After 30 years running the Jupiter Urban Wildlife Centre, a site owned by CalaChem in the heart of industrial Grangemouth, the Scottish Wildlife Trust has taken the difficult decision to step back from managing the site. The facility has reached the point where significant investment would be needed to keep it open in its current form, but a consultation is now underway to assess whether there is interest from groups, organisations or businesses to find an alternative way for the site to remain open to the community.
The four-hectare site has undergone a significant transformation under the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s management, changing from a derelict railway siding into a green oasis. What was once an abandoned area of sparse grassland, scrub and marshland is now home to a mosaic of habitats that support a wide variety of wildlife, from dragonflies and frogs to butterflies and bullfinches. But ageing infrastructure, including the temporary building that houses the visitor facilities and education space, is nearing the end of its expected life and would require significant investment for the centre to remain safely open to the public.
Over the next five weeks, the Trust will run a public consultation to determine whether there is an appetite for Jupiter to become a community-run asset from April 2024. Anyone interested is invited to attend one of the consultation meetings taking place in October and to submit a response to a community survey.
Jo Pike, Chief Executive, said: “We are very proud of what has been achieved at Jupiter over the last three decades. Not only has the site been transformed for wildlife, it has also provided thousands of people with opportunities to engage with and learn about nature. However, as a charity with finite resources, we sometimes need to make difficult decisions about what to prioritise.”
Posted On: 25/09/2023
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