Colleen Turner

Colleen Turner is a Community Engagement Officer with the RSPB Scotland Giving Nature a Home Glasgow team, but she is currently doing a secondment as GNAH Project Manager. She works across the city to connect communities to nature, their local greenspaces, provide opportunities to learn about urban wildlife and how we can help protect it.

Colleen has worked in partnership with the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum team for 6 years to offer outdoor learning and environmental education workshops to schools. In recent years, this was as part of the Natural History Museum’s Explore: Urban Nature programme aimed to inspire the next generation, create new opportunities for young people in cities with the greatest disconnect from nature and help everyone to learn about our impact on the planet. Currently, she is working with the team to deliver biodiversity improvement in the North of Glasgow, through working with the local community and with volunteers.

Colleen Turner will be speaking at the Museums and Public Programs Summit 2025 :

Nature on your doorstep: place-based approaches to reach new audiences

Over three years, the Natural History Museum, London, worked with 12 partners across the UK to connect over 20,000 young people with nature. ‘Explore: Urban Nature’ was an ambitious programme using outdoor learning through working scientifically to inspire young people to take action for nature. Although working towards a common goal to increase connectedness with nature, it was essential for our partners to tailor programming to their settings and audiences. Here we will explore how three of our partners – National Museums Northern Ireland, RSPB Glasgow, and Nottingham City Museums – approached place-based programming to reach wider audiences and ensure meaningful engagement.