Forth Rivers Trust leads the Leven LENs, a collaborative project that aims to match investors with local activities and projects, that preserve and enhance the Leven catchment’s natural assets. This strategy for long-term investment will deliver a healthy productive landscape, while benefitting the environment, boosting biodiversity and uplifting local communities.  

We speak to Co-Director of Forth Rivers Trust, Amelia Heath about the Leven LENs project, the wider work of Forth Rivers Trust, their engagement within the Forth catchment and how they overcome the challenges they face.  

Landscape Enterprise Networks (LENs) facilitate investment in nature-based solutions, that deliver productive, resilient landscapes alongside positive environmental outcomes. LENs, are a marketplace for land management measures that deliver ecosystem functions, creating a network of private and public stakeholders based on shared interests and collaboration. 

Host Harry Fisher, Producer Iain Boyd, Executive Producer Kerry Hammond, Editor Ross Mackenzie 

Timestamps: 

1:20 – 9:59 Forth Rivers Trust, working with land mangers and pressures on the catchment 

10:00 – 13:29 LENs, collaboration and the roles of different stakeholders. 

13:30 – 20:29 Loch Leven LENs, funding and engaging local communities 

20:30 – 27:54 Other Forth Rivers Trust projects and overcoming challenges 

Related FAS resources:   

FAS Water Management https://www.fas.scot/environment/water-management/  

Landscape Scale Collaboration episode https://www.fas.scot/publication/natural-capital-landscape-scale-collaboration/  

Landscape Scale Conservation https://www.fas.scot/article/landscape-scale-conservation/  

Emerging Biodiversity Markets In Scotland, A Source Of Alternative Funding https://www.fas.scot/article/emerging-biodiversity-markets-in-scotland-a-source-of-alternative-funding/  

Other Related Resources: 

Forth Rivers Trust https://forthriverstrust.org/  

Landscape Enterprise Networks LENs https://landscapeenterprisenetworks.com/  

FIRNS - The Facility for Investment Ready Nature in Scotland https://www.nature.scot/funding-and-projects/firns-facility-investment-ready-nature-scotland  

MERLIN https://project-merlin.eu/