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Dec
UNESCO Biosphere’s short film to have first Ayrshire screening in 2025
Heart of the Biosphere, the short film produced by the Galloway & Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Partnership, is set to have […]
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Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere
World class for people and nature
Carsphairn becomes our 14th designated Biosphere Community
Celebrating local heritage and sense of place
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Merrick Scottish Blackface Knitwear
Shop now and support the GSA Biosphere's first social enterprise
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Apply Now for the Ayrshire Small Scale Tree Planting Programme
Grants of up to £1,000 available for planting native trees
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Galloway National Park proposal - what does it mean for our region?
Have your say in the public consultation led by NatureScot
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Covering almost 9,800 km² of southwest Scotland's land and sea, the Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere follows the rivers that flow out of the Galloway Hills: through forests and farmland, historic villages and towns, all the way to a ruggedly scenic coast.
The UNESCO Biosphere includes iconic wildlife and natural habitats which are recognised as being of international importance. It encompasses communities with distinct cultural identities, as well as historic landmarks and heritage sites that need to be protected for the generations to come.
The Galloway & Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Partnership is a non-profit organisation (registered Scottish charity SC044137) working across the UNESCO region, creating and facilitating projects that support conservation, education, climate resilience, and a sustainable local economy. We collaborate with multi-sector partners in initiatives that benefit people and nature alike.
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Galloway and Southern Ayrshire is recognised as a world class environment for people and nature.
The region’s designation was awarded in 2012 by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. There are more than 740 Biospheres around the world, a dynamic and interactive network striving towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Every UNESCO Biosphere is a centre for learning and research, and for testing solutions to some of the most critical challenges of our time.
Our Vision: To celebrate our passion for living in a way that benefits people and nature.
The GSA Biosphere Partnership’s activity programme addresses climate change impacts, land use, and the biodiversity crisis. Individual and community wellbeing is an essential part of our remit: closer connections with the world around us, and sustainable provision of food, fibre and fuel. Alongside local stakeholders, partner organisations and members of UNESCO’s global network, the GSA Biosphere Partnership is sharing knowledge, experience and ideas in pursuit of a better future for all.
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What We Do
Our ordinary is extraordinary
Galloway and Southern Ayrshire is a place of inspiration and discovery, where countless generations of travellers have paused to sit beside rivers and gaze across wild landscapes. Some of Scotland’s best-known thinkers and writers have spent time here, from St Ninian to Robert Burns. Today visitors are welcomed into our rural communities and invited to enjoy a cultural scene that celebrates the richness of Biosphere life.
Explore the Biosphere