Our green credentials

The Scottish Seabird Centre is proud to have been awarded over 25 awards for tourism, including the Thistle Award for Sustainable Tourism, the Queen's Award for Enterprise (Sustainable Development) and the Green Tourism Gold Award. The award-winning Centre is a VisitScotland five star attraction and is committed to providing a high quality service, while benefiting our local environment, wildlife and community. The Scottish Seabird Centre follows good environmental practice in all its activities:

• Responsible care requirements for waste disposal
• Continual sustainable environmental improvements
• Prevention of any polluting activities in the Seabird Centre and promotion of reduction of polluting activities by visitors in the area

Environmental awards

The Seabird Centre was runner-up in the Scottish Green Awards for outstanding contributions to the Scottish environment: we also won the Chamber of Commerce Environmental Award - see the link below to a short film made for the award about the Centre's environmental practices. Also take a look at this short case study film from the ScottishPower Green Energy Trust and click on icon of the bronze tern sculpture.

Environmental practice

The actions of each and every one of us have an impact on the environment. The Scottish Seabird Centre’s Environment Zone provides advice and information about the challenges to our planet and its wildlife, and the things we can all do to help.

The Seabird Centre practices what it preaches and below is an overview of our Environmental Code of Practice:

The Seabird Centre uses alternative energy sources, wherever possible. The remote cameras on the islands are all solar powered, as is the ticket machine in the car park. Long term, the Seabird Centre plans to power the entire Centre with alternative energy and has an array of solar roof panels and a wind turbine reducing the energy used. Information on alternative energy is available in the Centre's Environment Zone, together with a computer read out to show the savings being made. We also work with our supplier partners to encourage use of environmentally friendly products:

• We identify and implement eco-friendly policies through the Green Team, an internal working group
• We purchase recycled goods whenever appropriate and possible
• We recyle at every opportunity
• We maintain a policy of seeking improved methods of reducing energy consumption

Initiatives to reduce, re-use and recycle

The following is a selection of initiatives that we adopt to help reduce, re-use and recycle:

• Water Hippos in flush toilets to save water
• Dedicated recycling units
• Re-use of furniture and fittings after our refurbishments by donating to local charities and businesses
• Installation of low energy light bulbs
• Solar powered cameras on the islands of the Firth of Forth
• Solar powered parking machine
• Wind turbine and solar panels on the roof of Environment Zone

Daily actions

On a day-to-day basis the teams at the Seabird Centre take the following actions in their contribution to helping the environment:

• Recycling of paper, plastic, cardboard, glass, polythene wrappers and toner cartridges
• Waste cooking oil is recycled by locally based candle manufacturer Carberry Candles
• Daily monitor water/gas/electricity consumption to aid reducing consumption levels
• Encourage car share
• Encourage cycle to work and provide cycle rack facilities
• Encourage local transport and provide information on their facilities
• Purchase recycled goods
• Provide environmental awareness and training as part of the induction programme
• On going environmental and awareness training
• Have a dedicated environmental group driving forward new initiatives
• Promote our Green Tourism Business Scheme award and policy to clients

Local support

We support our local environment, services, producers and suppliers through the following actions:

• Use local produce for beverages, fish, meat, fruit, vegetables and dairy
• Support Fair Trade products
• Promote public transport to our staff, volunteers and visitors
• Provide cycle hire information
• Energy saving lighting, dimmers and motion detectors are in place
• Timers on electrical equipment

Calculate your carbon footprint

Calculate your carbon footprint with the Green Insurance Company calculator.

Offset your carbon footprint

To offset your carbon footprint click on the link below to Climate Care.

Good environmental websites

Below is a list of sites we would suggest you could visit:

• Ecomonkey
• Greenshop
• Natural Collection
• Save the North Sea

Environmental sites for children

• Recycle Zone
  Activities and information on this site from Wastewatch. Also includes resources for teachers, and fun quizzes, songs and games.
• Environment Agency
  Fun environmental games, animations, facts and figures and screensavers to download.
• Ollie Saves the Planet
  US and Australian biased site with lots of cool games, screensavers and recycling information.
• Quest of the Ring Leaders
  Adventure game where you must use your knowledge of recycling to stop the destruction of earth.
• The Lorax's Save the Trees game
  Dr Seuss' character in an environmental game (requires shockwave).
• NIEHS
  Pages by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences including songs, printables, jokes, games and stories.
• Happy Earth Day
  Downloadable PDF booklet from the US Environmental Proetection Agency includes colouring and activites.
• Rainforestweb
  Big list of rainforest themed sites for children.

The Scottish Seabird Centre is a member of Wild Scotland an association of wildlife tourism operators who are passionate about Scotland’s rich natural heritage. Members aim to provide the very best wildlife watching in Scotland through a responsible attitude to the environment, your safety and enjoyment. You can help us to enjoy and protect Scotland’s wildlife in the following ways:

• Give wildlife space - keep quiet and use your binoculars to see wildlife close up without disturbing the animals Follow your guide’s instructions
• If you are unsure what to do, ask the guide
• Keep to paths or established routes when on land
• Don’t drop litter!
• Don’t touch or feed the wildlife