On Tuesday 25th March Buglife Scotland hosted an event at Fallin Miners Welfare and Social Club to celebrate the project ‘Fallin Bing: From Coalfield to Brownfield’, which is coming to the end of the interpretation phase. The event shared what the project has achieved over the past year, what has been learned about Fallin’s history and also asked attendees what they would like to see happen on the Bing this year, as plans are put in place for future work at Fallin.
Wildlife charity Buglife have been working with The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) and Stirling Council to enhance the wildlife habitat at Fallin Bing to support the diverse invertebrate life found there. Buglife have also been collecting personal stories of Fallin’s history from local residents connecting the Bing as it is today to the amazing past of the village.
Over the past 27 years, Fallin Bing has changed from a disused coal spoil heap to an important brownfield site. Wildflowers and trees were seeded on the site 20 years ago. Since then, the Bing has developed a diverse ecology which is home to numerous invertebrate and wildflower species. The effective management of the site is crucial for supporting the wildlife found on it, and sharing knowledge of the Bing with local residents and schoolchildren has helped foster pride and enjoyment in it.
Harry Woolner, Buglife Parks and Pollinators Trainee said, “The Bing is an important part of Fallin, both for people and wildlife. The project has brought local residents, schoolchildren and volunteers together to engage with wildlife on the site and learn about the history of the Bing itself. At the celebration event, it was great to see young and old sharing stories and learning together about the Bing, as well as contributing ideas to plans for ongoing activity on the Bing”.
The project ‘Fallin Bing: From Coalfield to Brownfield’ was a year-long project funded by Heritage Lottery Fund All Our Stories. Buglife are planning to continue work at the Bing alongside Stirling Council and Butterfly Conservation in the years ahead, including running public events.
Ami Crozier, of Butterfly Conservation, said “The event was a very touching look at how Fallin has grown over the years. It was fantastic to see so many members of the community there to celebrate both the history of Fallin and the work that’s been done at the Bing recently”.
The work done at Fallin Bing over the past year has been a great success and will serve to support the wildlife that is found there, as well as inspire a younger generation who are growing up with a beautiful Brownfield site on their doorstep.
For more information on the project ‘Fallin Bing: From Coalfield to Brownfield’ visit http://fallinbing.blogspot.co.uk/. More information on plans for the future will be released shortly.
