Listen to the MSP Nature Champion audio narrations below from our 10th anniversary exhibition, A Voice for Nature: 10 Years of Nature Champions!
You can also access the transcripts for each audio clip under each subheading.
Welcome to A Voice for Nature! This exhibition marks ten years of the Nature Champions initiative. Find out more about A Voice for Nature from Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, Rt Hon. Alison Johnstone MSP.
The Rt Hon. Alison Johnstone MSP – Welcome to A Voice for Nature
[Transcript: Introduction – Rt Hon. Alison Johnstone MSP]
Awe-inspiring landscapes and diverse ecosystems – Scotland’s mountains and uplands are home to a rich variety of wildlife, including many species that can only survive in mountain and upland habitats.
Graeme Dey MSP – Mountain & Upland Habitats
[Transcript: Mountain & Upland Habitats – Graeme Dey MSP]
Graham Simpson MSP – Mountain & Upland Species
[Transcript: Mountain & Upland Species – Graham Simpson MSP]
Peatlands are a type of wetland that are formed over thousands of years from layers of partially decayed plant material, called ‘peat’.
Healthy peatlands capture massive amounts of carbon and are crucial in global efforts to tackle emissions and climate change. They also play important roles in water filtration and flood prevention. In good condition, Scotland’s peatlands support a diverse range of plants and animals, including rare and specialised wildlife.
Fiona Hyslop MSP – Scotland’s Peatlands
[Transcript: Peatland Habitats – Fiona Hyslop MSP]
Sarah Boyack MSP – Peatland Species
[Transcript: Peatland Species – Sarah Boyack MSP]
Native woodlands are central to Scotland’s character and landscape. They are filled with trees, shrubs and plant species that have been growing in Scotland since the last Ice Age. Two of Scotland’s most important and threatened native woodland ecosystems include our Caledonian pinewoods and Scotland’s rainforest.
Jenni Minto MSP – Scotland’s Rainforest
[Transcript: Native Woodlands Scotland’s Rainforest – Jenni Minto MSP]
Alexander Burnett MSP – Caledonian Pinewoods
[Transcript: Native Woodlands Caledonian Pinewoods – Alexander Burnett MSP]
Forming a complex tapestry of rivers, lochs, burns, springs, ponds and wetlands, Scotland’s freshwaters are essential to our own communities and many other species, both above and below the water’s edge.
Mary Scanlon – Freshwater Species
[Transcript: Freshwater Species – Mary Scanlon]
Ariane Burgess MSP – Freshwater Habitats
[Transcript: Freshwater Habitats – Ariane Burgess]
Amongst our bustling towns and cities, resilient species have adapted to coexist with people in complex urban ecosystems.
Parks, gardens, allotments and other green spaces not only support people to thrive, but they also act as important havens for wildlife. From house sparrows to hedgehogs, nature is never very far away.
Fulton MacGregor MSP – Urban Wildlife
[Transcript: Urban Wildlife – Fulton MacGregor MSP]
Annie Wells MSP – Nocturnal Urban Wildlife
[Transcript: Nocturnal Urban Wildlife – Annie Wells MSP]
An estimated three-quarters of Scotland’s land is classed as agricultural. Grasslands and farmlands have been shaped by centuries of use and cultivation, and many species have learned to live peacefully alongside nature-friendly farming – some even depend on it!
Colin Smyth MSP – Grasslands & Farmlands
[Transcript: Grasslands & Farmland Habitats – Colin Smyth MSP]
Lewis Macdonald – Grassland & Farmland Species
[Transcript: Grassland & Farmland Species – Lewis Macdonald]
Alongside native pinewoods and Scotland’s rainforest, there are many types of native woodlands that are important for biodiversity in Scotland.
Relatively undisturbed by human development for hundreds of years, ancient woodlands have been around for so long that they have developed special communities of plants, animals and other organisms not found elsewhere.
Riparian woodlands, on the other hand, are woodlands that grow alongside rivers and streams. These woodlands provide important functions, including stabilising the banks of rivers and regulating the temperature of waters.
Monica Lennon MSP – Ancient Woodlands
[Transcript: Ancient Woodlands – Monica Lennon MSP]
Rachael Hamilton MSP – Riparian Woodlands
[Transcript: Riparian Woodlands – Rachael Hamilton MSP]
On Scotland’s coasts, land meets sea in a dramatic collision of cliffs, sandy beaches, dunes, marshes, grasslands and rocky shores. Stretching thousands of kilometres, coastal areas and islands provide internationally important habitats for a variety of life.
Liam McArthur MSP – Unique Coasts
[Transcript: Coasts and Islands Unique Coasts – Liam McArthur MSP]
Claudia Beamish – Coastal Marshes and Sand Dunes
[Transcript: Coasts and Islands Coastal Marshes and Sand Dunes – Claudia Beamish]
Carved out over thousands of years, coastal cliffs and sea lochs are striking geological features that line Scotland’s rugged coastline.
These coastal features support a wide range of marine and terrestrial species, including many bird species.
Scotland is internationally important for seabirds, with more than five million breeding here each year!
Claire Baker MSP – Cliffs and Seabirds
[Transcript: Cliffs & Sea Lochs Cliffs and Seabirds – Claire Baker MSP]
Mark Ruskell MSP – Sea Eagles and Sea Lochs
[Transcript: Cliffs and Sea Lochs Sea Eagles and Sea Lochs – Mark Ruskell MSP]
Scotland’s coastal waters provide habitats for a multitude of marine species. They play a crucial role in supporting fisheries, providing coastal protection, and sustaining the overall health and resilience of Scotland’s marine environment.
Gail Ross – Coastal Waters
[Transcript: Coastal Waters – Gail Ross]
Ullapool Sea Savers & Maree Todd MSP – Working Together for Flame Shells
[Transcript: Working Together for Flame Shells – Maree Todd MSP and the Ullapool Sea Savers]
Beyond its coasts, Scotland’s seas stretch far, wide and in places, very deep. Our seas range from shallow shelf seas to deep oceans and are home to thousands of marine species. From the smallest plankton to the great whales, these species are connected in complex ways in a dynamic marine environment.
Beatrice Wishart MSP – Scotland’s Seas
[Transcript: Scotland’s Seas – Beatrice Wishart MSP]
Brian Whittle MSP – The Deep Sea
[Transcript: The Deep Sea – Brian Whittle MSP]
Atlantic Puffin (2020), by Andrew Harrop (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/549642
Atlantic Puffin (2021), by Andrew Harrop (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/639695
White-tailed Eagle (2021), by Stein O Nilsen (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/619160
Hen Harrier (2021), by Peter Stronach (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/674537
Eurasian Curlew (2023), by Tom Gale (CC BY-NC-SA 4.O). Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/807327
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