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PUBLIC = THE SOUTHERN UPLANDS PARTNERSHIP Rhon Biosphere Learning Journey November 2019 1 Company No. 200827 registered in Edinburgh Charity No. SC029475 T:01750 725 154 www.sup.org.uk PUBLIC The Southern Uplands Partnership Report on 2015 Contents 1. How was the idea for the project developed?.................................................................... 3 2. Who was involved in the project? Individuals and Organisations…………………………………… 4 3. What were the aims and objectives of the project?........................................................... 4 4. How was the funding package assembled?......................................................................... 4 5. How much money did LEADER provide?............................................................................. 4 6. When did the project take place?........................................................................................ 4 7. What actually happened?.................................................................................................... 4 8. Detail how the project fits with the Local Development Strategy……………………………………. 11 9. How was the project delivered?........................................................................................... 11 10. What marketing was undertaken?...................................................................................... 11 11. Who benefitted from the project?...................................................................................... 11 12. How did the final budget turn out?..................................................................................... 11 13. What lessons have been learnt?.......................................................................................... 12 14. Will the project be mainstreamed or transferred?.............................................................. 13 15. Detail the sustainability of the project and/or the exit strategy…………………………………… 13 2 Company No. 200827 registered in Edinburgh Charity No. SC029475 T:01750 725 154 www.sup.org.uk PUBLIC The Southern Uplands Partnerships Report on 2015 Rhon Biosphere Learning Journey 1. How was the idea for the project developed? Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere (GSAB) has been recognised internationally as a world class environment for people and nature. Designated in July 2012 the UNESCO Biosphere designation is recognition of the fantastic array of landscapes, wildlife, cultural heritage and learning opportunities that SW Scotland offers for communities, businesses and visitors to experience and celebrate in a sustainable way. One of the key objectives from public sector partners in securing UNESCO Biosphere designation was to use the international association with UNESCO to label and brand the region to stimulate new economic opportunities. A key way of achieving this was seen as adding value to goods and services through the development of a qualitative certification mark that would represent the sustainability ethos that UNESCO Biospheres around the world represent. In June 2018, following a pilot with three local businesses the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Certification mark was launched by the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Tourism Fiona Hyslop. The certification scheme has targeted businesses including local accommodation providers, food producers, bio- mass manufacturers, outdoor activity companies etc. Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere are the only UK Biosphere to have gone down this route although others are keen to follow suit. Internationally the two best examples of success in this field are the Rhon Biosphere in Germany and Entlbuch Biosphere in Switzerland, both of whom have been the subject of academic studies looking at the added value they have brought to their respective regions. The Rhon Biosphere is not dissimilar to our own – comprising of rolling hills, woodlands and farmland it is an open cultural landscape shaped by human use for many centuries. Naturally, the region would have been covered by beech forest however extensive agriculture and dairy farming has transformed the old forests into grasslands. Today the landscapes are noted for their rich ecological diversity which are the result of a long period of environmentally sustainable agriculture. Designated in 1991 It has a population of 165 000 and in 2007 with the support of their local LEADER group developed Dachmarke Rhon which embraces the sustainability ethos of UNESCO Biospheres and has now been adopted by 300 businesses across the Biosphere. In 2014 it was named as the 9th International Dark Sky Park apparently copied from us here in Galloway! 3 Company No. 200827 registered in Edinburgh Charity No. SC029475 T:01750 725 154 www.sup.org.uk PUBLIC The Southern Uplands Partnership Report on 2015 Its recognised that for the UNESCO Biosphere brand to gain real traction it needs to appear in the promotion of more than just a few products, services or villages. It needs to become synonymous with SW Scotland. This is something that the Rhon Biosphere appear to have achieved. Following a period of communication with representatives from the Rhon Biosphere with an open invite was made for GSAB to visit. The proposal was to take a group of local D&G business representatives operating in the Biosphere to meet their German counterparts in the Rhon Biosphere to learn how they have developed and managed the use of the Dachemark Rhon brand. 2. Who was involved in the project? Individuals and Organisations. Southern Uplands Partnership were the lead partner through Ed Forrest SUP Project Manager. Business involved in the learning journey and development opportunity included Marie McNulty Biosphere Business Development Officer, Ian Tunaley Visit Scotland, Esther Tacke Galloway Cycle Holidays, Melanie Allan Nithbank Country Hotel, Sarah-Jane Allsopp Heart of Galloway and Rosie Gray Galloway Flowers. 3. What were the aims and objectives of the project? To learn lessons from the Rhon Biosphere about how they have used the UNESCO Biosphere designation to add value to their local economy. To generate wider understanding of the economic potential that the UNESCO Biosphere offers to small businesses and local tourism that can be transferred to D&G. To create an advocacy group of local businesses and tourism representatives who will share their Rhon Biosphere learning with other local D&G partners. 4. How was the funding package assembled? The Learning Journey was 100% funded through D&G LEADER 5. How much money did LEADER provide? D&G LEADER provided funding of £5,000 for the learning journey. 6. When did the project take place? The Rhon Biosphere Learning Journey project took place between 30/09/2019 and 30/03/2020. 7. What actually happened? The visit to the Rhon was 36 hours of highly intensive conference meetings with administrative bodies involved in managing the UNESCO Biosphere, the Dachmarke Rhon brand label and businesses from a range 4 Company No. 200827 registered in Edinburgh Charity No. SC029475 T:01750 725 154 www.sup.org.uk PUBLIC The Southern Uplands Partnerships Report on 2015 of sectors that positively promote their association with the Rhon Biosphere, see appendices. Experiences gained from the visit were shared as part of Biosphere Good for Businesses event held in January 2020. Rhon Biosphere Administrative Team The Rhön biosphere is situated in the lower mountain ranges of central Germany straddling the former East / West German border. Its just over an hour away from the industrial centre of Frankfurt and is surrounded by a number smaller cities. At just over 1800 sq km the Rhön is known as the ’land of open vistas’. An open cultural landscape shaped by human use for many centuries it consists of rolling hills, woodlands and farmland. Naturally, the region would have been covered by beech forest however extensive agriculture and dairy farming has transformed much of the old forests into grasslands. Today the landscapes are noted for their rich ecological diversity which are the result of a long period of environmentally sustainable agriculture. It has a population of almost 200,000 and in 2014 it was named as the 9th International Dark Sky Park – they copied us here in Galloway! The similarities to GSAB do not stop there, it also overlaps with three Federal states Thuringia, Hesse and Bavaria, has social issues linked to the outward migration of young people, particularly from the former East German areas with associated issues re employment, and a historic lack of infrastructure due to having been perceived as being at the edge of the former West Germany. However, its position as a former border region has also resulted in areas of old woodland that have been left to nature, and agricultural land that until recently had not been heavily improved with associated biodiversity benefits. Key species they are involved in conserving include Black Grouse and Red Kites. Their funding resource structure is significantly different from ourselves. Each federal state funds and supports its own Biosphere team. So Hesse where we were hosted has three Biosphere officers who lead on the ‘technical work’ and six Biosphere rangers who do the ‘education and outreach work’. They also have an operating budget of approx. €0.5M/year. This is then duplicated to a greater or lesser extent in the other two neighbouring federal states. Each area also runs its own projects so Hesse currently has a five year multi million euro LIFE project focused on grassland management, but it only operates

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