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Getting Started
Whether you’re an individual or part of a larger community group, find out how you can get started on your climate action journey
How to get started
Are you ready to take action on climate change within your community, but unsure where or how to start?
Whether you are an individual or part of a group, we share lots of resources, toolkits, plus helpful tips direct from our members.
Explore some past and current projects from our members, check out our guide to getting started, and become a member today!
One great community resource we recommend is the Route Map from Adaptation Scotland, which is not only full of ideas, but also beautiful to look at.
As an individual
As an individual, the choices you make truly can make a difference; from the way you travel, to what you eat, to where you get your home energy and heat from. Many small changes add together to help our communities combat climate change and work towards a more sustainable future for us all.
There are lots of resources to help you learn more about climate change and the changes you can make to your lifestyle to reduce your emissions.
Join the Take The JUMP Campaign.
Live mindfully and sustainably – visit the Sustainable Life Directory
One of the most powerful changes you can make is to ensure that your savings and pension funds are not invested in fossil fuel.
For more ideas, read and share the Adaptation Scotland Community Climate Adaptation Routemap.
Join our network as an individual member for more ideas and to help to create fairer, healthier more sustainable communities.
As a group
Whether you are already part of an existing community group, looking to join a group, or simply create a new project, there are plenty of opportunities to work together to act on climate change in the North East.
Quick links
Volunteer with organisations in Aberdeen City & Aberdeenshire already working on community-led climate action projects.
Create your own community group and/or community led climate action project. We have a variety of resources to help you get started, and our team is always on hand to offer fully flexible & responsive support.
6 ways you can cut emissions
Food
Eat a largely plant based diet, with healthy portions, experiment with growing some of your own food, and try not to waste food
Electrical
Keep your electrical products such as computers, televisions, and mobile phones for at least 7 years
Transport
Get rid of personal motor vehicles if you can – if not keep hold of your existing vehicle for longer, car share or try out public transport, cycling, and walking more
Clothing
Reduce the number of new clothes you buy, choose eco-friendly materials, support ethical production, and extend the lifespan of garments by repairing damaged clothes
Travel
Try to minimise air travel and opt for alternatives such as going by train or ferry. If possible take no more than one short-haul flight every 3 years and 1 long-haul flight every 8 years
Life shift
Even the smallest life shift can nudge the system, like moving to green energy, insulating your home or changing your pension supplier
Be inspired by some of our SEED-funded projects. More recent examples coming soon!
The Secret Garden Society
The Secret Garden Society aims to use the space for growing our own vegetables and fruit sustainably, but also teach our members how to grow them and how to cook them (vegan recipes with seasonal ingredients). It’s a great place to learn about gardening and get in contact with nature.
We have gardening sessions every week, on Sundays from 11am until 1pm, in which we take care of our garden. We grow our own veggies and fruit sustainably (without herbicides, pesticides nor fertilisers) and share the produce among our members.
We also do other activities from time to time, including projects such as Bugtropolis, to make the garden more bug-friendly and promote pollination, or The Forest Garden in which we grow perennials following the permaculture principles, or manufacturing vertical gardens with wooden pallets.
How bad are bananas
With funds from NESCAN’s Seed Funding 2021 – 2020 opportunity, Action for Climate & Environment Newburgh were able to invest in creating an interactive How Bad are Bananas game.
The game was created with the intention to be used at events with local primary schools, local guides & scouts, as well as with other NESCAN members & community groups to help make learning about climate action fun.
Community Seeds
In 2021 NESCAN’s Seed Funding provided funds to Ballater Climate Action Network in order for them to purchase wildflower seed bombs and loose seeds.
The seeds were then planted by the local primary school pupils & villagers around Ballater village and along roadside verges, adding life, colour and increasing biodiversity in the area.
Banchory’s Wee Forest
Thanks to NESCAN’s seed funding, Deeside CAN were able to purchase deer & rabbit proof fencing, as well as banners & signposts for their Wee Forest in Banchory.
Tarland Paths
Tarland Paths used their funding from NESCAN’s seed fund to repair an old access road, allowing walkers to access Jubilee Wood and surrounding hills to the North of Tarland with ease.
The group were able to use the funds to install fencing, gates & a drainage ditch, as well as purchasing & planting native trees & wildflowers, increasing local biodiversity.
Community Woodland
We hope to be able to start planting trees next winter. However with escalating costs now, the forestry grant funding would not cover the outlay, so we cannot start planting the big field until we have raised enough funding to cover the shortfall.
Meanwhile, with the help of community volunteers and the Woodland Trust, five hundred trees have already been planted in a smaller field beside the Slains Kirk building. Work has been done to unblock an old culvert so as to solve the flooding problem from St Ternan’s Well in one part of the field, and wild grass and flower seed has been sown to cover the earth following the work on the drain. Volunteers have been doing bio-diversity surveys there since SEAchange bought the land.