The Ecology Centre

n July 2014, The Ecology Centre purchased 5 acres of land on the eastern shore of Kinghorn Loch in Fife. For the 15 years previously, we had operated from nearby Craigencalt Farm until the lease came to an end. By February 2015, plans and funding were in place for a new building thanks to the support of the Big Lottery, The Robertson Trust, Fife Council and others. Building work was completed in September 2015.

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The new building, designed by Architect Stuart Hannah of ADD Design, is built to passivhaus standard offering exceptional levels of energy efficiency. Wherever possible, we have used natural, recycled or recyclable materials. A key feature is the use of old shipping containers, refurbished and insulated to provide workshop and storage space.

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The building provides a base for our volunteers, visitors and staff as well as for our room hire. Since we moved to the site we've worked hard to transform the grounds. We inherited a barren area of grass and car parks and since 2015 we've developed paths, play areas, growing spaces, woodland, wild flower meadows, ponds, habitats for amphibians and more besides with the aim of enhancing biodiversity and providing opportunities for environmental education, volunteering and enjoying the outdoors.

Our award winning education programme has always been at the heart of The Ecology Centre. Over the years we have worked with hundreds of children in schools, local green spaces and at The Ecology Centre.

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Our approach is based on the values of compassion, environment and equity. We use nature as our teacher and aim to provide inclusive, child centred, fun and informative sessions. There are lots of ways we support outdoor learning in schools and the community - we provide CPD, inspirational learning outdoors and can take topics and make them come alive in local woodlands. We believe our work is most transformational in smaller groups lasting a number of weeks.

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There are so many benefits of outdoor learning. Time in nature can help our children feel happier, more focused and engaged with learning as well as having a positive impact on their physical health. The evidence that we all need time in nature is so clear that doctors in Scotland have now started prescribing it!

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The Education team won "Best School Partnership" award at the Fife Business Awards in 2019, through working with Pathhead Primary School. Call us on 01592 891567 to discuss how we can work together