Caring for Shetland's heritage
The Shetland Amenity Trust (SAT) is a charity established in 1983 and based in Lerwick. It carries out a wide range of activities focused on protecting, enhancing and promoting Shetland’s cultural and natural heritage for locals and visitors alike.
Among the 50+ buildings and monuments under SAT care are Sumburgh Head Lighthouse, Nature Reserve and Visitor Centre; the Crofthouse Museum; Old Scatness Broch and Iron Age Village, Shetland Museum and Archives, lighthouses and camping böds (traditional bothy style accommodation).
The Trust manages the regional archaeology service, maintains important cultural and natural heritage records, delivers festivals including Shetland Wool Week and Shetland Nature Festival, and is the managing authority for Shetland’s status as a UNESCO Global Geopark.
SAT provides expert advice and support, as well as distributing vital grant funding to local heritage organisations and museums. The team works with a range of audiences including dementia groups, ability groups, schools and community groups - engaging them in Shetland’s heritage.
The Trust is a significant local employer, with up to around 50 FTE, depending on seasonal fluctuations. Employees are key to the business and the Trust has signed up to the HIE Fair Work Scheme.
As an organisation we’re looking at our own carbon footprint, but through peatland restoration and woodland work we can also offer a great deal to others, and we’re keen that we’re leading the way on that in Shetland.Sandy Middleton, Natural Heritage Manager , Shetland Amenity Trust
The Trust and net zero
The Trust plays a key role in safeguarding and stewarding the natural environment. It has implemented solar panels and a wind turbine to provide low carbon energy at its sites. The ranger team inspects the core path network and the woodlands team supports six community and amenity woodlands, in addition to a range of tree-planting projects.
Under the banner ‘Dunna Chuck Bruck’, the Trust operates a number of environmental projects including end of life car scrappage, peatland restoration and Da Voar Redd Up, an award winning ‘spring clean’ litter pick which in the past 30 years has seen a total of 100,000 volunteers remove around 2,000 tonnes of debris from beaches and roadsides.
In conjunction with NatureScot, SAT has delivered over 400 hectares of peatland restoration in the last seven years, protecting ancient habitats and supporting natural carbon storage.
Prior to the relatively recent introduction of full Council-led recycling services on the island, SAT was responsible for ensuring that much potential recyclable material was not dumped or sent to landfill. Over a 30-year period, the Trust collected and recycled six million drinks cans, and also processed end-of-life cars to prevent them from polluting land and marine environments.
Woodland, the environment and developing new talent
With six woodlands and the rising importance of the net zero carbon agenda, SAT was delighted to be able to recruit Solene Giraudeau-Potel, a MA graduate from the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) in Oban.
The Trust saw the opportunity not only to catch up on the delays to planting caused by lockdown, but to expand its woodland operations. In addition to meeting increasing demand from the mainland for hardy tree stock, the Trust wants to increase the services it offers. This could include supporting 'biodiversity schemes' to help tree conservation and native woodland creation. Tree planting projects in strategic areas such as upland burns could also be undertaken to offer local benefits such as reduced flooding and run-off. The Trust is already working with the Woodland Trust and Scottish Forestry on woodland crofts.
The appointment has been hugely successful with Solene bringing valuable knowledge and strong skills in working with people. She says: “I started out in a research role that was applied to the aquaculture industry but always wanted to move into a more conservation focused role. When I saw this job come up, it seemed like the perfect way to make a start in conservation.
“When I was little I always wanted to be a forest ranger, so it’s nice to finally do something similar! I’m learning things I could apply to a marine-based role if I ever wanted to go back, and it’s been a great experience overall so far.”
Overall, the graduate programme really does open up a lot of opportunities. And, of course, you’ll fall in love with the Highlands and Islands!Solene Giraudeau-Potel, woodlands development coordinator, Shetland Amenity Trust
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