We are, Nith Life, a newly established  group who share a passion for the River Nith catchment.

Nith Life has individual, community, and organisational representatives across multiple areas of interest who have come together around a common aim – to address ecological challenges along the river Nith and build meaningful cultural and educational connections throughout the catchment. We hope to do this through a catchment-based approach to create more resilient habitats, restoring biodiversity and reducing flood risk whilst encouraging a culture of connection with the river for local communities. In essence we want to become better stewards and celebrate the Nith’s as a resource for our local communities and as a significant part of our region’s sustainability plans for the future.

We have a big picture ethos:

·         Entire river catchment - from source to sea

·        A cross sector and interdisciplinary approach to innovative solutions  

·        Inclusive working - all ages, demographics and backgrounds

·        Collaborative – working in partnership to build a network for mutually beneficial outcomes

The focus for our project is to work with local communities and partners to identify woodland creation opportunities in the Nith catchment area – using a pool of data, knowledge and networks – in order to strategically plan and identify where best to work at scale.

Nith District Salmon Fishery Board and the Nith Catchment Fishery Trust have not been involved in this proposal and do not give their endorsement.

We aim to augment existing Forestry and Land Scotland planting plans by creating 27,000 square metres of wetland habitat on the River Goil flood plain in Lochgoilhead. Managing water flow will reduce flood risk, improve biodiversity, connect wildlife corridors, and provide additional recreational and educational opportunities for our community, our businesses, and visitors. Initial funding will enable us to explore the feasibility of habitat creation to complement planned native woodland replanting. Further funding would enable us to undertake construction of the habitat and extend our paths network by creating a “floating” boardwalk, bringing people into closer contact with ecosystems they might not otherwise experience. We will create physical and online information points to educate people about the links between biodiversity and climate change.