"When you interviewed me for your podcast, it brought up so many interesting questions I hadn't thought about. Would you be interested in doing a podcast for us?"

That was the last thing in my mind when I interviewed Rebecca Lewis, Scotland & Northern Ireland Manager at Buglife, about how citizen science can help tackle the climate and nature crises.

Rebecca is chair of the Midlothian Community Planning Climate Emergency Group, and she thought a podcast could be an interesting way of gathering ideas to inform policy and practice across the county.

That's how I came to talk with people across the Midlothian, asking what would help them and others make more positive changes for the communities and places they care about.

In the first episode, Sharon Hill, manager of Mayfield and Easthouses Development Trust, explains how the Trust and the local community have created a beautiful garden and café space from an abandoned bowling green and pavilion, and how the community pantry and the cafe are providing low cost, healthy, food and meals to everyone without stigma.

She highlights how climate change is connected with local hardship, why communities feel they can’t rely on government to help them out, and the importance of honest partnerships, trust, and relationship-building to strengthen and support community action.