A feasibility study investigating whether the area on the Boghall Burn, bordering the Easter Bush Veterinary Campus, could be eligible for a protective status in the future, such as that of a local nature reserve.

The biodiversity and climate crises and resulting anthropogenic ecological devastation has the potential to negatively alter the world’s ecosystems forever. In a bid to combat this, Scotland has pledged to conserve 30% of its land and sea by 2030. This will require the nation to identify wild spaces to protect, preserve and restore. Veterinary campuses are in an ideal position to be at the forefront of local conservation efforts due to their rural location and role as centres of excellence in Higher Education. This dissertation investigates a wildlife corridor along the Boghall Burn that runs through The University of Edinburgh and Scottish Rural College’s Campuses at Easter Bush, examining whether the land could be granted a protected status. This study explores the merits and feasibility of such a designation, by exploring the biodiversity and educational potential of the area through a historical study and stakeholder interviews. The study revealed how the area has changed from an important well-managed wildlife hub to a forgotten, neglected wilderness, which whilst allowing nature to thrive in places has enabled negative actions like littering and fly-tipping. A lack of wildlife surveying makes determining the biodiversity present difficult, however the limited studies available reveal an abundance of wildlife, including twelve red list species, present within the vicinity. Due to its location, stakeholders believed the educational value of the area to be significant, reaffirming the belief that institutions are critically placed to teach for ecological literacy and environmental awareness and to highlight environmental threats like the biodiversity crisis. While stakeholders ultimately had mixed opinions on a protective status, torn between the benefits it would have on habitat restoration and biodiversity with concerns regarding increased human disturbance, it has highlighted the conflicting priorities encountered when balancing wild space restoration with human visitation. Next steps include creating a working group to take these findings forward and incorporate them into institutional strategies.