Human Nature exhibition features Trust's work

A photograph of the Trust's Sandwood and Quinag manager Don O'Driscoll is part of a large-scale, free outdoor Edinburgh photography exhibition titled Human Nature. 

Part of Edinburgh Science’s 2021 Festival, the Human Nature exhibition focuses on the importance of the natural world to our health and happiness, how we connect to nature as humans, and how the global community are tackling the challenges of the climate crisis that threaten our green spaces.

The exhibition explores a number of subthemes:

• Importance of natural landscapes and oceans – why they matter and what threatens them.
• Engineering green solutions – research and innovation tackling the climate crisis.
• Working with nature – livelihoods reliant on nature and industries working to protect it.
• Recreation and wellbeing – people interacting with nature for leisure and pleasure.

The caption for the photograph of Don, taken by Trust Chief Executive David Balharry, reads: "A John Muir Trust land manager sets out on a deer stalking trip in the rugged beauty of the Scottish Highlands.  

"The wild magnificence of Scotland’s rural landscape is iconic. Ancient woodland is one of the UK’s most precious and biodiverse natural assets and trees play a huge role in capturing and storing carbon from the atmosphere. Today, Scottish woodland ecosystems are under threat and ancient woodland now covers less than 3% of the landscape.  

"John Muir Trust are a conservation charity dedicated to the experience, protection and repair of wild places. They have been campaigning to reform existing deer management procedures and practices in the light of the accelerating climate and biodiversity crisis.  

"Scotland's native deer have always been an important part of our cultural and natural heritage. However, for several centuries they have had no natural predators and unnaturally high deer densities are impacting on natural woodland regeneration and taking an ecological and economic toll on the country. In order to expand our woodlands, protect biodiversity and reduce Scotland’s carbon emissions, deer populations need careful management.  

"That means setting clear targets and timetables in each deer management group area to achieve the density needed to protect habitats and enable natural woodland regeneration to take place freely, without the need for fencing."

• Human Nature can be seen on Portobello Promenade in Edinburgh until 21 July 2021.

Photographs of Human Nature exhibition by Chris Scott