The Ecology Centre is a community based charity which was established as a non-profit making organisation in August 1998.
The organisation came into being through an advisory group set up by people from the local community and residents of Craigencalt Farm. The purpose of the organisation, known then as Craigencalt Ecology Centre, was to develop and manage the Kinghorn Loch site for community use. In 2006 a decision was made to change the name of the organisation and today we are simply known as The Ecology Centre.
Our Site
In the early days, the site itself was relatively undeveloped with a small area of Community Woodland and an Organic Garden. A workshop programme also operated from the site. With the help of a small group of volunteers, the site began to develop. Pathways were established, the pond and marshes recovered and the community woodland expanded.
Today The Ecology Centre is a well-managed area of biodiversity and a haven for natural wildlife.
Volunteers and staff
As the site grew, so did the need for additional volunteers and staff to help with the day to day running of the Centre. Today we have an army of volunteers who regularly attend the Centre and help with the many and varied tasks around the Site. We employ 11 members of staff as well as providing employment training opportunities through Project Scotland and Community Jobs Scotland. We also accommodate school and college placements.
Education Programme
Education has always been at the heart of The Ecology Centre. Demand for educational visits has grown and we now work with hundreds of school children each year helping them to understand the importance of and how to care for our environment.
The Ecology Centre Enterprise - "Out of the Wood"
In 2006 The Ecology Centre Enterprise was established as the trading arm of the charity. The Out of the Wood workshop produces individual, hand crafted, high quality and good value wooden products. All the profits raised from the sale of these goods are fed back into The Ecology Centre.
The Future
The lease on the grounds and buildings that currently house The Ecology Centre is due to expire in 2014. The Ecology Centre has been working on developing a new purpose built centre on the east side of Kinghorn Loch that will allow the organisation to continue to grow and develop its educational and volunteer programmes.
