Scottish Wildlife_Issue 092_Jul 2017

Number 92 | July 2017

NATURE’S CLASSROOM

How we are inspiring the next generation PROTECTING OCEAN GIANTS: Could Scotland lead the way?

Welcome from the Chief Executive

FIRST WORD From Chief Executive, Jonny Hughes

T

he world is rapidly urbanising. By 2050, over 70% of the world’s population will be living in urban centres. More than one billion children already live in cities, many of them suffering from the downsides that poorly designed urban infrastructure can bring: pollution, obesity, mental health problems, poor housing and exposure to criminality.

These are problems which disproportionately affect the vulnerable and marginalised, reinforcing divisions, inequalities and inequities in society.

Ecologists have long suspected that nature might be part of the solution to these problems. The Trust itself has a proud history of urban conservation initiatives which, over the decades, have created green and vibrant spaces from desolate grey areas. The Jupiter Urban Wildlife Centre is a great example of a place where nature is now resurgent, having previously been decimated by heavy industry.

Urban oases like Jupiter have not just been transformational for wildlife, they have also been transformational for people. Thousands of people each year engage in our urban reserves and education projects. Each has their own story, but so many I speak to share one thing in common: their wellbeing has benefited from the simple act of regularly connecting with nature.

Research is flourishing in this area. We can now quantify the benefits of urban nature like never before and the results are compelling. Even before birth, contact with nature promotes better foetal growth and higher birth weights. From school age onwards, the boost nature provides to children’s educational achievements is astonishing. Nature improves attainment in reading, writing, maths and social studies. It enhances critical thinking, creativity and problem solving. Nature improves focus and attention, helps

Jonny Hughes enjoying the Trust’s Ben Mor Coigach Wildlife Reserve with his children.

develop impulse control and lowers disruptive behaviour. Perhaps most importantly, nature increases enthusiasm for learning and greater engagement with education.

Our challenge for the future is to make the case to the Scottish Government, local

We can now quantify the benefits of urban nature like never before...

authorities and the business community that investment in green infrastructure and nature-based learning is vital for Scotland’s future. The Central Scotland Green Network and our own Living Landscape programmes in Cumbernauld and Edinburgh are a good start.

Yet we still lag behind Germany and Scandinavia, which are already reaping the societal and environmental benefits of quality green design and an outdoor learning culture. With some political will, we could soon catch up and become a leader in re-connecting our children with nature through innovative design of green spaces and real-world learning educational policies.

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Contents

Spotlight

Inside this issue

8

16

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT:

MOUNTAIN HARE

06 UPLAND HEATHLAND

Discover some of the delights of

this extensive habitat and where to find it.

08 NEWS

News round-up from the Trust and the wider world of conservation.

16

WILD THINGS

(Lepus timidus)

Jamie Grant visits Jupiter and

Montrose Basin to find out how the Trust is engaging young people.

20 LIFE LESSONS

Rich Rowe looks at how the Trust is

helping high school pupils to learn about sustainability.

24 AGM

Details of this year’s AGM which

will be held at the University of Glasgow.

20

28

28 PROTECTING GIANTS Colin Speedie explains how

Scotland could lead the way in protecting some of the giants of our seas.

34 VIEWPOINT

Angus Smith reflects on more

than 30 years with the Falkirk Local Group.

W ROM IN A OVER ANTIC N STAY IGHT IN PERT HSHI RE SEE P A GE 3

3

Scottish Wildlife magazine is published by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. © Scottish Wildlife Trust. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the express permission of the publisher. All photography © Scottish Wildlife Trust unless otherwise stated. The Scottish Wildlife Trust accepts no liability for omissions or incorrect data in advertisements and letters. Views expressed in Scottish Wildlife are not necessarily those of the Scottish Wildlife Trust.

ISSN: 0143 1234.

Registered office: Harbourside House, 110 Commercial Street, Edinburgh EH6 6NF. Tel: 0131 312 7765. Fax: 0131 312 8705.

Email: enquiries@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk. Website: scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk.

The Scottish Wildlife Trust is a company limited by guarantee, registered in Scotland (no. SC040247). It is also a Scottish registered charity (no. SC005792).

Scottish Wildlife is published three times a year: March, July and November.

4 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2017

Patron: HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay. Chairman: Robin Harper.

Vice-Chairs: Jon Barnes, Amanda Forsyth, Karen Chambers. Chief Executive: Jonny Hughes. Editor: Jo Pike editor@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk Production Editor: Pete Haskell.

Design: Connect connectcommunications.co.uk Advertising: Elliot Whitehead 0131 561 00212, Clare Stebbing 0131 561 0024. Printing: LexPlus.

Cover photo: © Paul Harris, 2020VISION

© Lister Cumming

The Scottish Wildlife Trust is affiliated to The Wildlife Trusts, a UK-wide network of 47 Trusts with more than 2,000 wildlife reserves.

Deadlines for news: 1 January, 1 May, 1 September. No unsolicited articles please.

Scottish Wildlife is free to members. Membership rates from 1 April (excluding discounts for paying by Direct Debit): Individual (concession) £33 (£18); Joint (concession) £46 (£24); Family £53 (£48); Watch £18; Life (joint) £800 (£1,200); Senior Citizen Life (joint) £500 (£700).

Unlike European rabbits and brown hares, which are thought to have been introduced by the Normans and Romans respectively, mountain hares are native to Scotland.

In the summer, mountain hares are predominantly brown, but at the start of winter they moult and display a white coat in order to camouflage with the snow.

Mountain hares have a broad plant-based diet including gorse, willow, rowan and juniper, but their preference is for young heather shoots and grass.

During the day, mountain hares shelter in shallow depressions in the ground or heather known as ‘forms’, but will quickly flee across the moors if disturbed.

After a 50-day gestation, female hares give birth to litters of up to three leverets, and may have as many as four litters per year.

JULY 2017 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 5

Spotlight: Upland heathland

Spotlight: Upland heathland

HEAD TO THE HEATHS

A

D

C B

RESERVES A BEN MOR COIGACH

OS Landranger 15, NC075065 The Trust’s largest reserve at 5,000 hectares, Ben Mor Coigach in Sutherland combines high peaks and spectacular coastline. If you’re an experienced hillwalker, the waymarked Postman’s Path is a challenging but highly rewarding six-mile route from Strathkinnaird to Achiltibuie.

COMMON HEATHER

COMMON JUNIPER

HEN HARRIER

Also known as ‘ling’, this low growing perennial shrub is the dominant plant across most of Scotland’s heathlands, flowering in late summer and turning the hills pink and purple.

This unassuming species of conifer has the largest geographic range of any woody plant in the world.

Common in the Highlands, it occurs in two forms: as an erect shrubby tree or as a low-lying spreading shrub.

This medium-sized bird-of-prey breeds in the uplands between late March and August. With a long slender tail, males are light grey in colour, while juveniles and females are brown with a white rump.

B LARGIEBAAN

OS Landranger 68, NR614143 A large and diverse reserve consisting of bog and heath as well as patches of acid grassland and regenerating native woodland. The steep cliffs, busy in the summer with breeding seabirds, provide spectacular views across the Atlantic.

C LOCH ARDINNING

OS Landranger 64, NS564777 Less than 10 miles from Glasgow’s bustling city centre, this picturesque reserve includes areas of heathland, wetland, woodland and grassland, and offers superb views of the Campsie Fells. Visit in July to see the delicate water lobelia in flower.

D BALNAGUARD GLEN

OS Landranger 52, NN939513 Offering spectacular views across the Perthshire hills, this reserve follows the steep-sided gorge carved by the Balnaguard Burn. Particularly notable for its juniper woodland, it is home to red squirrels and a variety of butterflies in the summer months.

RED GROUSE Hiding and breeding among the heather, this medium-sized gamebird can be seen throughout the year in upland heathland. It camouflages very well with its surroundings and relies on this for protection.

MOUNTAIN HARE Growing up to 65cm long, mountain hares are most visible in spring, when the snow in the uplands has melted but the hares still retain their white winter coat.

ADDER With their distinctive zig-zag pattern, adders are the only snake to be regularly seen in Scotland and are the only venomous snake in the UK. Whilst adders hibernate in winter, they can sometimes be seen in the summer basking on footpaths.

E BELMADUTHY DAM

OS Landranger 26, NH643571 Although strictly speaking a lowland heathland, Belmaduthy Dam has many of the same characteristics as its upland counterparts. Heather dominates the landscape, and juniper up to six feet tall can be seen here.

For full reserve information, visit scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/reserves

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Upland Heath © Mark Foxwell, Common heather © Amy Smith, Common Juniper © Guttorm Flatabo, Red Grouse © Steve Gardner, Hen Harrier © Shutterstock.com, Mountain hare © Steve Gardner, Adder © Scottish Wildlife Trust

Although often referred to as bleak and windswept, upland heathland is an important habitat for many species. One of the most extensive habitats in Britain, it is common throughout Scotland’s uplands, where large swathes of dwarf shrubs such as heather, gorse and bilberry characteristically dominate the landscape. Breeding birds such as red grouse, golden plover, ring ouzel, curlew and merlin can all be seen here, and if you’re very lucky, you may even glimpse one of the most persecuted birds in the UK, the hen harrier. Summer is a great time to explore this habitat, so get your hiking boots on and keep an eye out for these species.

E

Scottish Wildlife Trust news

Scottish Wildlife Trust news

News from the Trust, our projects and the wider world of conservation

Visit our website for regular updates at scottishwildlifetrus t. org.uk

© Chris Puddephatt

Help save our wildflower meadows IN recent decades, wildflower-rich meadows and pastures have seen a drastic decline, now accounting for just 0.14% of Scotland’s land area.

With so few wildflower meadows remaining, it is vital that we protect and restore them where we can.

For over 15 years, we have successfully been using our own sheep and cattle – known affectionately as the “Flying Flock” – to help meadows recover. This is a project that we pioneered and remains the only one of its kind in Scotland.

Happily munching through unwelcome plants such as creeping thistle, the results have been fantastic, with vulnerable wildflowers such as devil’s-bit scabious, common spotted orchids and cuckoo flower making a comeback.

Other species benefit from our Flying Flock too. Healthy and diverse wildflower meadows mean more habitat for butterflies, grasshoppers, bees and other precious pollinators.

VISIT

rust. scottishwildlifet ve a gi to y org.uk toda the lp he d donation an ve sa k Flying Floc our wildflower meadows.

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Coigach & Assynt Living Landscape launch THE Coigach & Assynt Living Landscape Partnership Scheme was formally launched at a community event held at Glencanisp Lodge near Lochinver in June.

To mark the occasion, the Trust’s Chief Executive, Jonny Hughes, joined Bella MacAskill, the youngest school pupil in the area, to open a new nature trail at Glencanisp Lodge.

The nature trail passes through attractive woodland surrounding the lodge and provides stunning views of

Suilven. It is one of 28 projects in the scheme that are designed to enhance the area’s built, cultural and natural heritage.

The Coigach & Assynt Living Landscape Partnership Scheme is a partnership between 14 different organisations including the Scottish Wildlife Trust. It is supported by funders including players of the National Lottery.

Find out more by visiting the new project website at coigach-assynt.org

Trust welcomes review of marine protection THE Trust has welcomed a review of how some of Scotland’s most important and sensitive marine features are protected.

The review was announced by the Scottish Government after a fishing boat dredging for scallops caused irreparable damage to a rare flame shell reef in Loch Carron, Wester Ross.

This incident was only recorded due to the vigilance of the local community and scuba divers, and the

Trust believes it highlights an ongoing failure to protect vulnerable features in Scottish waters.

Dr Sam Collin, the Trust’s Marine Planning Officer said: “The damaged reef in Loch Carron could take decades to recover. Clearly the review is too late to prevent this particular incident, but it is a positive move that we hope will help to avoid similar damage to other important habitats including maerl and seagrass in the future.”

© Jon Hawkins Surrey Hills Photography

© Philip Precey

Latest news

KEEP UP TO DATE

Volunteer to help badgers NEW opportunities to help protect Scotland’s badgers have been created as a result of a new partnership between the Scottish Wildlife Trust and the charity Scottish Badgers.

Our Falls of Clyde Visitor Centre in South Lanarkshire will become a hub for badger conservation, hosting training events and volunteering opportunities including sett monitoring and surveying. There will also be a new special interest group for people willing to help out in person or online.

A vital part of Scotland’s biodiversity and landscape,

badgers remain under threat from habitat loss, illegal persecution and road deaths.

The new partnership with Scottish Badgers has been welcomed by Species Champion for badgers Colin Smyth MSP, who said: “I’m delighted to see the Scottish Wildlife Trust and Scottish Badgers working in partnership to get more people involved in the conservation of these special creatures.”

Find out how you can get involved at scottishwildlifetrust. org.uk/volunteering

New ranger for anniversary year on Eigg THE Trust has appointed Gillian Gibson as Seasonal Ranger on the Isle of Eigg.

She is just the third person to hold the position in more than 30 years following the retirement of John ‘The Bird’ Chester in 2015.

Gillian is responsible for monitoring the island’s birdlife and running a programme of events including guided walks and talks during the 20th anniversary of the community buyout of the island in which the Scottish Wildlife Trust played a key role.

Gillian Gibson said: “My first thought upon arriving was how big such a small island can be!

“Although only roughly five miles long and three miles wide, the variety of habitats and landscape features means there are plenty of areas to explore. This is a really exciting year to be working on Eigg and I’m looking forward to helping residents and visitors discover the amazing range of wildlife that can be found here.”

Guided walks around the island will take place every Wednesday until the end of August.

Funding received for engagement in Ayrshire FUNDING from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the William Grant Foundation will allow the Trust to work with hundreds of people, including school pupils at 14 wildlife reserves in Ayrshire.

Thanks to the funding, volunteers will be able to take part in conservation work such as clearing Himalayan balsam, planting native trees and sowing wildflowers. There will also be guided walks, and visits to local schools to bring nature into the classroom.

The Trust’s Ayrshire Community Engagement Officer Harry Richards said: “Thanks to fantastic support from National Lottery players and the William Grant Foundation we will be able to show people in Ayrshire the exciting range of wildlife that can be found on their doorsteps, as well as give them a chance to do something to help.”

Our wildlife reserves in Ayrshire include a number of green spaces in and around Irvine and Kilwinning. These reserves cover a surprisingly large range of habitat, from stands of veteran trees to ponds and flower-rich meadows.

JULY 2017 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 9

Scottish Wildlife Trust news

EDINBURGH Living Landscape has launched a new initiative to inspire the capital’s gardeners to help pollinators such as hoverflies and bees.

The Edinburgh Pollinator Pledge is encouraging people with access to gardens and green spaces to take simple steps, including planting a variety of pollen-rich plants, mowing the grass less often and recruiting neighbours to take action, to create a network of insect-

friendly spaces throughout the city.

The Trust’s Living Landscape Programmes Manager, Ian MacKenzie, said: “We want to help people realise that doing relatively small things in their own patch can make a big difference for wildlife, and we hope to get 10,000 people to sign the pledge in the next five years.”

Best in Britain

Find out more and sign up to the pledge at edinburghpollinatorpledge.org © Katrina Martin

IN May, Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham visited Jupiter Urban Wildlife Centre to help celebrate the silver anniversary of Grangemouth’s green oasis.

Our Chair Robin Harper said: “Jupiter has been at the heart of the local community since it opened in 1992 and it has gone from strength to strength ever since.”

Take the Pollinator Pledge

Read more about Jupiter on pages 16 and 34.

Doug Allan event AWARD-WINNING photographer and cameraman Doug Allan will share his tales of encounters with wildlife including polar bears, emperor penguins and humpback whales at a talk in Perthshire later this month.

Doug Allan: Wild Images, Wild Life takes place at the Birnam Arts Centre on Friday 21 July. The talk is in aid of the Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Birnam Arts charity.

For tickets call 01350 727 674 or visit birnamarts.com.

Trust announces new Chair LINDA Rosborough has been appointed as the Trust’s new Chair of Council and will replace Robin Harper at our AGM in September.

Linda brings a wealth of strategic experience to the role following a successful career in the civil service where she held senior positions including Director of Marine Scotland.

Share your photos THE Trust has set up a new Instagram account where keen photographers can get involved in regular photo competitions, or simply share their images of amazing wildlife and wild places. If you are on Instagram, look for us by searching @ScottishWildlifeTrust.

10 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2017

© Paul Tyler

© Ingeborg Haarr

Jupiter turns 25!

© Gilly Fraser

IN BRIEF

Scottish Wildlife Trust news

NEWCASTLETON Wildlife Watch group in the Scottish Borders has been named Watch Group of the Year by the Wildlife Trusts.

The group is an after-school club that has been meeting since 2013.

Most of the members are aged 5-12, with a number of teenagers taking a leadership role. They won the award by impressing a panel of expert judges with their enthusiasm for the natural world.

In 2016, the group took part in a wide range of activities including guddling for fish on Liddel Water, discovering wildlife in their local area and maintaining a wildlifefriendly garden in the grounds of Newcastleton Primary School.

Group member Abigail Anderson, aged 14, said: “Wildlife Watch has helped me to appreciate wildlife and wild places much more. Helping out makes me feel good and I hope those I help feel the same.

“It’s nice to be able to see the effects of things we have done in the places where we have helped, like the new raised beds in the park and tidying up the primary school grounds for everyone to enjoy.”

Details of all Wildlife Watch groups are available on the Trust website.

New snorkel trail on Harris ALMOST 12 months after launching Scotland’s first snorkel trail, the Trust has launched a second, in partnership with the North Harris Trust.

Taking in six sites around the northern part of the Isle of Harris, it is hoped that the new trail will encourage both local residents and tourists to experience Scotland’s living seas first-hand.

Avid snorkeller and Ranger with the North Harris Trust Daryll Brown said:

“When I heard about the North West Highlands Snorkel Trail, I immediately thought that something similar could work really well in North Harris.

“I’ve been snorkelling here for 32 years and I’m still discovering new things underwater. The diversity of marine life around the island never ceases to amaze me!”

Find out more about the North Harris Snorkel Trail at scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/snorkeltrail

Unusual intruders at Loch of the Lowes Growing campaign to protect Coul Links BUTTERFLY Conservation Scotland is the latest conservation charity to join a partnership committed to fighting a proposed golf course at Coul Links in east Sutherland that includes the Scottish Wildlife Trust, RSPB Scotland, Buglife, the Marine Conservation Society and Plantlife Scotland.

A total of 168 species of butterflies and moths have been recorded at Coul Links, including 10 nationally scarce species and one Red Data Book species which was recorded for the first time in Britain at this site.

Dr Tom Prescott of Butterfly Conservation Scotland said: “Our records indicate that

Coul Links is a very special place. The site has survived development and this has allowed a wide range of specialised coastal species to live at Coul which have been lost from so many other locations. Turning it into a golf course would be a tragedy and would permanently damage a place that is home to many rare species.”

The State of Nature report published in 2016 gave a clear warning about the loss and fragmentation of the coastline, and demonstrated how unsustainable development is harming Scotland’s wildlife and habitats.

AN inquisitive red squirrel and a tawny owl couldn’t put the ospreys at Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve off their stride this season. Both animals were recorded visiting the nest at the reserve on our live webcam while the female osprey was incubating her eggs.

Reserves Manager Rab Potter said: “We’ve seen red squirrels exploring the nest before during the winter but never while it’s occupied. The owl is a bit of a first, and created an impressive display from LF15 as she defended her territory.”

Breeding pair LM12 and LF15 are having another successful year in their third season together in Perthshire. After LF15 joined her mate in late March, the pair bred quickly and the female laid her

first egg on 5 April, the earliest date recorded at Lowes since 2005. Two chicks have since hatched under the close watch of our Osprey ProtectionTeam, which is

supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. Watch footage of the unusual visitors and other highlights from the season on our YouTube channel.

JULY 2017 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 11

Scottish Wildlife Trust news

New blueprint for land stewardship in Scotland THE Trust has published a blueprint for a new sustainable land stewardship policy in Scotland after Brexit. The proposed policy shows how farming, forestry and other activities could be supported in Scotland after the UK leaves the Common Agricultural Policy.

It demonstrates how public money could be spent in a way that safeguards wildlife and provides a high-quality natural environment, while also supporting the rural economy.

“Around £600 million goes directly from the taxpayer into supporting farming, forestry and other activities in Scotland each year,” said

our Chief Executive Jonny Hughes. “It is vital that investment in land stewardship delivers a wide range of public benefits and contributes

The full publication is available to download from the Trust’s website. © Steve Gardner

Four million ‘thank you’s SUPPORT for the Trust’s work from players of People’s Postcode Lottery has reached an amazing £4,359,472.

This funding helps the Trust to manage 120 wildlife reserves throughout Scotland, inspire tens of thousands of people each year through our four visitor centres, and protect iconic species including ospreys, red squirrels and beavers.

Players have also supported innovative conservation projects including the Scottish Beaver Trial, the first successful reintroduction of a

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fully to halting biodiversity loss and fighting climate change.”

The blueprint outlines a system of agricultural payments designed to maintain, enhance and restore natural capital. It also calls for the creation of dedicated funds to support a range of activities including peatland restoration, improving the condition of lochs and rivers, and controlling invasive non-native species.

mammal anywhere in the UK. “We were fortunate to be one of the first charities in Britain supported by People’s Postcode Lottery players,” said our Chief Executive Jonny Hughes. “Their continued support makes a huge difference to our work to protect Scotland’s wildlife for the future. I can’t thank them enough.”

Clara Govier, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery said: “Our players will be delighted that their support for the Scottish Wildlife Trust is making a lasting difference.” © Tracy Lambert

A leap forward for red squirrel conservation

Wildness leads to wellness A pilot programme to help people in Cumbernauld deal with mental health issues has shown signs of success.

Over the last year, Cumbernauld Living Landscape’s Wild Ways Well project has worked with three groups of people, including pupils from a local high school, who are either suffering from or at risk of mental illness.

One participant said: “I had a really horrible appointment with my speech therapist and I felt awful, but when I went

12 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2017

out with the Wild Ways Well team I felt so much better. It was like I just walked all the anger and stress away.”

They took part in simple activities including building bird boxes and going on nature walks in Cumbernauld’s green spaces once a week for 13 weeks.

At the end of the course, all three groups were less anxious and said they visited green spaces more regularly, and two said their physical activity levels had increased.

SAVING Scotland’s Red Squirrels has received sightings of red squirrels in Dumbarton, and a concentration of reports of reds in the Peebles area. These trends may represent the return of the species to former haunts and may signal that targeted grey squirrel control in the area is having a positive result.

Since receiving a £2.46 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund earlier this year, the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels team has been appointing new staff and getting ready to step up its work to engage communities in key areas for red squirrel conservation around Scotland. It also hopes to recruit hundreds of volunteers to help conserve one of Scotland’s best-loved species.

Report your sightings of red and grey squirrels at savingscotlandsredsquirrels.org.uk.

01962 733051

www.naturetrek.co.uk

Naturetrek, Mingledown Barn, Wolf’s Lane, Chawton, Hants GU34 3HJ

Wider news

Looking to the future

© Fidra

Waxwing irruption THIS year’s Great Garden Birdwatch, organised by the RSPB, saw nine times as many waxwings recorded in Scottish gardens than in previous years. A regular winter visitor to Scotland, the number of waxwings that flock to the UK appears to peak every seven to eight years in what is known as an irruption, which is linked to a failed berry crop in Scandinavia.

Eleanor and Fred Kania have been members of the Scottish Wildlife Trust for ten years. Here, Eleanor explains why she and her husband have chosen to remember the Trust with gifts in their Wills.

© Jon Hawkins, Surrey Hills Photography

Progress on plastic cotton buds

Join the Dragonfly Challenge

For more information, visit cottonbudproject.org.uk

SNH appeals for help with beaver survey

introduced me to wildflowers and birds in Kinneil Woods, Bo’ness. There was even a nature table in my bedroom!

I believe we should all play a role in protecting Scotland’s wildlife – creating ponds; planting bee-friendly flowers; erecting bird feeders and bug lodges in our gardens, on balconies and in window boxes; and of course, by being members of the Scottish Wildlife Trust.

We want the Trust to continue protecting the precious habitats on its wildlife reserves for many years to come, but we’re aware that requires constant funding, with costs only going up. That’s why we gain satisfaction from knowing that, as well as our membership subscriptions now, the gifts in our Wills will one day help protect Scotland’s wildlife for future generations.’

Ell iot Sm ith

© Alan Thomson

SCOTTISH Natural Heritage is asking the public to record any sightings of beavers through the free-to-download Mammal Tracker app.

The appeal comes alongside a survey that took place in spring 2017 throughout the beavers’ range in east-central Scotland, during which several areas where beaver sightings have been reported but not confirmed were investigated. These include the River Devon in Clackmannanshire, the Balvaig and Garbh Uisge upstream of Callander, the Forth in the Carse of Stirling and the Black Water around Brig O’Turk.

The survey follows Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham’s decision in November 2016 to allow beavers to remain in Tayside and mid-Argyll, and to expand their range naturally.

Download the Mammal Tracker app for free from the iTunes App Store and Android Market.

14 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2017

charity Fidra has been asking retailers to make the transition through their Cotton Bud Project.

Flushed cotton buds pass through sewage works and end up in our seas where they can be eaten by wildlife. While no buds should be flushed, paper buds will at least disintegrate and therefore won’t escape the sewage system.

I’ve been fascinated by every aspect of wildlife since an early age when my father introduced me to wildflowers and birds in Kinneil Woods, Bo’ness. There was even a nature table in my bedroom!

©

© Daniele Muir

Further information, along with a handy spotter’s ID and recording sheet, is available on the Society’s website: british-dragonflies.org.uk

GLOBAL manufacturer Johnson & Johnson has made a welcome change from plastic to paper-stemmed cotton buds to help protect the marine environment. Its new paper-stemmed buds are already out in stores, and 10 retailers including Asda, Boots and Mothercare have also committed to the change.

During the Marine Conservation Society’s Great British Beach Clean in 2016, 23 cotton bud sticks were found on every 100 metres of beach surveyed, and Scottish

“SCOTLAND’S wildlife is special to us in so many ways, not least because of some of the species which are unique to it – the Scottish wildcat, Scottish crossbill and Scottish primrose. Of course, we also have the most red squirrels in Britain.

Personally I still cherish early memories of wildlife expeditions with my father, and hope children will always be able to experience the joy of seeing the mammals, birds, insects and wildflowers which we have been lucky enough to see all our lives.

We think the family events run by the Trust are a great way of encouraging children to learn about the countryside and we know that gifts in our Wills could support these activities.

I’ve been fascinated by every aspect of wildlife since an early age when my father

© Tom Marshall

THE British Dragonfly Society is challenging people to get involved in a citizen science survey to assess the UK’s dragonfly population. Participants are being asked to pick one day during Dragonfly Week (15-23 July) to get outdoors and count the number of dragonflies around their garden pond, local river or any other wetland.

Dragonflies are vital indicators of the health of freshwater habitats, so knowing more about trends in dragonfly numbers will help to protect them and other wetland species.

Looking to the future

WOULD YOU LIKE TO TALK TO US ABOUT LEAVING A GIFT IN YOUR WILL?

Please call Frank Nelson on 0131 312 4724 or email fnelson@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk Alternatively, you can visit our website scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/legacy for further information.

JULY 2017 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 15

Wild things

BRING BACK THE WILD THINGS 16 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2017

Wild things

With it becoming widely accepted that regular interaction with nature is an important aspect of childhood, Jamie Grant visits two of the Trust’s visitor centres to find out how they are helping children to experience the natural world.

T

he Falkirk Wildlife Watch group crouch around a white tray teeming with pond life at Jupiter Urban Wildlife Centre in Grangemouth. Their central focus is a pulsating, inky black squiggle that inspires horror and awe in equal measure. James (aged 9) gently prods “Frankie” the leech with a stick to see if it will latch on, before describing the other creatures he has netted with his friends. There are a couple of male sticklebacks with flushed red bellies, sleek water beetles, caddis fly larvae and lots of tadpoles.

They ceremoniously tip everything back into the pond’s subaquatic depths,

careful not to hurt anything they have temporarily captured. In a single morning the group have learned more about the wonders of the natural world in this pond than they could ever have been taught in the same amount of time in a classroom. And the learning doesn’t stop at the pond’s edge. There are more than 300 species of plants, 50 species of birds, 100 invertebrates and 20 mammals to discover in Jupiter’s four hectares of reclaimed railway sidings in the heart of Scotland’s industrial central belt.

Jupiter, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in May, sees between 4,000 and 5,000 children come through its

doors each year. Overseeing all the activity is Falkirk Ranger Clare Toner, who is convinced that outdoor education has far-reaching benefits. She runs school activities to support the curriculum and is amazed by how quickly young pupils learn in the relative wilds of Jupiter: “If they find something for themselves it is much more likely to stay in their minds than reading from a textbook.” She sees children who regularly visit Jupiter quickly grow in confidence and interact better, sharing their finds and working as a team to set up equipment.

Clare also witnesses less JULY 2017 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 17

Wild things

Q&A

Many of the children who visit here for the first time have never experienced the wonder of turning over a stone and finding a woodlouse. tangible benefits. “Many of the children who visit here for the first time have never experienced the wonder of turning over a stone and finding a woodlouse,” she commented. “You only have to see their faces to know that time spent in nature is transformative.”

Clare’s observations are borne out by a growing body of scientific research indicating that children are happier, healthier and more creative when they are in regular contact with the natural world.

This makes it all the more puzzling why, despite the importance of nature to childhood, young people are increasingly distanced from it. The American author Richard Louv lit a touchstone of concern in his seminal book Last Child in the Woods, highlighting the modern condition of “Nature Deficit Disorder” with its symptoms of obesity, ADHD, isolation and depression. For Louv, the very richness of human experience has been diminished by a “startling” shift in our relationship with green spaces: “Increasingly, nature is something to watch, to consume, to wear – to ignore.”

The issue is just as pressing here in the UK. The Wildlife Trust’s green paper Every Child Wild (2015) warns of “a generation of children growing up at arm’s length from the natural world,” with just one in ten playing in wild places. Many of the simplest experiences 18 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2017

that we took for granted growing up are now being denied to our own children.

Over a quarter of children aged eight to 15 have never played outside by themselves and almost 60% have never discovered frogspawn. With so little time spent running around outside, no wonder one in five children in Scotland are now overweight and one in ten are considered to be obese.

The triggers for this disconnect are well documented. Wild spaces to explore close to home have diminished and fear over safety means that parents are reluctant to let their children out alone.

And then there is the siren call of screen time. According to the market research firm Childwise, children in the UK aged five to 16 spend an average of sixand-a- half hours a day playing computer games, watching TV or using a mobile phone or tablet. In her book KITH, the writer Jay Griffiths sums up a childhood that has become unnatural: “Born to burrow and nest in nature, children are now exiled from it.”

The trend is often compounded in schools. Scotland’s curriculum for excellence was designed to enshrine outdoor education in

the school programme with a powerful vision for “learning in the outdoor environment to become a reality for all children and young people”.

Unfortunately, in reality only a small minority of schools have taken this to heart. Alison O’Hara, Teacher Naturalist at the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Montrose Basin Visitor Centre, is especially concerned that by the time children reach secondary school a narrow focus on exams puts huge pressure on timetables and that: “trips into the wilds are too often seen as being frivolous”.

Despite this, Alison is heading up an education programme at Montrose that attracts between 2,500 and 3,500 children every year. Right now she is busy leading mini-beast surveys at low tide on the estuary, looking for worms, crabs and shells. Come October, her attention will switch to the estimated 80,000 pinkfooted geese that arrive on their winter migration. Having been a playgroup and scout leader for many years, Alison’s working mission is simply “to get kids out at every opportunity”.

Luckily, Alison and Clare aren’t alone.

All across Scotland there is a gentle revolution going on, led by parents, educators and volunteers, to rewild childhood. It is evident in the Duke of Edinburgh Award, the John Muir Award and Forest Schools. It is also growing through the Trust’s Wildlife Watch Groups, which now total 33 with more than 100 leaders and helpers. At its heart is the common recognition that forming an intimate bond with the natural world should be a given for each and every child in Scotland. It is also a battle that can only be won, for in Jay Griffiths words: “The human heart’s love for nature cannot ultimately be concreted over.”

Clare Toner with James, one of Jupiter’s gardening volunteers

© Jamie Grant

Mud digging in Montrose

Q&A

Robin Harper, Chair of Council for the Scottish Wildlife Trust

Turning children green!

You spent many years as a teacher, were the UK’s first Green Parliamentarian and have played a part in many different organisations, including your current role as Chair of the Scottish Wildlife Trust.

What has it taught you about people’s relationship with nature?

Sadly it has taught me that in our cities, too many people lead lives almost completely divorced from any close contact with nature and with very little recognition of our dependency on the natural world for our livelihoods and wellbeing. The transformational potential of spending time with nature for children, older people and those with mental health issues is extraordinary.

What role do you think the natural world plays in education?

There is a hidden condition that affects many of our children – Nature Deficit Disorder (NDD).

You can only recognise NDD by seeing how much happier, how much more sociable, and how much more confident a child or young person is after open air learning experiences. I have happily shared some of these experiences during my time with the Trust, including pond-dipping, birdwatching, moth trapping and all sorts of woodland adventures.

The law in Norway is such that primary school children must spend the equivalent of at least a day per week learning outside the classroom – I would love to see something similar to this in the UK. Can you tell us about one of your most memorable wildlife moments?

Age six on a stony beach on the island of Hoy in Orkney, gazing through the crystal clear waters of Scapa Flow at the seaweed fronds swaying in the gentle current, I revelled in the iridescent beauty of a thin oil slick on the surface,

innocent of all knowledge of its pollution potential.

Age 75 on Hoy again, the cliffs of Lyness on the Trust’s Hill of White Hamars Wildlife Reserve, Jonny Hughes produced a little magnifying glass for me to look at the exquisite miniature Scottish primrose, Primula scotica, smaller than a shirt button and perfect in its beauty.

Reflecting on your time as Chair, is there anything that stands out most in your memory?

I can think of three special memories that I will treasure. The first is the honour of chairing a very special Board, a collection of highly qualified, dedicated and cheerfully-focused professional people, and of working with a Head Office staff of identical nature. The

second is my visits to reserves and my contact with the managers, rangers, volunteers and Wildlife Watch group leaders at work for our wildlife up and down the country. Each experience is quite different and they all add up to one big joy. The third is my meetings with local groups, learning about the huge contribution they make, from challenging developers to passing on knowledge and enthusiasm, and carrying out vital conservation work.

What advice do you have for your successor?

I would not dare to give any advice to Linda Rosborough! As the former Director of Marine Scotland, her total management experience is very far ahead of mine, but one thing I would say is enjoy, enjoy, enjoy – but pace yourself!

The island of Hoy, Orkney

JULY 2017 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 19

Learning for sustainability

Learning for sustainability

Now embedded in the Curriculum for Excellence, learning for sustainability has a strong profile in formal education in Scotland, with the Trust helping to deliver many of its messages at high schools around the country, writes Rich Rowe.

C

rouch, crawl, stop, listen … it’s not often that a school day begins by inching across frozen turf on your belly in an effort to sneak up on Britain’s largest land mammal. But that’s exactly what second-year pupils from Ullapool High School found themselves doing in January as part of Hill to Grill – a new scheme that highlights how wild venison gets from the open hill onto our plates.

20 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2017

Part of the Coigach & Assynt Living Landscape Partnership’s five-year Outdoor and Woodland Learning Project – funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Scottish Natural Heritage – the Hill to Grill initiative involves rangers and stalkers from the Assynt Foundation, John Muir Trust and Highland Council.

Between them, they take groups of pupils out for a day of camera-stalking on the

hill, teaching tracking techniques, navigation across difficult terrain and – crucially – how to avoid detection.

On day two, the pupils were shown recently culled animals and given a lesson in butchering methods on the hill before heading to the deer larder at Glencanisp Lodge where they learned more about butchery and got a taste of barbecued venison. The scheme was

© Fiona Saywell

© Katrina Martin

LIFE LESSONS

Many people’s only experience of meat is plastic-wrapped products that are indistinguishable from the animal they came from... rounded off by a further day back at school where pupils made a selection of dishes using locally shot and butchered venison.

As the project’s Education Manager Fiona Saywell explains, the whole experience was as far removed from the shrink-wrapped meat found in supermarkets as can be imagined. “Many people’s only experience of meat is plastic-wrapped products that are indistinguishable from the animal they came from … this showed the reality of how such meat gets on the plate,” says Fiona.

While the children loved the experience, the school was equally enthused about a true cross-curricular activity that really engaged the pupils.

The cross-section of experts involved enabled learning around deer biology, sustainability, biodiversity and wider deer management.

As a project, it is also a perfect fit within the school’s commitment to learning for sustainability – a means of equipping tomorrow’s decision-makers with an understanding of living within the environmental limits of the planet.

“Many children had come across stalking because of where they live, although others had never even set foot on the hill,” adds Fiona. “We’d like to do this again next year, potentially bringing pupils from urban high schools to the area.”

NATURE SKILLS

A couple of hundred miles to the south, work with schools in more urban areas is already well underway. As a flagship component of the Cumbernauld Living Landscape project, the Trust has worked for the past two years with students across four of the town’s high schools, sharing skills and bringing improvements to three local wildlife sites.

The Natural Connections project was borne out of work on pine marten workshops with primary schools in the area at the beginning of the Cumbernauld Living Landscape in 2014. Again backed by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Natural Connections has JULY 2017 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 21

Learning for sustainability

Learning for sustainability

It is about learning to live within the environmental limits of our planet, to build a just, equitable, peaceful and sustainable society. In this process, young people are equipped with the skills they need to live... primary and pre-school-aged children, so if we help keep that going through high school, there should be a growing population of people that are more connected with the environment. It becomes part of who they are.”

Crucially, there will also be teacher training offered. “Once our project is over, we don’t want it to stop. A database and supply of physical resources and activity

Rich Rowe is a freelance outdoors writer, based in Innerleithen, Scottish Borders © Katrina Martin

this project,” says Amanda Lynas, a science teacher at St Maurice’s High School. “Young people who are not comfortable in the classroom have really taken a lead in the outdoor activities.”

Tracy adds: “Although the work has been challenging at times, several students have really blossomed. Where they have shown a specific interest, we’ve facilitated meaningful work experience.

This has led to students making different life choices and in some cases going on to further education or apprenticeships.”

And the students’ efforts have inspired others in and around the community, including the self-styled Nature Ninjas – an enthusiastic group of conservation volunteers of all ages who meet one Sunday a month – to work at a variety of wildlife sites across the town.

ideas are also major parts of the project.”

It’s a similar story in Cumbernauld where Tracy Lambert now wants to ensure that teachers and group leaders are equipped to continue the work of Natural Connections when the project ends in September. “Often it seems the teachers themselves say they lack the skills and confidence to do this, so one thing we are trying to achieve is sustainability for teachers to continue this work after we have finished,” she explains.

“With Natural Connections coming to an end later this year, one future project might be to meet the challenge of helping teachers embrace outdoor education so that they can take on this incredibly valuable type of learning.”

LASTING LEGACY

Students planting wildflower plug plants as part of Natural Connections

given students that are less academically engaged the opportunity and skills to improve the outdoor environment in which they live.

With a dozen workshops over a 12-week period, mostly outdoors, participants take part in activities such as removing invasive species, litter picking, wildlife surveys, basic bushcraft, planting wildflower bulbs and plug plants, creating artwork, wood carving and photography – all the time working towards earning their John Muir Award.

“In many ways, primary school children are an easy win as they are 22 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2017

happy to engage with nature, but high school-age children are more difficult to reach,” explains Tracy Lambert, Community Engagement Officer at Cumbernauld Living Landscape. “They need to be in touch with nature just as much, and perhaps even more so as that’s the age group that’s so often associated with anti-social behavior.”

Since its launch in September 2015, around 80 students, all aged 14-16, have taken part, with students from Cumbernauld Academy, Our Lady’s, Greenfaulds and St Maurice’s putting their all into bringing lasting

improvements at three of the town’s wildlife havens – Cumbernauld Glen, Ravenswood Local Nature Reserve and St Maurice’s Pond.

Although the respective sites are situated close to each school, many of the students were not even aware they existed.

It’s little surprise then that Natural Connections has been as much about improving confidence, self-esteem and employability as connecting the teenagers with the natural world around them. “I have seen young people who are really struggling to cope in school become engaged, happy and enthusiastic about

Back in Assynt, Fiona Saywell is looking forward to further strengthening the relationship with a school and head teacher that are really leading on learning for sustainability. For the fifth year running, Ullapool High School pupils will take a residential trip to nearby Tanera Mor on an Island Explorer experience working with Highland Council rangers and staff from the Living Landscape, Hamlet Mountaineering and Summer Isles Enterprises. Once there, they will get involved in everything from a mini expedition and canoeing to pond dipping, coastal surveys and woodland activities.

“The aim is to offer assistance with facilitating regular outdoor learning for high school pupils,” explains Fiona. “We and others already work closely with

LEARNING FOR SUSTAINABILITY - WHAT AND WHY? Scotland has an international reputation recognised by UNESCO and others for sustainable development education, global citizenship and outdoor learning, which are firmly embedded within the Curriculum for Excellence. ‘Learning for sustainability’ encompasses all of these themes and approaches and sets out recommendations to build on successful practice in Scotland.

Ken Muir, Chief Executive and Registrar of the General Teaching Council for

Scotland explains: "Learning for Sustainability is essentially about preparing students for ‘real life’. It is an approach that fits perfectly with all aspects of Curriculum for Excellence, and is a priority as we seek to prepare the young people currently in our schools for an uncertain future.

“Learning for sustainability will help future generations live within the environmental limits of our planet, to build a just, equitable,

peaceful and sustainable society. In this process, they will be equipped with the skills they need to live happy, healthy lives and contribute effectively to society.

"The General Teaching Council for Scotland maintains the Professional Standards for the teaching profession in Scotland. Since 2012, Learning for Sustainability has been embedded across these Standards to support teachers to actively embrace and promote the principles and practices of sustainability in all aspects of their work."

JULY 2017 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 23

Anuual General Meeting

AGM

AGENDA

1. T o approve minutes from the 52nd AGM held at the National Museum of Scotland, Chambers St, Edinburgh EH1 1JF on 24 September 2016.

7. Any other relevant business. All other business must be notified to the Company Secretary by 29 August 2017.

Company Secretary: Susan McKenzie Registered Office: Scottish Wildlife Trust, Harbourside House, 110 Commercial Street, Edinburgh, EH6 6NF.

EVENT PROGRAMME n 10.30 Registration and refreshments n 11.00 AGM n 12.00 Presentations and questions n 12.30 Free light lunch n 13.15 Visit to the Hunterian Museum n 14.30 Tour of Kelvingrove Park n 16.00 Finish

AVE NU E

Please complete this form using CAPITALS and return to: Membership Department, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Harbourside House, 110 Commercial Street, Edinburgh EH6 6NF (by 4 September).

OA KFI ELD AVE NU E

UNIV ERSIT Y AVE NUE JOHN McIN BUILDTYRE ING

Alternatively, book your place online at: scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/ agmbooking

UN OF GIVERSITY LASG OW

McIntyre Building: Room 201, University Avenue, Glasgow G12 8QQ

Road. For more information, visit travelinescotland.com

Given the central location of the University, we would strongly recommend that guests use public transport options where possible.

BY CAR: Exits to the University from the M8 are J18 if travelling from the north, east or south, and J19 if travelling from the west. Please note that whilst car parking on the University campus is free at weekends, it is limited and the surrounding areas can be very busy.

GETTING THERE

BY TRAIN: The McIntyre Building is an 8-10 minute walk from Hillhead Subway Station (0.3 miles) or a 20 minute walk from Partick Train Station (0.9 miles).

BY BUS: A number of buses run through the main University campus from the city centre, Dumbarton Road, Great Western Road and Byres

ELECTION TO THE TRUST’S COUNCIL

Council, which has responsibility for the governance of the Trust, is made up of Trustees elected from the membership. To be an effective Trustee requires time and effort, and members of Council are elected on the basis of what they can contribute by way of knowledge, contacts, expertise and skills (including finance, conservation and science, administration and land management). A Trustee must act in the best interests of the charity as a whole.

This year, as the number of candidates exceeds the number of vacancies on Council, an election is necessary. Vacancies will be filled in accordance with the Articles of Association. Eligible members are offered the opportunity to vote for the nominees they would like to see elected to Council.

24 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2017

10.30 - 16.00 23 September 2017 (AGM 11.00 - 12.30)

ACCESS: Will be via the rear entrance to the McIntyre Building which faces directly onto the north front of the main University building (the reception area will not be open). The access is flat from the pavement and has an automatic external door.

Members should vote using the voting slip on the reverse of the address sheet with this magazine (more available on request online at scottishwildlifetrust. org.uk/agmelection).

For a full list of nominations for election to Council, please see overleaf.

PROPOSED SPECIAL RESOLUTION

It is proposed that the Trust’s Articles of Association are modernised to become more gender-neutral. With that in mind, it is proposed that the Articles are amended to replace the word “Chairman” with “Chair”, “Vice-Chairman” with “Vice-Chair” and “Vice-Chairmen” with “ViceChairs” throughout the Articles of Association.

Full details of the amendments proposed are available on the website.

Name of first delegate Membership number Name of second delegate (if applicable) Contact address

Postcode Telephone Email

Please note that this is a ticketless event.

✃

N

otice is hereby given that the 53rd AGM of the Scottish Wildlife Trust will be held on Saturday 23 September in the McIntyre Building: Room 201, University Avenue, Glasgow G12 8QQ from 11am to 12.30pm.

A light lunch will be provided, followed by the opportunity to visit the Hunterian Museum and Kelvingrove Park. We would like to thank the Clarkston & East Kilbride Local Group and the Glasgow Local Group for helping organise this event.

2. To receive the Council’s report and accounts for the year ended 31 March 2017. The Annual Report and Financial Statements can be downloaded from the Trust’s website: scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk. Copies are available on request from the Company Secretary (see below for address). Copies will also be available at the AGM. 3. T o appoint auditors of the Trust: RSM, First Floor, Quay 2, 139 Fountainbridge, Edinburgh, EH3 9QG. 4. To elect members to Council.

5. To approve the new membership subscription rates (effective from 1 April 2018) recommended by Council.

Full details of these are available on the Trust’s website.

6. Special resolution (see below).

GIB SON STR EET

KEL VIN WA Y

AGM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW

SO UTH PAR K

This year, our Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Saturday 23 September in Glasgow. The meeting will be followed by a light lunch and the opportunity to visit the Hunterian Museum before going on a guided tour of Kelvingrove Park.

If you wish to attend, please complete the booking form opposite or visit scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/agmbooking

VENUE INFORMATION HIL LHE AD STR EET

Notice of Annual General Meeting

BOOK YOUR PLACE

Continued overleaf JULY 2017 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 25

If you are involved in a Local Group, please let us know which one

Office held. e.g. Chair, Secretary (if applicable)

I/we wish to attend (please tick all appropriate) AGM only

Light lunch Visit to the Hunterian

Museum Tour of Kelvingrove Park Please use this space to let us know about any access requirements you may have

Please state if you have any special dietary requirements (please tick) Vegetarian Coeliac Vegan Nut allergy Other (please specify)

If you have any questions about your booking, please contact the Membership team on 0131 312 4700 or email membership@ scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk

NOMINATIONS FOR ELECTION TO COUNCIL Standing for re-election Tony Cameron Proposer: Robin Harper. Seconder: Jonathan Hughes

Thirty years’ membership, three as a Trustee focussing on the long-term strength and resilience of the Trust, underline Tony’s commitment to protecting Scotland’s wildlife. His government service and charity experience have been useful as a founder member of the Finance and Audit Committee and a Director of Natural Capital Scotland. As Convenor of the new Nominations Committee he led on the recruitment of the 12th Chair of Council. His more detailed knowledge of the Trust would enable him to be more effective in a final term.

Robbie Mann Proposer: David Johnston. Seconder: Alison Mann Robbie has served on Council for three years and is currently Chairman of the Ayrshire Local Group. He has helped run various clubs, including as Chair, and was an Area Director for the Scottish National Ski Council, representing the south-west of Scotland. He has worked in the aircraft industry since leaving school and is currently Chair for Spirit AeroSystems pension scheme. His other interests are photography and walking.

Kenny Taylor Proposer: WJP Barnes. Seconder: Karen Chambers.

Kenny is a writer, editor, broadcaster and lecturer with a background in science, conservation and the media. He has played prominent roles in campaigns about peatland afforestation, mountain development, the buy-out of Eigg, GM crop trials and restoration of native species. He is currently Chair of the North of Scotland Local Group and Vice Convenor of the Conservation Committee, and recently chaired the Strategic Review of Reserves.

Standing for election Andrew Binnie Proposer: Petra Collins. Seconder: Caroline Thompson Andrew is a marine conservationist based on Arran with an MSc in ecosystems management. As Director of the Community of Arran Seabed Trust, he led on delivering the South Arran Marine Protected Area. He has appeared on radio and TV advocating a ban on scallop dredging and worked for conservation and development groups in Scotland and Papua New Guinea. He has over 30 years’ experience in business and NGO management gained with charities, volunteer agencies and in educational publishing.

Ruth Briggs Proposer: Susan Manson. Seconder: Graham Russell A degree in biology and geography and an MSc in conservation led Ruth to a full-time career, first with the Nature Conservancy Council and then with Scottish Natural Heritage. She has extensive management experience from various locations, has held senior positions, is familiar with conservation legislation and practice, and since taking early retirement has been on the boards of other charities in Trustee, Chair and Director capacities. She also acts as an occasional independent adviser to the Chartered Institute for Ecology and Environmental Management.

Dr Tim Duffy Proposer: WJP Barnes. Seconder: GK Taylor Tim has been a Trustee of the Trust for 26 years and after the required year off the board is standing again. A recently returned member of the Trust’s Conservation Committee, he would like to again be the representative for this on the Trustee-only Finance and Audit Committee that he helped establish. He has chaired Trust and other nature conservation committees and is currently Vice-Chair of the Lothians Local Group. He is 75% retiring early later this year in order to spend more time on third sector nature conservation action.

Prof Anna Meredith Proposer: James Campbell. Seconder: Mel Tonkin Anna is Chair of Zoological and Conservation Medicine at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies. As a wildlife vet, she has 25 years’ experience in wildlife health and welfare, focusing on conservation and management of native species. In addition, Anna has a wealth of experience in Board working, governance and strategic planning. She is a member of the Scottish Government’s Scottish Science Advisory Council, chairs the UK Government Zoos Expert Committee, and is a Trustee of the Zoological Society of London.

Paul Ritchie Proposer: K Knowles. Seconder: Dr Tim Duffy

✃

Paul spent seven years as the Trust’s Director of Finance and Resources and has worked in similar roles for 20 years. As a chartered accountant, his principal skills are in managing money.

He has been a trustee of several charities, responsible for functions including staff management, IT, fundraising, membership, and health and safety. He cycled to all 120 Trust reserves as part of a fundraiser for the Trust and has been part of a reserve volunteer group.

SCOTTISH WILDLIFE WILDLIFE JULY SUMMER 26 SCOTTISH 2017 2017

SUMMER 2017 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 27

Protecting mobile species

Protecting mobile species

RETURN OF THE GIANTS: Providing a safe haven in Scotland

Once pursued for their liver, basking sharks are now returning to Scotland’s seas, but they are still at risk in our waters. Scotland now has an opportunity to lead the way in safeguarding these gentle giants by protecting their seasonal stronghold, as Colin Speedie explains.

28 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2017

Ad-hoc hunting continued until around the Second World War, when a more focused shark fishing industry began due to oil prices reaching an all-time high of £135 per ton (the equivalent of £5,000 per ton today). By 1948, however, the value of shark liver oil had begun to decline as whale oil came back on the market, and by 1953 the Scottish hunt was mostly abandoned.

By the 1970s, hunting had ceased in Scotland except for one lone fisherman operating in the Firth of Clyde. The last basking shark to be hunted in Scottish waters was in 1994 and four years later, the species finally received legal protection. It was estimated that by this

These spectacular creatures are ambassadors for a wild world…

time approximately 100,000 basking sharks had been killed in the north-east Atlantic region alone.

While they no longer face the threat of hunting in the UK, basking sharks are still at risk in our waters. Boat strikes, entanglement in fishing gear and over-zealous swimmers getting too close can all impact on an individual’s chances of survival. As such, conservation interest in this species remains high and it is important to continue monitoring their recovery.

The Scottish Wildlife Trust has been involved in sighting recording projects since 1997. In 2002, the Trust also supplied volunteers to a yacht-based project that was operating in local waters seeking to establish whether any of the historic hotspots on the west coast still existed. By the end of 2006, surveys covering a distance of more than 11,000 kilometres had been conducted, and the answer was a decisive “yes”. Hotspots did still exist, especially in two areas around Canna and Hyskeir, and Coll and Tiree.

But the question of whether they were resident to these areas or simply passing through remained. Surface sightings are not a reliable way to establish this, so Scottish Natural Heritage, in partnership with the University of Exeter, carried out a detailed satellite tracking programme over three years (2012-2014) to address this question.

The results have been illuminating.

Of the sharks tagged within the boundaries of the proposed Sea of the Hebrides MPA, 84% exhibited seasonal residency during the summer period, with some animals returning to this area in a subsequent year after migrating as far as the Bay of Biscay.

These results demonstrate that the Sea of the Hebrides is critical habitat for basking sharks, especially in the summer when the abundance of their food – those tiny shrimp-like crustaceans in the plankton – reaches its peak. The fact that big shoals of large mature sharks are once again being regularly recorded within the proposed

MPA suggests safeguarding basking that protection sharks for future Colin Speedie of these sites generations to enjoy, as is the Founder and Director o could play a well as other mobile f Wave Action and author of vital role in the species such as minke the recently long-term whales and Risso’s published boo k A Sea recovery of this dolphins. As an integral Monster ’s Tale gentle giant. part of the unique magic : In Search of the Basking It is well worth of the waters of the Shark. noting that the Highlands and Islands, continued presence these spectacular creatures of basking sharks is not are ambassadors for a wild just of academic interest. world that attract visitors from far The area of the proposed MPA is one of and wide, so protecting them makes high value in ecotourism terms, sound economic sense as well. sustaining and creating jobs that depend Above all though, it is their intrinsic on the continued presence of spectacular value to those who live in Scotland for marine megafauna such as basking whom their presence is a symbol of a sharks. Designation of the proposed much-loved wild patrimony that is the MPA would therefore allow a precious greatest reward. This MPA proposal is a resource to still be exploited, but now in unique opportunity to secure a lasting an entirely benign manner and – legacy in conservation terms, and to perhaps most importantly – in show that the current generation in perpetuity.

Scotland understands its responsibility This proposal presents Scotland with to leave this corner of the world in a a golden opportunity to lead the world in better state than how we found it.

JULY 2017 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 29

© Alex Mustard, 2020VISION

S

cotland’s waters are home to a wonderfully diverse range of marine life, from microscopic shrimp-like crustaceans floating in the plankton all the way up to the enormous basking shark.

Capable of reaching 11 metres in length, basking sharks are the world’s second largest fish, and the west coast of Scotland has long been recognised as an important stronghold for the species. So much so in fact, that a proposal is currently before the Scottish Government to declare the Sea of the Hebrides a Marine Protected Area (MPA) for basking sharks – one of four mobile species MPAs being proposed and the first of their kind in the UK. Dating back to the 1760s, some of the earliest records of basking sharks come from this region of Scotland. Even then these gentle giants were pursued and hunted, primarily for their livers.

Accounting for up to 25% of an individual’s body weight, a shark’s liver contains an oil that was historically used in oil lamps, among other things.

Vine House Farm

Celebrating 10 years

and over £1.25 million for wildlife Vine House Farm Bird Food’s relationship with the Wildlife Trusts movement began in 2007, and has now raised more than £1.25 million for Wildlife Trusts across the UK.

W

ith the tenth anniversary of the partnership now upon us, we’re celebrating this milestone by asking founder and owner Nicholas Watts about the company’s ethos, and what farms can do to help wildlife.

Here are his top 10 tips: 1) Feed the birds! I’ve been recording birds on the farm since 1982. Ten years later there had been a big drop in numbers so I started to do what I could to help, including feeding them on a large scale. The bird food business started almost by accident from there.

2) Keep it local. Much of our seed is grown here in the Lincolnshire Fens.

This reduces the carbon footprint of our produce, and helps to keep prices low.

3) Encourage arable weeds to grow in the field margins. These are the most diverse places on the farm, where I can find up to 60 different plants. Insects live on these weeds, and farmland birds need the insects to feed their nestlings.

4) Devote a portion of farmland to wildflower meadows to ensure that pollinator populations are healthy, helping them provide a vital service.

We’ve created eight acres of meadow at Vine House Farm.

5) Create hedges. A staggering amount of hedgerow has disappeared from our countryside. We’ve planted seven kilometres in the last 10 years to provide a habitat for nesting birds such as chaffinch, greenfinch, and yellowhammer.

6) Plant trees. This creates a place for birds to roost, and the three woodlands on our farm are a place for robins and blackbirds to feed and nest.

7) Dig out ponds and pools. We’ve now

30 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2017

Nicholas Watts

got common terns breeding on a few of the small islands, and marsh harriers have begun breeding in the reed beds.

8) Even drainage dykes can provide important habitat. Manage dykes in such a way that reed beds can flourish and species such as reed warblers can live and breed.

9) Introduce purpose-built features. Our brick towers provide a home to tree sparrows, hen harriers and barn owls.

10) Finally, believe in what you’re doing.

My passion for nature conservation is central to how we run our business. I’m pleased to say that’s a philosophy shared by my daughter, Lucy, who is now responsible for the day-to-day running of the bird food business.

Buying your bird food from Vine House Farm helps support the work we do because up to 5% of all sales are donated to The Wildlife Trusts.

More information on the farm and their wild bird food can be found on the Vine House Farm website: vinehousefarm.co.uk

Watch out for

Watch out for

Watch out for...

Some wildlife highlights to enjoy over the coming months Reading

Reading

The Red Squirrel: A future in the forest

ReWild: The art of returning to nature

by Neil McIntyre and Polly Pullar Published by Wild Media Foundation ISBN 978-0956842312 Hardcover RRP £25

by Nick Baker Published by Aurum Press Ltd. ISBN 978-1781316559 Hardcover RRP £16.99

Breathtaking photography is accompanied by beautifully descriptive text in this new book on one of the true treasures of Scotland’s countryside.

Neil McIntyre’s skill as a photographer is apparent on every page, with crisp imagery of handsome red squirrels taken from all manner of angles. Scattered throughout the book are Neil’s personal insights into how some of the photographs were captured, giving a fascinating back story to some of his shots.

Meanwhile, Polly Pullar’s eloquent use of words takes the

In Rewild, Nick Baker, Vice President of The Wildlife Trusts, inspires you to think differently about your personal connection with the natural world.

After a brusque discussion around humanity’s increasing lack of connection with nature, it is in the third chapter that Baker hits his subject.

Focusing on one sense at a time, he intersperses anatomy and science with personal anecdotes from around the world. He also provides inspiration on how to practically hone your senses (slow down, lie down), how to deepen your engagement with nature, and how to value each moment of connection. In essence, how to rewild yourself.

reader on an informative and evocative journey from start to finish. The result is that you’ll not only come away from this book with a greater love for our furry red friends, but also a greater knowledge and understanding of them.

By Pete Haskell

By Ruth Hunter

Event

Animal Families and Me, with Gordon Buchanan

Competition

Perfect setting for a romantic night

W

in a romantic overnight stay for two at Achray House Hotel, overlooking Loch Earn in Perthshire, Scotland. Prize includes: Superior Loch View Room, seven-course tasting menu for dinner, welcome cocktail, and breakfast, valued at £282 (prize not available on Saturdays).

Situated within Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, Achray House Hotel & Lodges are surrounded by stunning scenery and a mere hour’s drive from Edinburgh or Glasgow. Perfect for laid-back breaks, sightseeing or activities

such as golf, hiking, water sports, cycling and mountaineering, the hotel is ideally situated as a base to explore the West Coast, Perthshire, Stirlingshire and ancient towns and villages across the Southern Highlands.

Open mid-February to December, including Christmas and New Year, there are various seasonal special offers and a “3-for-2” midweek special. Rooms include the popular honeymoon suite, superior rooms, garden rooms or comfortable economy double rooms. Breakfast is included in all rates. Dinner at our conservatory restaurant overlooking Loch Earn is a daily highlight! Achray House Hotel also caters for events.

Website: www.achrayhouse.com Phone: 0560 368 4252 Email info@achrayhouse.com To enter, simply tell us: Which National Park is Achray House Hotel and Lodges located in?

Send your entry to: Scottish Wildlife Trust Competition, c/o Connect Publications, Studio 2001, Mile End, Seedhill Road, Paisley PA1 1JS. Or email hello@connectcommunications. co.uk with “Scottish Wildlife Trust Competition” in the subject line before midnight on 26 August 2017.

Answer Name Address

Postcode Telephone Email

Interested in advertising in Scottish Wildlife?

Contact Elliot Whitehead on 0131 561 0021

26 Sep - 15 Oct A unique opportunity to hear wildlife cameraman, presenter and Scottish Wildlife Trust Ambassador Gordon Buchanan recount stories from his globetrotting adventures.

Illustrated with his own film footage and photography, Gordon will delve into the world of the weird, wild and wonderful this autumn in a UK tour which includes five dates and venues in Scotland.

For more information, visit josarsby.com/gordon-buchanan

32 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2017

JULY 2017 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 33

Viewpoint

Viewpoint Your stories from around Scotland

WE’RE INTERE ALWAYS STE YOUR O PINIOND IN OBSER VATIOSNAND S

Speak to us o Twitte n r: @Sc otWild Faceb life ook: fa scottish cebook.com / or ema wildlifetrust il us: e nquirie @scott s ishwild lifetrus t. org.uk

© Rory Syme

THE VIEW FROM…

ANGUS SMITH, FALKIRK LOCAL GROUP I’VE always had an interest in wildlife.

During the Second World War, which broke out when I was eight, I spent four years on a relative’s farm at Machrihanish, on the Kintyre peninsular, with my younger brother. At that time no chemicals were being used, and the fields were like machair, with fantastic displays of wildflowers.

I got involved with the Falkirk group in 1983 through Wallacebank Wood Wildlife Reserve. It was infested with rhododendron, but we cleared it over 25 years, cutting and burning it and then winching out the roots. It was lucky that we could call on a squad of a dozen people for a work party, one month recording 600 work hours there.

My proudest achievements are being involved with Jupiter and Bo’mains Meadow reserves. I knew the site that became Jupiter because I had covered Grangemouth as a police inspector. Back then it was the M9 industrial estate and Jupiter was the name of a closed-down DIY store.

One of the managers from Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) approached the Trust offering to build a hide but we said the only problem was that we would need some land to put it on! So they came back and offered us the industrial estate.

The ground consisted of the cinders from the derelict railway siding, but I knew it would make a great urban wildlife centre.

We persuaded them to commit money to convert the site, and our group put in a lot of work to keep it going and improve it until the first ranger was appointed.

Jupiter is a real oasis surrounded by built-up areas, so seeing it celebrate its 25th anniversary and having the local schools involved is a great thing.

We managed Bo’mains Meadow by agreement with the council for many years, but when the water board took responsibility for the site they decided it was surplus to requirements and we convinced them to sell it to the Trust for £1.

Before chemical fertilisers, all the fields around Bo’ness would have had the 34 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE JULY 2017

orchids you can find at Bo’mains, such as common twayblade, common spotted, greater butterfly and northern marsh orchids, so the meadow is now a small reminder of what can be achieved.

I used to go up and strim the meadow where thistles were taking over, and I put up boxes to attract tree sparrows. At that time, the species was very scarce and we were looking all over for them. Now there are even more boxes and the tree sparrows are flourishing.

When I reached 80 years old I decided

it was time to scale back my hours, but I’d encourage others to volunteer without a doubt. You get a real sense of satisfaction knowing all the work that has gone into these wild places has left them in a better state than before – that’s a good philosophy to live by.

Angus Smith is retiring from the committee of our Falkirk Local Group after more than 30 years. Find out how to get involved with your local group at scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/localgroups