareness among our respondents of the health benefits both physical and mental that they find in spending time in the outdoors.

These high percentages help support methodologies GalGael have been exploring based on the thinking of Max Neef on fundamental human need. Max Neef’s theory suggests that some human behaviour, such as addiction and substance abuse are “pseudo-‐satisfiers” and are employed as flawed strategies to meet basic needs for instance – an escape from reality often found in spiritual experiences. Seeking connection with nature would be a better strategy. This would synergistically meet many needs as indicated by the range of benefits that are derived from time spent through real connection with the natural world.

Culture

One of the main tenets of GalGael’s work is the belief that our cultural and historical heritage is woven through Scotland’s landscapes in both subtle and complex ways. Our natural spaces loom large in the nations history, and while these landscapes can be enjoyed in their own right, the scenery itself is often intertwined with the stories of our ancestors and they way they lived. The movement of populations, often uprooted and moved into the cities to provide labour for industries that no longer exist has left a legacy of unemployment and


meaninglessness. From GalGael’s experience, we have seen how rebuilding this connection with cultural and natural heritage can help reshape battered identities and give individuals, as our founder Colin Macleod called it, a “wider sense of territory”.

“It’s good to get connected to the land, value yourself among all of nature. I feel free, I feel healthier.”

Our findings showed that 50% felt that learning about our cultural heritage was an important benefit that they gain from engaging with nature, though many had difficulty accessing important historical landscapes and the wider countryside and in finding the right information to interpret what they see.

While 43% said they regularly engage with nature, much of this engagement seems to be in parks (90%) or public gardens (43%) as opposed to wild spaces. As explored above, these inner city green spaces do not have the same capacity for delivering the wide range of benefits that can be found in more natural landscapes.

GalGael has often stressed the importance of “positive rites of passage.” These are personal challenges that improve your status among your peers or community. They can however, often come in negative forms. Committing a crime for instance may increase your standing within a group whose values are on that level.

47% of our respondents related that they felt a real sense of achievement from getting out into the natural environment. And sharing the experience of these activities with others was also an important element as mentioned earlier.

The research findings help to confirm that once accessed, the natural landscape is a perfect context for pursuing activities that facilitate greater physical and mental health and personal growth on many levels.


7. Conclusions: Where do we go from here?

The findings from our involvement in ‘People and nature: learning through doing’, have provided us with valuable insights from the people we work with that will help GalGael enhance and develop much of the work we presently do. Being involved in the process has confirmed to us that finding ways to connect urban and rural areas in more meaningful ways is an extremely worthwhile and exciting field of work.

We set out to explore what works in engaging socially disadvantaged communities in their natural and cultural heritage. We found that there were barriers to this engagement that we had not anticipated. Our evidence shows that there is a very real and deep need for the majority of those involved in the research project to access and enjoy the benefits of engaging with the natural world.

“Understanding the environment and how it works, also learning how to respect nature.”

These findings can be understood in a wider socio-‐political context. At the present time, with the current economic crisis and ecological degradation often making headline news, there is renewed interest in resilience and localism is high on the political agenda. The findings begin to suggest that learning more about nature and our surroundings can empower people from deprived urban areas to take more control of their own futures. Rebuilding people’s relationship with the natural world leads to awakening and informing people’s “bigger than self” concerns which can lead to other forms of democratic participation.

There seems to be more political will to support urban food growing initiatives and perhaps this would yield a more positive experience and benefits than those found currently in local parks. Looking at the even wider ecological context would appear to suggest that change is required at a paradigm shift scale. Potentially, these changes will require society to look at how it lives, what it consumes, how much waste it creates. These kind of changes will require a monumental shift in values and some of the findings suggest that engaging with nature is an important part of reshaping values, away from consumer and leisure culture towards finding ways of having a quality way of life that is in right relationship to the earth. And not only for the more educated sections of society, but also for those who have often been left outside of the debate due to lack of education or apathy.


Within the limits of this piece of action research we have made some interesting discoveries about what enables and what hinders people from low-‐income communities to engage with nature. However, we were also aware that these findings feed in to and are might be of some use to broader research questions such as:

• Better access to nature for improved health and wellbeing could lead to savings for the NHS and greater social return on investment for the plethora of agencies who support those treated for addiction and mental health?

• Could we make available more healthy green spaces within our urban areas and make them more liveable by cultivating community gardens and areas such as educational green spaces for folk to live and work in?

• When we speak of our connection to natural heritage and it’s benefits, should we also consider that the same spaces are often part of our cultural heritage too and that both are often intertwined? If so, should we be exploring more opportunities to reconvene with our wider heritage especially for those who suffer from being disconnected from it?

• And, would our natural spaces benefit from more people learning how to interpret and respect them whether in urban or rural situations?

• Do patterns of land ownership in Scotland exclude many of its citizens from what they see as their birthright? Can perceptions of this as a barrier be addressed?

What we have learned sheds more light on the myriad of benefits that people from low-‐income communities can gain from engaging and being part of nature.

If geography is the mother of history, we must reclaim our stories from the land, reconnect and learn from our ancestors. We must learn from the past to fully embrace the future. Cultural heritage is often intertwined with natural heritage like a strand of DNA and we would argue that the findings of this research show that they should not be separated. This artificial separation could be said to contribute to the commodification of land and people as was evidenced by the wholesale clearances of people from Scotland’s rural areas into urban areas like Govan for cheap industrial labour.


Thrice blighted by clearance, long-‐term unemployment and pervasive drug culture in the community, Govan must seek new ways of defining it’s future for coming generations.

The best hope for Govanites to empower themselves in the 21st century may be the nurturing of a resourcefulness and resilience that is best learned by observing, appreciating, and working in harmony with nature and using natural resources wisely. Even within a former industrial heartland. If this is to happen then having evidence of the negative experiences that manifest when people from marginalised communities are excluded from nature such as those contained in this report will become extremely important.

“People are part of the land, the land is part of the people. Without people on the land, the land is nothing.”


Project team and acknowledgements

Galgael Staff and volunteers.

Tam McGarvey, Seumas MacKinnon, Gehan Macleod, Alison McLaren, Heather McMahon, Alan Torrance, Flora McPherson.

Alasdair Taylor from Scottish Story Telling.

Film, Catherine Weir.

Thanks to Elaine Macintosh from Scottish Natural Heritage & Kate McHendry from Scottish Community Development Centre for supporting us through the ‘People and nature: learning through doing’ research.

Also Clackmannanshire Disability Awareness Group for use of their ‘Learning through doing’ questionnaire as a template.

Appendices

A Results of the Questionnaire B Additional quotes from Focus Groups and Questionnaire C Focus Group discussion guide D Regular destinations for GalGael Friday excursions E Questionnaire


Appendix A Results of the Questionnaire

What groups were involved?

• 43% GalGael volunteers • 40% GalGael Nav. Life Course Participants • 17% Other

Do you Enjoy Nature/ Out doors?

• 100% Yes

Q 1.Where do you go to enjoy nature and the outdoors?

• 90% Local park or open space • 80% River / canal • 77% Woodland / forest • 67% Loch • 57% Beach / cliff • 50% Local paths • 43% Public garden • 40% Community growing space • 27% Own garden • 20% Wildlife reserve • 17% Allotment • 1% Canal

Q 2. What do you do when you are there?

• 87% Just enjoying being out in nature / fresh air • 83% Walk • 60% Hill walk • 57% Watch wildlife • 47% Cycle • 40% Learn about nature • 37% Other -‐camping, fishing, outdoor sports • 30% Grow things

Q 3. How do you get there?

• 47% Train • 43% Bus • 43% Walk • 40% Cycle • 23% Own car • 11% Get a lift • 1% Boat • 1% Taxi


Q 4. How often do you get out and enjoy nature?

• 43% Frequently • 10% Rarely • 10% Daily • 17% Once a week • 17% Once a month • 10% Daily • 1% Once a year

Q 5. What would help you to do this more often?

• 57% Money • 47% Someone to go with • 40% More info on where to go and how to get there • 37% More info on access rights • 27% Public transport • 20% Suitable clothing • 14% Other -‐

Interpretation-‐knowing how to enjoy/get the best out of nature 10% More Confidence

Q 6. What benefits do you gain from getting out into the natural environment and the outdoors?

• 90% Mental wellbeing • 90% Relaxation /tranquility • 83% Physical health/ fitness • 67% Feeling part of nature/ connectedness • 63% Spiritual fulfilment • 50% Learning about cultural heritage or history • 47% Sense of achievement • 40% Company of other people • 27% Increased confidence • 1% Other -‐ Freedom

Q 7. Did you visit the outdoors as a child? If not-why not? If yes please give details.

• 90% Yes • 60% Went with family • 1% No

Of the 90% who visited the outdoors as a child

• 13% Lived next to some greenery • 10% Went with School • 7% Grew up in the countryside • 7% Went on their own


Q 8. Is there anywhere you would like to go outdoors and things you would like to do that you can’t at present? If yes, please give details.

• 13% Explore countryside • 10% Camping • 10% Nature Trail • 7% Hill walking • 7% Learn about wildlife • 7% Outdoor sports • 1% City parks (don’t feel safe) • 1% Explore other countries

Q 9. Are there any other issues you would like to comment on regarding going out to enjoy nature and the outdoors?

• 20% Important to get out • 14% Not enough transport/info/money • 13% Learn more about rights of access • 13% Learn more about trees • 10% Not enough natural heritage parks • 1% Learn about ancestors • 1% Learn about how we should be living • 1% More info on what to do


Appendix B Additional quotes from Focus Groups and Questionnaire

Benefits:

“… space, clean air, camp fire… simple things like sitting in front of a fire, away from the concrete city.”

“When I was young I loved playing in the woods all day. It was when GalGael started taking me places that I realised how I missed it.”

“Enjoyment, respect for Scottish natural land, relieve stress and day to day worries - fresh air better environment.”

“Wild camping, living, just being out of the city environment.”

“It’s very energising. Some places more than others - magical hotspot.”

“I need to get away regularly, it’s like a spiritual connection.”

“Nature belongs to us and we belong to nature.”

“If it wasn’t for GalGael I would be in the city all the time.”

“Too long in the tooth with being in the city - even today feels like being away on a wee holiday - the smell, the feel - it’s good.”

“I was in a real bad depression for seven months before coming to GalGael and I’m feeling better already - a far better person.”

“I grew up in the countryside, so we just went out and played in the fields and the forests, explored. You use your imagination more when you are in nature.”

“There’s nothing like coming back from camping with your face glowing.”

“People don’t know enough about it (nature) medicine from plants and that”.

“Bunch of good guys, everyone working together, a bit of banter, the right gear and the right company.”

“I last had an experience in 2003 when I was away up north for one week. It had a positive effect on my physical health and mental well being.”


Barriers:

“Yes - landowners think they have a claim to Scottish land - not able to camp in certain areas.”

Culture, Relationship with nature “- like to see it become stronger, and that people learn to respect it more and that it becomes more readily available.”

“An Italian landowner once bought our local estate and stopped us going there… also, the understanding that you can’t walk about parks on your own is a bit of a barrier.”

“The weather puts people off - don’t have the right gear or just don’t know where to go but the weather is irrelevant if you have a car.”

“Landowners who think they own all in their line of sight. I also find there is little help for disabled people.”

“I experienced nature through school and play schemes, my parents couldn’t afford it.”

“Access to the land sometimes limited by landowners who dislike camping.”

“At the moment my current accommodation does not allow me to stay out, so I don’t really get to go anywhere.”

Other:

“People need to be taught respect for the countryside.”

“… never seen the wilderness, only twenty minutes out of the city and it’s like a different world.”

“GalGael - its community orientated and everything is about everybody, its not just about one thing - like a company or something.”


Appendix C Focus Group discussion guide

1 Brainstorm ….What type of activities/experiences/ volunteering would you say encompass enjoying the outdoors in Scotland and engaging with our natural environment?

2 Before coming to Galgael, what was your experience of engaging with the

outdoors of Scotland? a. How often did you undertake these activities? b. What motivated you to do so? c. What helped you to do so? d. What got in the way of doing so?

3 If you didn’t participate in enjoying the outdoors before coming to GalGael a. Why not? What barriers did you experience? b. How could these barriers be addressed? c. Is there anything that you would need to do personally?

4 Before participating in GalGael excursions a. What fears/misgivings did you have about the trips? b. What hopes did you have about the trips?

5 Now that you have experienced these trips with GalGael -‐ a. What have you got out of it? b. Would you want to carry on enjoying in nature in your own time? c. What would you do? d. How would you go about it? e. What would help you?

6 How would you like to see people’s relationship with the outdoors develop in the 21st century?

7 Have you had any experience within areas of natural heritage that have impacted on your physical, mental, or spiritual health and wellbeing?

a. What are these? b. What did you learn?

8 What childhood memories or lingering experiences do you have of enjoying nature and the outdoors in Scotland?


Appendix D Regular destinations for GalGael Friday excursions

Approx. 12-week intervals – weather dependant

Dumbarton Rock

The Whangie & Devil’s Pulpit

Summerlee Industrial Heritage Museum

Chatelherault Country Park

Wallace Monument

Glasgow Cathedral, Museum of Religion, Provan’s Lordship

Largs

Kittochside Museum of Rural Life

Bannockburn Heritage Centre

The Tall Ship

Whitelees Wind Farm

Campsie Fells

Sail on the River Clyde

Loch Lomond

Pollok Park


Appendix E Questionnaire

Accessing and engaging with Scotland’s natural heritage.

Introduction.

You are invited to take part in a study as part of an action research programme by the GalGael Trust to determine how our participants feel about engaging with Scotland’s natural heritage, that is nature and the great outdoors.

Purpose of this study.

GalGael would like to discern whether lack of engagement with our natural heritage impacts in any way on individual, perhaps even societal wellbeing. Through collating this information, we hope that we will have a clearer idea of what barriers people face in engaging with nature and whether they derive any benefits in terms of wellbeing or not as the case may be.

How the research will be carried out.

For the purposes of the study we will be recording information by arranging focus groups, using questionnaires and taking film footage as a record.

What will be the benefits of the study?

GalGael hope that by obtaining peoples thoughts and feelings and insights, we will be able to further develop our Rural Vision as well as continue to improve the quality of our regular events and excursions for the benefit of our participants. This information can also be used to assist with fundraising as well as sharing information with partners.

When will the study take place?

We hope to have completed the study before March 2011.


Participant consent.

I agree to take part in the study and understand that my participation is voluntary and that I am free to withdraw at any time without giving reason.

I agree to be contacted by GalGael regarding the study .

I agree to allow GalGael to use quotes from the research (anonymously).

I am happy for Galgael to use photographs or film footage to illustrate the report in which I may be depicted. Yes No.

Name of participant.

Date.

Signature.

Age range. 18 – 25 26 – 45 46 – 60 60 – 70 Over 70

What is your connection with GalGael?

Course participant Volunteer Other (Please specify) None

If you wish to know about the findings of the survey, please add your contact details below.

Questionnaire

Firstly…

Do you enjoy nature and the outdoors? Yes No

If NO please move on to question 10.

If YES please continue below.


1. Where do you go to enjoy nature and the outdoors?

Local park or open space

Woodland / forest

River / canal

Beach / cliff

Loch

Wildlife reserve

Public garden

Community growing space

Allotment

Your own garden

Local paths

Other (please give details)

2. What do you do when you are there?

Walk

Hill walk

Cycle

Watch wildlife

Learn about nature

Grow things

Volunteering work

Just enjoy being out in nature/fresh air

Other outdoor activities (mountain biking, canoeing, rock climbing camping, fishing, sailing, rock climbing etc.)

Please give details.


3. How do you get there?

Bus

Taxi

Train

Own car


4. How often do you get out and enjoy nature on average?

Rarely

Frequently

Daily

Once a week

Once a month

Once a year

5. What would help you do this more often? (Please tick all that apply)

Money

More confidence

Public transport

More information on where to go and how to get there

Someone to go with

Suitable clothing

More information on access rights



6. What benefits do you gain from getting out into the natural environment and the outdoors?

Physical health/ fitness

Mental wellbeing

Spiritual fulfilment

Relaxation /tranquillity

Company of other people

Sense of achievement

Increased confidence

Learning about cultural heritage or history

Feeling part of nature/ connectedness

7. Did you visit the out doors as a child? If not, why not? If yes, please give details.

8. Is there anywhere outdoors you would like to go to and things you would like to do that you can’t at present? If yes, please give details.

9. Are there any other issues you would like to comment on regarding “going out to enjoy nature and the outdoors”? If yes, please give details.

Many thanks for completing this questionnaire. Please go to the last page.


If you ticked NO to the first question - please answer the following questions.

!0. Why do you not go out to enjoy nature and the outdoors?

Cost

Lack of confidence

Lack of transport

Lack of information on places to go

Lack of information on transport services

No one to go with

No suitable clothing

Not interested in going outdoors

Other issues. Please give details.

11. Is there anywhere that you would go?

Local park or open space

Woodland/ forest

River/canal

Beach/cliff

Loch

Wildlife reserve

Public garden

Community growing space

Local paths

Other. Please give details.


12. Is there anything you would like to do in the outdoors?

Walk/cycle

Hill walk

Grow things

Learn about things

Volunteering work

Just being out in fresh air

Camping

Enjoy watching nature

Other outdoor activities. (Mountain biking, canoeing, sailing, rock climbing, fishing etc ). Please give details.

13. Are there any other issues you would like to comment on regarding “going out to enjoy nature and the outdoors”?

Many thanks for completing our questionnaire.

Please let us know if you would like more information on the survey.

Contact:

Tam McGarvey GalGael Trust 15 Fairley St Ibrox Glasgow G51 2SN 0141 427 3070 [email protected]

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