Scotland’s coasts are home to over half of the UK’s seabird populations, making them globally important. Yet, since the 1980s, breeding seabird numbers in Scotland have plummeted by nearly 50%, due to habitat loss, climate change, and overfishing. Alongside this, our seas face growing threats too: rising temperatures, acidification, deoxygenation, plastic pollution and non-native species all disrupt the delicate ecosystems of Scotland’s exceptional marine world.
Since the 1980s, breeding seabird numbers in Scotland have plummeted by nearly 50%, due to habitat loss, climate change, and overfishing.
While over 80% of people in the UK believe protecting our seas is important, 31% consider their awareness of the challenges facing the global marine environment to be poor.
Young people, in particular, can feel anxious and powerless in the face of the climate crisis, often uncertain where to start upon inheriting the responsibility to solve an environmental emergency they did not create.
At the Scottish Seabird Centre, we believe education is the key to sparking curiosity, creating hope, and empowering the next generation to protect our seas. Through our Learning programme, we provide hands-on, science-based activities designed to connect young people with Scotland’s exceptional marine environment.
From despair to determination, and from anxiety to action, we aim to inspire confidence and ignite passion for marine conservation.
In 2023/2024, our Learning programme reached over 12,000 engagements, through school workshops and holiday clubs to bring the marine science to life outside the classroom, to Live Science Shows, Junior Marine Scientist, Meet the Scientist talks, and storytelling sessions. Both informative and fun, these initiatives not only grow understanding but also create a ripple effect: young people inspired by our work go on to influence friends, families, and communities to enact change.
This December, we hope to raise £5,000 to expand our reach, deepen our engagements, and sustain the future of our Learning programme. Every donation, no matter the size, can turn the tide for Scotland’s seas and inspire the next generation of environmental champions.
DONATE TODAY: Your donation will directly support our Learning programmes, helping us reach even more children and young people with the knowledge they need to make a difference.
GIFT YOUR DONATION: This festive season, give a gift that lasts by donating to this programme in someone’s name.
SPREAD THE WORD: Share our campaign with friends and family. The more people get involved, the greater impact we can have.
Your gift today can spark hope and create change. Donate now and play your part for the future of Scotland’s seas.
To learn more about our work, visit https://www.seabird.org/
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