Working with you to help Scotland’s seabirds and seas recover
CONTENTS
3 Introduction
4-5 Conservation
Supporting marine conservation in Scotland.
6-7 Education
Connecting people and nature.
8-9 Communities
Collaborating with local communities and scientific partners.
10-11 Experience
Creating inspiring events, activities, and exhibitions.
12-13 Future Plans and Get Involved
Upcoming projects and offering ways to take part.
14-15 Our Supporters
Recognising our supporters.
INTRODUCTION
As the Scottish Seabird Centre reaches its 25th year, this Impact Report demonstrates the unique role the Centre now plays both in the conservation sector and as a visitor attraction that seeks to connect and inspire a life-long love of nature.
Scotland is home to internationally important seabirds, and the Scottish Seabird Centre is committed to the conservation of these species and the colonies where they breed. Our work with volunteers from the local community to manage the islands
in the Firth of Forth for seabirds continues to yield dividends, with our SOS Puffin project delivering a major increase in breeding puffins on Craigleith and surveys showing record numbers now breeding on the Lamb. With two-thirds of seabird species in Scotland in decline, and pressures growing as a result of climate change, overfishing, and now the development of marine renewables and avian flu, ambitious action for seabirds could not be more urgent. That’s why we were proud to contribute to the Scottish Government’s long-awaited Seabird
Action Plan, the draft of which was launched at the Centre.
We believe that saving nature starts with inspiration and education, and we are proud of the breadth and depth of our work to deliver this.
Over the reporting period we welcomed 76,302 visitors to the Centre, providing them with opportunities to learn about and be inspired by Scotland’s marine environment, and we gave 3,740 people a close experience with the unique seabird colonies on the Firth of Forth through our guided boat trips. Our engagement programme deepened partnerships with a range of community organisations, giving more diverse audiences the opportunity to learn about and be inspired by the marine environment.
This Impact Report demonstrates the strong progress we have made over the last six months, working together with our funders, members, volunteers, and the local community. I would like to express my deep gratitude to everyone who has helped make this vital work happen, and look forward to working together to grow our impact as we celebrate our 25th year.
A sustainable Scottish Seabird Centre
Sustainability is at the core of the Scottish Seabird Centre’s mission. To save seabirds and our natural environment businesses and society have to change, and we want to help pioneer that change and inspire our
audiences to do the same. Thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we have appointed a Sustainability and Assets Officer, who has carried out a complete audit of our assets, systems, and team to identify opportunities.
We have strengthened our existing internal policies and created new ones to help guide us to a future as a sustainable organisation with clear goals and targets. This has included updates to our Ethical and Sustainable Purchasing Policy, and new Waste and Recycling and Energy and Carbon policies.
Instigating a programme of energy monitoring has led to us implementing changes to reduce our energy use and carbon emissions. These changes are expected to reduce our yearly running costs by around £3,500 and our carbon emissions by over 8 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year, a reduction of approximately 15% of our total Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
Other work has included assessing options to reduce our environmental impact, improve our energy efficiency, resilience, and environmental performance, reduce our carbon emissions, running costs and help us achieve Net Zero prior to the Scottish Governments target of 2045.
CONSERVATION
We develop, demonstrate and promote models of conservation best practice and citizen science.
Island Conservation
The Scottish Seabird Centre manages islands in the Firth of Forth for nature, working in partnership with a range of organisations and landowners to restore and protect the internationally important seabird populations that call the islands ‘home’ during the summer months. Volunteers play a major role in helping make this happen, allowing us to complete ambitious projects at scale and ensuring strong community engagement with these important habitats.
Our SOS Puffin project, which began on the island of Craigleith in 2007, has now been supported by over 1,400 volunteers and has successfully reversed a serious decline in the puffin population. The project works to remove tree mallow, an invasive plant that prevents puffins from successfully nesting and rearing their young. During this six-month period, six SOS Puffin work parties went to Craigleith and Fidra. During the final work party on Fidra, the Scottish Seabird Centre worked in partnership with RSPB and the Scottish Coastal Cleanup team to clear litter and fishing debris including more than 70 creels which had washed up on the island.
Our staff and volunteers continue to manage Craigleith and the Lamb for wildlife, and support RSPB Scotland in the management of Fidra. In addition to ensuring these habitats are in good condition for breeding seabirds, we work with partners to monitor wildlife, collecting essential data to build our understanding of the rich biodiversity in the marine habitats that we care for. Over the last 6 months, we have carried out a range of monitoring activities, including grey seal pup monitoring on Craigleith, a Bass Rock gannet population count for 2024 and cetaceans surveys via our partnership with WDC Shorewatch.
Seagrass Support
The Scottish Seabird Centre is a partner in the ambitious Restoration Forth, a major marine restoration project working with communities to restore seagrass habitats and European flat oyster populations in the Firth of Forth. Starting in 2022, this ambitious project began the process of restoring the health of the Forth with the help of people across Edinburgh, East Lothian, and Fife. This partnership project has deployed over 30,000 oysters and 216,000 seagrass seeds at three sites around the Firth of Forth. Volunteer support is a vital part of this project too. Autumn brought a series of community engagement
Impact in numbers
events, with 195 volunteers helping us to monitor seagrass around the Forth and process seagrass material from Orkney, Burntisland and Inverness. Seagrass seeds were also safely delivered to Wales for over-winter storage at Project Seagrass as well as a visit to the Project Seagrass nursery to see how seagrass is grown in ponds before being transplanted to the coast.
Scottish Seabird Action Plan
The Scottish Seabird Centre contributed to the development of the Scottish Government’s long-awaited Seabird Action Plan, which seeks to protect Scotland’s seabirds for future generations. A draft of the Plan was launched at the Centre by Gillian Martin, Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, in December 2024.
6
SOS work Puffin Parties to clear invasive tree mallow from the islands
11
Seagrass processing sessions with 114 engagements
46
community volunteers who contributed to the mapping and monitoring of an existing seagrass meadow at Belhaven Bay, learning seagrass identification and monitoring skills in the process
60,000
Seagrass seeds were collected from Orkney, Inverness and Burntisland
EDUCATION
We deliver marine education programme, science resources and events that are relevant to national education frameworks.
Seabirds, Seals and Science on Tour
Between August 2024 and January 2025 the education and outreach team delivered a variety of activities for schools, clubs and budding marine scientists. Over 200 engagements with young people were achieved through 5 school sessions, a bespoke Junior Marine Scientist programme for 8-12-year olds, a careers event at North Berwick High School, a session for Boroughmuir High School Eco Committee and talks with students from Stirling University.
Summer saw the return of festival activities in North Berwick where the team delivered 5 events, 2 drop-in seaside sessions with mini science experiments and 2 days of busking experiments attracting a total of 402 engagements.
‘Seabird Lifecycle’ and ‘Seals’ were the focus of two new in-depth digital ‘Dive in’ packs and we also created 3 resources on specific seabird groups and a new seaside science video. These flexible resources are used for outreach, in our Discovery Experience, at events and are free to access online, helping us to widen our reach.
Reaching Out
A highlight of our year is when we get to take our work out and about, inspiring more people to care for the marine environment. Science festivals give the team the perfect opportunity to take our message further afield. This summer, our Marine Engagement Officer and Seagrass Officer joined the Orkney Science Festival, where they hosted a stall full of information, resources and activities including Gannet games on the beach as part of our Marine Superstars workshops for primary schools. Through this work we had 500 engagements with families, children and young people.
Impact in numbers
Orkney Family Activity Day
254 engagements
211 engagements with young people from primary schools to universities
2 new indepth digital ‘Dive-in’ packs on seals and seabirds
402 engagements at Fringe by the Sea
COMMUNITIES
We work in partnership with diverse communities and enhance the experience for visitors to North Berwick.
At the heart of our work is a commitment to creating lasting connections between people and the marine environment. Over the past six months, our community programme has supported mental wellbeing, increased accessibility to nature, provided hands-on conservation experiences, and delivered community events, engaging over 540 people.
Nature and Wellbeing
Recognising the importance of nature for wellbeing, we collaborated with Changes, East Lothian and created weekly activities to support mental health. Activities such as rockpooling, wildlife identification, mindfulness and coastal walks helped build confidence and connection to nature.
For older members of the community, we partnered with Alzheimer Scotland and Broomhill Day Centre to deliver sensory seaside sessions. These experiences used the sights, sounds, and textures of the coast to stimulate memory and conversation, bringing joy and nostalgia to participants.
Youth Work
Our connections with groups and charities working with young people continues to grow through collaborations with North Berwick Youth Project, who provides weekly
activities and support for young people, and the Bridges Project, who focus on inspiring young people to build a confident future, to provide opportunities to explore and engage with the coast and our seas.
Inclusivity
We worked to break down barriers for communities who may not have had previous opportunities to explore the coast. Partnering with SCOREScotland and LinkNET, we engaged participants from minority ethic communities to create connections with the sea and its wonders.
Community Events
Our events programme brought people together through art, film, and culture. Highlights included an Arctic bird photography workshop with award-winning wildlife photographer Paul Alistair Collins, a screening of Six Inches of Soil on regenerative farming, and the return of Winter Wonders activities to celebrate nature in winter such as coastal walks and drawing workshops. Our BioBlitz by the Sea event in August saw over 260 people take part in this citizen science activity, learning more about the nature that surrounds us.
Feedback from participants
“The sessions generated lots of discussion, bringing up positive memories of time spent at sea, or on the beach, for the participants with dementia, promoting not only cognitive stimulation but also social connection and emotional support.”
Feedback from Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Advisor
“Charlotte was fun , explosive dynamic and passionate about marine life. This was so engaging!
Feedback from Bridges project:
“….we honestly learned so much and our visit sparked a real love of sea birds and the marine life.”
Feedback from Bridges project
Impact in numbers
540+
people engaged in our community events programme
260+ participants in Bioblitz by the Sea
147 participants in 8 Winter Wonders Events
EXPERIENCE
We offer an award-winning experience, are a valued community resource and engage more people through digital technology and media.
November saw the reopening of the Discovery Experience with over 120 people attending a special event to mark the occasion. With new content and lighting, an additional virtual reality booth, wheelchair accessibility approved activity tables, and a new panel about seagrass conservation, we were delighted to invite visitors back.
Winter Wonders
Over winter, we delivered our Winter Wonders season of activities, to help people explore the seasonal shifts in nature as waders depart and seabirds return. Central to the programme was a fabulous exhibition by local artist Eilidh Muldoon. Artwork hung in our exhibition space, alongside our ‘coorie in’ welcoming space supported by Reuse Scotland and our reading space, courtesy of The Nature Library. We also had bespoke artwork displayed across the windows of our visitor centre depicting the wonders of our North Berwick coastline and the beautiful species that call this place home.
Action Station
With our goal to inspire more people to care for the environment and to equip people with the skills and knowledge to make a difference, the conservation team developed Action Station. This new, interactive space in our centre spotlights accessible ways that people can raise their voice for nature. With over 170,000 people visiting the Centre per year, this initiative allows us to engage more people with marine consultation, petitions, pledges for nature, volunteering opportunities, and the guidance and equipment needed to participate in citizen science surveys and coastal clean-ups.
Nature Experiences
The Scottish Seabird Centre provides unparalleled opportunities to experience nature in the Firth of Forth through our guided boat trips. We had a busy season delivering round the islands and landing trips, with extra trips scheduled due to demand. We gave 3,740 visitors the opportunity to see spectacular views of gannet diving, puffins on the water alongside whale and dolphin sightings and, late in the season, for the lucky few, the arrival of seal pups.
Feedback from participants
“We went on the boat trip to the Isle of May from North Berwickexcellent, highly recommended. The island has amazing wildlife & fascinating history, and our guide Kevin was fantastically knowledgeable about both.”
“ A wonderful centre. Made me think about our world and learnt a huge amount. Will return!”
Impact in numbers
We took
3,740 visitors on
196 boat trips to inspire a love of nature
34 people joined 6 wildlife tours
1,349 people visited our Winter Wonders Eilidh Muldoon Exhibition
FUTURE PLANS
Celebrating 25 Years
From a visionary idea in the late 1980s by local businessman Bill Gardner MBE to bring people closer to our seas, the Scottish Seabird Centre has grown into a leading marine conservation and education charity, connecting over 170,000 people with Scotland’s spectacular marine world every year. As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we are looking ahead to an exciting year of events, projects, and opportunities to inspire even more people to protect our marine environment.
A Year of Celebration
Our anniversary year will be marked by a series of special events, starting with the return of Marine Fest in May, a festival that will celebrate the wonder of our seas and the incredible wildlife that calls them home. May will also include a Community Open Day, a chance to welcome visitors for a day of free activities to showcase our work in marine conservation. This will be followed by the launch of our new SOS Puffin film, sharing the incredible impact of this project over the past 18 years in protecting vital seabird habitats.
Throughout the summer, we will hold a Seabird Photography Competition, with BBC Springwatch’s Megan McCubbin and wildlife photographer Rachel Bigsby as judges, helping to shine a spotlight on the beauty and vulnerability of Scotland’s seabirds.
This milestone year is not just a celebration of what we have achieved, but a chance to shape the next 25 years. We hope you’ll join us in making it unforgettable.
GET INVOLVED
How will you help us protect Scotland’s marine environment?
● Donate: one-off and monthly donations enable us to carry out essential conservation work, from protecting endangered species to cleaning up our coastlines
● Join us: our members are at the heart of everything we do, making our work to protect seabirds, safeguard our seas and inspire a love of nature possible
● Leave a gift in your will: remember us in your will to protect our seas and seabirds for generations to come
● Volunteer: join our team and take part in hands-on conservation efforts, educational programmes and community events
● Get involved as a business: can your employer partner with us to support marine conservation, engage employees and showcase their commitment to sustainability?
If each person reading this takes even just one of these actions, together we can create a significant impact on Scotland’s seas and marine wildlife.
SUPPORTERS
Thank you to all those who have made our work possible.
We are grateful to all the loyal supporters, companies, trusts and foundations who make our work possible. Our particular thanks go to this year’s supporters (2024-2025) including:
• AEB Charitable Trust
• Baillie Gifford
• Benevity
• Big Give - Green Match Fund donors
• Boutique Capital Partners
• Cirrus Logic International UK
• Cruden Foundation
• Enterprise Holdings Foundation
• Foyle Foundation
• Frognal Charitable Trust
• Garfield Weston Foundation
• Graham and Henrietta Somervell’s Wildlife Trust
• Groundwork UK - New to Nature Legacy
• Hamish and Doris Crichton Charitable Trust
• HDH Wills Charitable Trust
• Horace and Helen Gillman Trusts
• Hugh Fraser Foundation
• In memorium and legacy donors
• Inchcape Foundation
• The J and JR Wilson Trust
• Lady Eda Jardine Charitable Trust
• Jardine Charitable Trust
• Marsh Charitable Trust
• MEB Charitable Trust
• Mrs J B Woods Charitable Trust
• Nancy Roberts Charitable Trust
• The National Lottery Community Fund - Platinum Jubilee Grant
• The National Lottery Heritage Fund
• North Berwick Trust Limited
• Sandra Charitable Trust
• Scottish Enterprise
• Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund
• Scottish Seabird Centre Friends for Life and Founder Members
• Scottish Seabird Centre Friends, Members and Volunteers
• Seachangers Scottish Learning Fund
• The Slater Foundation
• Swire Charitable Trust
• Sylvia Aitken Charitable Trust
• TD Paton Charitable Trust
• Tesco Stronger Starts
• Thistledown Trust
• Treasure Charitable Trust
• William Grant Foundation
• William Haddon Charitable Trust
• Winter Appeal Donors
Many more generous individuals have supported us financially, as well as through their time, expertise, and gifts in kind. While it is not possible to include everyone here, we are extremely grateful. For a full list of our supporters, see our website https://www.seabird.org/thanks
