A Moray heritage champion who has used nature to help reduce social isolation has been projected onto the side of Stonehenge.
Luke Strachan, from Kinloss, was recognised alongside seven other unsung history enthusiasts from across the UK, who were selected from groups supported by the National Lottery by TV historian Sir Tony Robinson.
The 34-year-old, who is chief executive of Findhorn-based charity Wild Things, was chosen to celebrate his Silver Saplings project.
The initiative aims to reduce loneliness while improving the mobility of older residents by taking them to places of interest and natural beauty.
However, the scheme has also been used to improve the health of younger adults as well as children.
The project has not been able to be run during the Covid-19 pandemic so the group has instead poured efforts into helping residents with nature-themed crafts – including making bird feeders, bug hotels and nature diaries.
Mr Strachan said: “We get feedback from so many different stakeholders, and so many nice messages from family members of residents in care homes and how grateful they are for what we’ve done.
“We’ve given them something to look forward to, as well as giving them a really positive experience and a chance to connect with the wider community and the natural world on their doorstep.
“The feedback has been amazing, so it’s onwards and upwards from here. I very much hope that this work will inspire others to integrate nature-based activities into their own contexts, whether that be a school, social services or the care sector.”
