RSPB Nature and Wellbeing Officer: Autumn Round Up!
Our RSPB Nature and Wellbeing Officer, Beth, has been working with NHS staff, patients, and volunteers to bring nature closer to everyday life at the Western General Hospital. The benefits are clear: connecting with nature improves wellbeing and inspires care for the natural world.
Beth is currently working on enhancing patient balconies on Ward 6, supported by our FACE (Fighting Against Cancer Edinburgh) fundraising group, creating calming spaces where people can connect with nature.
Plans are also underway for Staff Growing, with raised beds due to be built and filled before year-end, ready for planting in 2026. If you’re interested in growing food at the Western, contact Beth: [email protected].
Our partnership with the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh continues to thrive. Staff enjoyed recent tours and an afternoon in the Botanics Cottage Kitchen for seasonal baking and a nature mandala session, facilitated by Nicola (Teenage Cancer Trust) and Beth. The Botanics team is also developing a new wellbeing resource, ‘Botanics in a Box’, which we’ll trial with staff before adapting for patient use. If you’d like to explore this for your team, get in touch!
Finally, thank you to everyone who joined November Nature Connection activities – from bulb planting and wildflower seed collecting to bird walks and winter bird care.
A big thanks to our charity partners, Dentons, who helped spruce up garden spaces around Edinburgh Cancer Centre so that patients can access welcoming green spaces around the Centre.
