Scottish Wildlife Trust: Charity's plan to close wildlife centre in industrial heartland

Jupiter Urban Wildlife Centre in Grangemouth is currently run by the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) but after 30 years, the charity says it is taking the “difficult decision” to step back.

It added that hundreds of thousands of pounds of investment would be needed to keep the site open in its current form.

Once a derelict railway siding, the abandoned sparse grassland, scrub and marshland is now home to a variety 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.

The trust said as a charity with “finite resources” it needs to make “difficult decisions on what to prioritise”.

It is now beginning public consultation for five weeks to discover if there is a desire for Jupiter to become a community-run asset from April 2024. All those interested are invited to attend one of the consultation meetings taking place in October and to respond 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.

“After careful consideration over a period of more than a year, we have come to the conclusion that we could have greater impact by redeploying staff to our other nearby wildlife reserves and focusing on the new ways we are helping communities to engage with nature across Scotland.

“For example, we’ll be able to progress a planned coastal restoration project at Alloa Inches just up the Forth Estuary from Grangemouth, which will benefit curlews and other wetland birds. We’ll be able to do more work with volunteers at our other wildlife reserves in Falkirk such as Bo’mains Meadow and Carron Glen. And we’ll be able to develop further resources for teachers and community leaders that will help them to inspire and facilitate action for nature across the country.

“The wildlife that calls Jupiter home will continue to be there but we are keen to explore opportunities that would allow local people to carry on enjoying the site as well.”

The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) who use the Grangemouth site say they are not in a position to take it over but hope to be able to continue to use the site.

Debbie Adams, operations director for Scotland at TCV, said: “At TCV we have enjoyed working in partnership with the Scottish Wildlife Trust for many years and together we are actively exploring potential options that would enable TCV to remain on site.”

Before the pandemic, the site welcomed up to 5000 children each year, providing opportunities for them to engage with and learn about nature. The Trust’s Jupiter Wildlife Watch group (a nature club for children aged eight to 13 years), which has operated from the site, will be relocated to the nearby Muiravonside Country Park Visitor Centre from November.

Chemical company ICI originally approached the trust in 1989 about managing the site, which has since undergone a number of changes in ownership, with CalaChem owning the site since 2010.

The trust said that the one year rolling lease in place for some time with the landowners made it difficult to commit to investment. However, it added CalaChem has now confirmed they would be willing to review this arrangement for a future occupant, which it hoped would be helpful during the community consultation process.

Angus Gray, managing director of CalaChem, said: “We have been proud to host Jupiter Urban Wildlife Centre and would be happy to speak with community-based organisations who would be interested in running the site.”

The centre remains open until November 10 when it will close to the public. More details on the public consultation here