Issuu

Number 99 | November 2019

Action stations How protecting nature could help tackle the climate emergency

FEATURE: Celebrating 10 years of protecting red squirrels

Welcome from our Chair

FIRST WORD From our Chair, Linda Rosborough

aced with a climate emergency and biodiversity crisis, we must fundamentally change the way we interact with nature. We need to demonstrate what can be achieved if we engage with our natural world differently and we need to build stronger connections between people and wildlife. People are the lifeblood of the Scottish Wildlife Trust. Last year, more than 5,536 days of work were carried out by volunteers on reserves alone, but we also have volunteer support for a wide range of other activities, from collecting and processing data, to fundraising and organising events for the public. A lot of this activity takes place through the Trust’s local groups, and this year the Central Borders Group kindly hosted our AGM in the splendid surroundings of Heriot-Watt University’s Borders campus. We were fortunate to have a beautiful day so, as well as our formal meeting, we were able to enjoy a sociable walk beside the Tweed. It’s always good to see long-standing members and also to meet new arrivals keen to be more involved in the Trust.

We’ve got a great opportunity to make it a big year for championing and restoring Scotland’s wildlife. If you do have some time and want to be more involved, then joining a local group is a great place to start. You can find your nearest group on the Trust’s website, and many of our existing groups are looking for fresh faces to take on responsibility for specific activities, so I promise that you will be warmly welcomed. If joining groups isn’t for you, there are many other exciting volunteer opportunities advertised on the Trust’s website. It’s a great time to get involved as the Trust is supporting people in new, inclusive and exciting ways. Even at home you can make a

difference. We were delighted at the response to our recent campaign for the world’s first basking shark Marine Protected Area. We ran this campaign in partnership with the Marine Conservation Society and more than 3,300 people responded. A huge thank you to all those people who took the time to respond and fingers crossed for a positive outcome from the consultation. Next year will be a big year for nature as global leaders set new targets to save biodiversity. With the world’s most important climate change conference in Glasgow in November 2020, we’ve also got a great opportunity to make it a big year in Scotland for championing and restoring Scotland’s wildlife and wild places. Your support helps to make this happen, so I’d like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you. To find your nearest local group, visit scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/local-group

The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that the last four pages were missing in the previous edition of Scottish Wildlife (issue 98). We take the production of our members’ magazine very seriously and would like to apologise for this error. Our printers have asked us to pass on their sincerest apologies to our readers and have compensated the Trust

A bumper issue

appropriately. When the mistake was discovered, the magazines had already been printed and we felt that the environmental cost of reprinting the entire batch far outweighed the benefit of doing so. As such, we have made this issue a bumper issue to make up for it, which I do hope you enjoy. Pete Haskell, Head of Communications & Engagement

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Contents

Inside this issue

06 RIVERS AND STREAMS

We take a look at some of the wildlife that can be found living in Scotland’s freshwater habitats.

08 NEWS

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

THE INTRINSIC LINK

SAVING SCOTLAND’S RED SQUIRRELS

WET FARMING

THE PERFECT PORTRAIT

TALKING POINT

Find out how the climate and biodiversity emergencies are linked and how protecting nature can help solve both.

We look at ten years of the Trust-led project to save Scotland’s iconic red squirrels.

Could paludiculture, farming on wet land, be a stepping stone to restoring our degraded peatlands?

Enter our wildlife photography competition and your image could be on the front cover of our 100th issue.

Art, awareness and advocacy – we hear how three supporters are helping to further the work of the Trust.

WI CULI N A ADVE NARY LOCHNTURE B SUNA Y SEE P RT AGE 37

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.

The Scottish Wildlife Trust is affiliated to The Wildlife Trusts, a UK-wide network of 46 Trusts with more than 2,000 wildlife reserves. 4 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE NOVEMBER 2019

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) £40 (£18); Joint (concession) £47 (£24); Family £57; Watch £18; Life (joint) £900 (£1,300); World/Overseas £45. Patron: HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay. Chair: Linda Rosborough. Vice-Chairs: Karen Chambers, Amanda Forsyth, Kenny Taylor. Chief Executive: Jo Pike. Executive Editor: Ruchir Shah editor@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk Production Editor: Pete Haskell. Design: Connect connectcommunications.co.uk Advertising: Elliot Whitehead 0131 561 0021, Clare Stebbing 0131 561 0024. Printing: InkMark – inkmarkltd.com Cover photo: Neil Aldridge

Social media Spotlight: link/Web Water vole link

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT:

WATER VOLE (Arvicola amphibius)

Water voles are also known as ‘water dogs’ and ‘water rats’, and were famously portrayed as Ratty in Kenneth Grahame’s classic novel The Wind in the Willows.

Primarily living in burrows dug into the banks of rivers, burns and ponds, water voles can also be found living in reed beds, where they weave ball-shaped nests above the ground.

Feeding on grasses and other waterside vegetation, water voles must eat around 80% of their body weight per day to survive. More than 200 plant species have been identified in their diet.

Just 21 days after mating, female water voles give birth to litters of up to eight baby voles (known as pups), each weighing less than a £2 coin.

Water voles are one of the UK’s most endangered mammals, with numbers having plummeted by 90% since the 1970s due to habitat loss and predation by the invasive American mink.

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Spotlight: Rivers and streams

WATERY WONDERS Starting as a bubbling spring or a trickle from the hills, our burns and rivers are like the arteries of the country. As more and more water feeds into them, they grow in size and strength during their long meandering journeys to the sea. Over time, rivers have helped shape our landscape, carving out valleys and

gorges and crashing over ledges as spectacular waterfalls. Scotland has 125,000km of rivers and streams – enough to go around Earth three times – and this running water supports a wealth of aquatic and riverside habitats. With constantly shifting conditions due to changes in seasons and weather,

no riverside walk is quite the same. This permanent state of flux also encourages a huge diversity of wildlife, from kingfishers and dragonflies, to sticklebacks and diving beetles. So grab your binoculars, hand lens and kick net, and enjoy a day of nature-spotting along one of Scotland’s spectacular streams.

WATER VOLE

DIPPER

Active from April to September, water voles are often easiest to spot in the spring, when riverside vegetation is low. Look for holes in the riverbank and listen out for the distinctive ‘plop’ of one dropping into the water.

These plump brown birds are often seen bobbing up and down on stones in fast-flowing rivers. They feed on aquatic insects by walking into, and under, the water and are seen year-round in many parts of Scotland, especially upland areas.

CADDISFLY About 200 species of caddisfly are found in the UK. As adults, caddisflies resemble moths, but they have an aquatic larval stage during which they live inside protective cases made from stones, twigs and leaves bound together with silk secreted from special glands.

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FRESHWATER PEARL MUSSEL These endangered mussels spend their adult lives anchored to the riverbed, but as larvae attach to the gills of salmon and trout and ‘hitch a ride’ for up to 10 months. The oldest know mussel was 134 years old.

Spotlight: Rivers and streams

RESERVES A FALLS OF CLYDE

OS Landranger 71, NS881423 Spectacular waterfalls, scenic woodland walks and an abundance of wildlife have made Falls of Clyde one of the Trust’s most popular reserves. The waterfalls are at their most impressive in winter, when the river is at its fullest. BROOK LAMPREY These primitive jawless fish have a round sucker-mouth that they use to latch on to and feed on other fish. Growing up to 19cm long, lampreys have an eel-like body and, like sharks and rays, have a skeleton made from cartilage rather than bone.

B TUMMEL SHINGLE ISLANDS

OS Landranger 52, NN974523 The ever-changing freshwater shingle habitat at this reserve, pictured, is one of the rarest habitats in the UK, supporting an abundance of insect life and more than 400 species of plants.

C ROSLIN GLEN

OS Landranger 66, NT275625 A short distance from the worldrenowned Rosslyn Chapel, this reserve boasts a beautiful ancient woodland of oak, ash, hazel, cherry and hawthorn growing along the steep-sided banks of the River North Esk.

D GARNOCK FLOODS

OS Landranger 70, NS306417 This low-lying floodplain pasture to the north of Irvine has shallow pools and marshy areas that attract a wide range of waders and wildfowl during winter. MARSH-MARIGOLD A member of the buttercup family, the marsh-marigold is a widespread and conspicuous spring flower that grows well in wet, shady conditions such as wet woodland and along the banks of shaded rivers. It is also a great addition to a wildlife pond.

E BEN MOR COIGACH

OS Landranger 15, NC075065 Dominating the landscape north of Ullapool, this is the Trust’s largest reserve at more than 5,000 hectares. A number of burns run east to west, carrying water from the impressive hills out to the spectacular coastline.

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Main image: Tummel Shingle Islands © Alistair Jump, University of Stirling, Water vole © Terry Whitaker, 2020VISION, Dipper © Andy Rouse, 2020VISION, Caddis fly © Chris Lawrence, Freshwater pearl mussel © Joel Berglund, CC-BY 3.0, Marsh marigold © Richard Burkmar

Scottish Wildlife Trust news

Latest news

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

KEEP UP TO DATE

All the latest Trust news is available on our website scottishwildlife trust.org.uk © Alexander Mustard, 2020VISION

Act fast as one in nine species are under threat

THE three State of Nature reports produced in the last six years have periodically updated what we know about the state of the UK’s wildlife. The most recent, published in October, sadly demonstrates that Scotland’s species continue to decline. “There has been no let-up in the net loss of nature in Scotland,” the report states. A staggering 11% of the 6,413 species found in Scotland that have been assessed have been classified as being threatened with extinction from Great Britain – that is one in every nine species. Another startling statistic is that 62% of our species are showing strong changes in abundance, confirming that wildlife is undergoing a period of rapid and significant change in response to the pressures it is facing. Fortunately, this is beginning to be recognised through the growing public concern about the climate emergency and global biodiversity crisis. Whilst there are many examples of the Trust’s work that can offer us some much-needed optimism for the future, this latest report is an important reminder of the speed and scale at which things are changing and therefore of the speed and scale at which we must respond. Sarah Robinson, Director of Conservation

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Strong support for basking sharks THOUSANDS of people have added their voices in support of the world’s first protected area for basking sharks. Our joint campaign with the Marine Conservation Society aimed to demonstrate public support for a new Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Sea of the Hebrides. It secured more than 3,300 responses in favour. Dr Sam Collin, the Trust’s Marine Planning Manager, said: “The proposed MPA will add to a growing network of protected areas around Scotland. We hope that the responses gathered through our campaign will demonstrate the public support for this world first.” The Sea of the Hebrides MPA is one of four that have been proposed by the Scottish Government. Collectively, these areas would protect animals including basking sharks, minke whales and Risso’s dolphins, as well as fragile seabed habitats and geological features. Large groups of basking sharks gather in the Inner Hebrides from May to

October to feed on the plentiful plankton supported by the mixing of nutrient-rich cold waters with warmer surface waters. The Marine Conservation Society’s Calum Duncan said: “We’re delighted to have partnered with the Scottish Wildlife Trust to demonstrate such strong support for protecting these incredible ocean giants.” If the proposed MPA goes ahead, a follow-up consultation will be held on any management orders that are needed to protect basking sharks from disturbance. The four new MPAs are among a number of welcome commitments that the Scottish Government has made for marine conservation. Measures announced in the latest Programme for Government include the creation of a new deep sea marine reserve as well as further research into the role of seabed habitats as carbon stores, and a number of measures to improve the management of inshore fisheries.

Scottish Wildlife Trust news

Hey you, get off my perch! WOOD you believe it! Kingfishers are a common sight at Montrose Basin Wildlife Reserve from August to March. But regular visitor Ron Mitchell was astonished to spot this brief encounter

between a kingfisher and a great spotted woodpecker and captured this shot. During winter, Montrose Basin Visitor Centre is open Friday to Monday from 10.30am to 4pm.

Young people earn their stripes at the Falls of Clyde

A GROUP of young people with learning disabilities have gained new skills and experiences at Falls of Clyde Wildlife Reserve. Supported by Scottish Badgers, Enable Scotland and the Trust, the group took part in five sessions including wildlife identification and operating trail cameras. They also had the chance to experience a day in the life of a ranger, when the group spent the day at Falls of Clyde looking at reserve management and pond surveying. Many of the group members have gone on to places in further education. Lyndsay Mark, Visitor Experience Manager at Falls of Clyde Visitor Centre and Wildlife Reserve, said: “We’re so proud of everyone in the group. They have really developed and achieved so many ‘firsts’ – from the first time seeing a newt to the first time using tools. “Their confidence, social and practical skills improved each week and they’ve developed transferable skills, such as team-building and leadership, which are invaluable for their futures.” Earn Your Stripes is a three-year skills development programme for 16 to 24 year olds who face barriers to volunteering and employment. The project is delivered by the Scottish Wildlife Trust and Scottish Badgers, and supported by National Lottery players.

Moonwort at Carlingnose Point

Volunteers at Carlingnose Point

MOONWORT has been recorded at Carlingnose Point Wildlife Reserve in Fife for the first time in 30 years. This plant is a small fern which has been lost from many sites due to encroaching scrub and intensive management of grassland. Volunteers spotted the plant during annual monitoring this summer. They also found the

nectar-rich wildflower bloody cranesbill, a species not seen on the site for many years. Reserves Manager Rory Sandison said: “Local volunteers and our conservation teams have been working hard to keep on top of the scrub at Carlingnose Point over a number of years. I’m pleased their efforts appear to be paying off.” NOVEMBER 2019 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 9

Scottish Wildlife Trust news

IN BRIEF Watch group acts on plastic ROWANTREE Primary Wildlife Watch in Dundee has taken action to reduce litter in its local community. The group has organised litter picks, made a video promoting reusable water bottles, and collected more than 14,000 crisp packets for recycling, while raising funds for the Trust at the same time.

Rare find at Bawsinch © Ian Alexander

A TRUST volunteer found the third small china-mark moth ever recorded in Scotland at our Bawsinch Wildlife Reserve this summer. This micro-moth has a wingspan measuring just 20mm.

Trust welcomes new Director of External Affairs RUCHIR Shah has been appointed as the Trust’s new Director of External Affairs. He joins the Trust following 18 years working for the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations. Ruchir has a long-standing interest in sustainable development, and played an active role in remobilising Scotland’s engagement with the Sustainable Development Goals.

THE Trust has issued a fresh call for a temporary ban on culling mountain hares in Scotland. Government nature advisory body the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, has downgraded the conservation status of mountain hares to unfavourable due to threats including hunting and game management.

National Lottery turns 25 NATIONAL Lottery funding has had a huge impact on our work over the past 25 years – from supporting our Living Landscape projects in Coigach & Assynt and Cumbernauld, to helping protect red squirrels. Visit our website to see 25 ways National Lottery players have made a difference for Scotland’s wildlife. 10 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE NOVEMBER 2019

SIR David Attenborough has joined the Trust in demanding action to help Scotland’s wildlife recover in response to the alarming declines highlighted by the 2019 State of Nature report. Speaking in a short film, Sir David says: “A legally binding network for nature would mean that wildlife is prioritised when managing our land and planning our towns. Powerful new environmental laws can ensure habitats are expanded and reconnected, meaning all life will thrive once more. “It’s time to turn things around. Nature is capable of extraordinary recovery but we must act now.” The most recent State of Nature report was published in early October. It is based on 50 years of data collected by thousands of volunteers and demonstrates that there has been

no let-up in the net loss of nature in Scotland. Worryingly, the report reveals that one in nine species in Scotland are threatened with extinction, and that nearly half of the studied species have declined in the last 25 years. Our Chief Executive Jo © Pen ny Pike said: “We must act Di x now to reverse the loss of biodiversity and address climate change before it’s too late. “This means taking urgent, strategic action to protect and restore natural habitats on land and sea, green our towns and cities, and transform our relationship with the natural world. Nature is our life-support system. We owe it to future generations to support its recovery.” ie

Mountain hares need protection

Sir David demands action after shocking State of Nature report

Find out how nature can be part of the solution to climate change by visiting scottishwildifetrust.org.uk/emergency

Scottish Wildlife Trust news

School pupils help celebrate 50 years of the Lowes CHILDREN from the Royal School of Dunkeld have helped to design packs of notelets to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve. Four designs were chosen from artworks drawn by pupils in Primary 3 and 4 at the school who visited the

Great Scottish Squirrel Survey HUNDREDS of people across Scotland took part in the first Great Scottish Squirrel Survey earlier this autumn. The survey, organised by the Trust-led Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project, took place in September and was featured on BBC Scotland’s Landward programme. There were 800

sightings of red and grey squirrels recorded in just one week, helping to build up a snapshot of their populations across Scotland. Full results will be published by the end of the year. In October, Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels was the winner of the Conservation Award in

Scottish Land & Estates’ Helping It Happen campaign. This was welcome recognition of the role that landowners and rural businesses play in supporting red squirrel conservation. For more information, or to record your own sightings, visit scottishsquirrels.org.uk

reserve in spring. Each of the entries was inspired by birdlife that can be found at Loch of the Lowes. The winning images were on display in the visitor centre during the October holidays and the packs of notelets are on sale at Loch of the Lowes Visitor Centre while stocks last.

Fresh funding for Nectar Network THE Irvine to Girvan Nectar Network has taken a big step forward thanks to funding from the R&A and Scottish Natural Heritage. Over the next three years, the project will be expanded to form a web of 50 nectar-rich sites along the Ayrshire coast. Work including sowing wildflowers and planting trees will help to increase the resilience of local pollinator populations. Hundreds of local people including schoolchildren will get the opportunity to learn about and engage with the developing network. Reserves Manager Gill Smart said: “The Nectar Network partnership is exciting because it is much bigger than the sum of its parts. Separately we have the time, knowledge and land to be able to help pollinators. By coming together we can make a major difference.” The Nectar Network is a partnership between 30 organisations including businesses, golf courses and community groups, which is led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. The project has already benefited rare species including the northern colletes mining bee and the small blue butterfly.

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Scottish Wildlife Trust news

Bavarian beavers making a home in Knapdale © Steve Gardner, Scottish Beavers 12 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE NOVEMBER 2019

OUR Edinburgh office has become a little bit greener thanks to a raised-bed building workshop organised with Leith Community Crops in Pots. Planters filled with pollinatorfriendly flowers as well as tasty fruit and veg were built to bring a new buzz and a splash of green to our car park.

The initiative is just one way we are trying to further reduce our organisational impact on the environment. Other recent changes include switching to compostable wrapping for our publications and using electric bikes to travel to local meetings.

Conservation Awards THE first three participants in the Trust’s new Conservation Awards are settling into their roles. This programme is a brand new initiative designed to help young people develop the skills and experience needed to gain paid employment in conservation. This year, placements have been offered at Falls of Clyde, Montrose Basin and

Otherworldly OCEANALLOVER’S hypnotic performance inspired by the dramatic landscape, emotion and ecology of Assynt took place this summer in collaboration with Coigach & Assynt Living Landscape.

Jupiter Urban Wildlife Centre. Our People and Wildlife Officer Catherine Leatherland said: “We want the Conservation Awards to be a recognised and valuable programme that ultimately helps people to find jobs in conservation in the future, and become champions for nature both in and out of the workplace.”

BEAVERS released into Knapdale Forest as part of the Scottish Beavers Reinforcement Project are successfully settling in. Two pairs of Eurasian beavers of Bavarian origin were moved from Tayside to Knapdale. Both pairs are known to have produced kits since their release as part of the threeyear project designed to boost numbers and genetic diversity in the animals’ population in the area. Eight more beavers from Tayside were released in Knapdale this autumn to provide further reinforcements. This work is being carried out by the Trust in partnership with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) on land managed by Forestry and Land Scotland and under licence from Scottish Natural Heritage. The project is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and members of the Trust. Sarah Robinson, our Director of Conservation, said: “We have been working with RZSS to give the small number of beavers released into Knapdale a more sustainable future. “We’re pleased to see they are settling in and hope it won’t be long until the Bavarian animals begin to mix with those released as part of the Scottish Beaver Trial.” Research published earlier this year by the University of Stirling has provided further evidence of the biodiversity benefits of beavers. The study, led by Dr Alan Law and Professor Nigel Willby, found the number of species uniquely found in beaver-built ponds in Southern Sweden was 50% higher than in other wetlands in the region.

Greening through greens

Advertorial

EXERCISING ACCESS RESPONSIBLY N

otwithstanding this summer’s poor weather, in the hope that we have a dry and crisp winter, it is perhaps worth a reminder about what rights the public have to walk over land in Scotland. We all have access rights over much of Scotland’s countryside for recreational and educational purposes. Under the Law Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, a statutory public right of access was introduced (“the right to roam”). This allowed the public to access land, including land some regarded as private. Access has to be exercised responsibly and members of the public should remind themselves of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. It explains that the exercise of these rights means that members of the public should be courteous, considerate and aware of any agricultural or commercial activities on the land. They are also expected to consider their own safety. Dog owners have to be particularly mindful of the requirement to exercise responsible access. Keeping dogs on a lead is advisable when walking through a field containing livestock and it is wise to consider whether parts of any farm should be avoided. If you go into a field of farm animals, keep your dog(s) on a short lead or under close control and keep as far as possible from the animals. Animals can react unexpectedly to

visitors and can be dangerous. People should be alert to hazards and keep well clear of agricultural or land management activities and it is perfectly acceptable for landowners to ask people to avoid areas with growing crops or grazing animals. Environmental protection and respect is also important; visitors to the countryside should remember to leave land as they find it and dispose of all litter appropriately – generally, by taking it home! Landowners have a duty to respect the exercise of access rights and take account of the safety of those exercising these rights over their land. If there is a need to ask people to avoid particular areas, it should be explained that this is because of estate or farm operations and to look out for public safety. There may be tree felling taking place or crop spraying or structures in poor condition that should be avoided by the public. The right to roam does not cover all land. Access to garden ground surrounding private houses and land around commercial properties is not permitted by the Code. Sometimes, the extent of the garden ground is not clear cut. Landowners are entitled to reasonable privacy and enjoyment of their own houses and walkers exercising rights of access should keep a sensible distance from houses and gardens and avoid ground that overlooks

a house. A private garden includes a lawn or short mown grass; flowerbeds; tended shrubs; paving and water features; walled gardens; sheds and summerhouses. The same rules are less likely to apply to areas of land some distance from a property which are less intensively managed, such as grassland and woodland, and the public might reasonably expect to take responsible access over such areas. You have to weigh up the position and use your common sense. If a private house is used for commercial purposes, an argument can be made for restricting the right to roam over areas that comprise buildings and the curtilage of buildings that are not houses. This will include commercial properties. If you need more advice about this or any other rural matters please contact the Morton Fraser Agricultural and Rural Property Team. LINSEY BARCLAY-SMITH PARTNER 0131 247 1340 Linsey.barclay-smith@morton-fraser.com

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Wider news

Year of the painted lady ALMOST 1.6 million individual moths and butterflies were recorded across the UK through Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count this summer. This year was a bumper year for migrating painted ladies, which

made up for almost 25% of the butterflies recorded. Impressively, the number of contributors to the survey in Scotland has doubled since last year. Find out more at bigbutterflycount.org

TOP TEN SPECIES OF BUTTERFLY RECORDED IN SCOTLAND 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Painted lady S mall tortoiseshell Peacock Small white Red admiral

6. L arge white 7. G reen-veined white 8. Meadow brown 9. Ringlet 10. Speckled wood

Fight For Scotland’s Nature

88% 92% 47%

of young people (16-34) are concerned about the threats to wildlife from climate change, habitat loss and pollution. of people believe our nature and wildlife are important for making Scotland a good place to raise a family. of people want Holyrood to bring in stronger environmental protections than those provided by EU regulations.

(Survation polling for Scottish Environment LINK, August 2019)

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KEEN-EYED volunteers have helped to reveal the huge journeys undertaken by humpback whales that winter in the Firth of Forth. Members of the Forth Marine Mammals Project matched an image of a whale nicknamed “vYking” to a photograph taken in Svalbard, an Arctic archipelago 2,610km away. This is the first record of a UK-sighted humpback whale in its summer feeding grounds. Inspired by this discovery, a team of marine biologists interrogated the sightings and photos of humpback

whales shared on the Forth Marine Mammals Facebook group. Their findings suggest some humpback whales use the UK’s seas as a pit stop on their migration from the Arctic to tropical breeding grounds. “Our research shows the invaluable contribution that ©R the public can make to on M our understanding of marine wildlife,” said Katie O’Neil, co-lead author of the study. “Without the dedication and commitment shown by the Forth Marine Mammals group and its volunteers, we wouldn’t be able to make important discoveries like this.” Sightings of humpback whales around the UK are increasing year on year and the Firth of Forth has emerged as a hotspot for the ocean giants. Four humpbacks were seen regularly in the area last winter. d nal do ac

POLLING carried out for Scottish Environment LINK has revealed strong public support for protecting the nation’s natural environment. More than four in five Scots say they are concerned about the potential threats to wildlife from climate change, habitat loss and pollution. And a staggering 94% agree that the natural environment is either ‘very important’ or ‘quite important’ to both Scotland’s economy and its national identity. This survey is a strong show of support for the Fight for Scotland’s Nature campaign, which calls for Scotland to have its own Environment Act. Find out more at fightforscotlandsnature.scot

Social media assists whale trackers

World comes to Glasgow in 2020 GLASGOW will host the United Nations’ 26th climate change summit at the end of next year. The conference (known as COP26) will bring together thousands of delegates from around the world, including climate experts, business leaders and citizens, to agree on ambitious actions to take on climate change. Claire Perry, the UK’s nominated President for COP26, said: “In 2020, world leaders will come together to discuss how to tackle climate change on a global scale – and where better to do so than Glasgow, one of the UK’s most sustainable cities with a great track record for hosting high-profile international events.”

A lasting legacy from Suffolk to the Small Isles Patricia Braithwaite, a countryside enthusiast, first discovered her interest in the work of The Wildlife Trusts through a reserve in her hometown. Patricia had many interests, from hospital laboratory work to choral singing and embroidery. But one of her biggest passions was being in the countryside. Raised in Suffolk, Patricia volunteered with Suffolk Wildlife Trust before moving to Scotland, where she settled with her husband, Michael. Patricia’s love of the outdoors and enthusiasm for The Wildlife Trusts stemmed from her time spent volunteering at Bradfield Woods reserve in Suffolk. Afterwards, she had the opportunity to survey the marsh pea, which brought her into contact with botanists throughout the country, and Patricia was hooked for life. On one visit to the Trust’s Rahoy Hills reserve, Patricia met her future husband. After she

and Michael married, Patricia moved to the Scottish Borders, where she supported her husband’s work with the Scottish Wildlife Trust – surveying reserves such as Gordon Moss. Later, Patricia had the opportunity to take part in a botanical survey of the Small Isles, where she discovered an affection for the Isle of Eigg. She was overjoyed when the Trust backed the island’s successful community buyout in 1997, with the Trust remaining a partner of the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust today.

“It felt natural that Patricia should leave a percentage of her estate as a legacy to the Scottish Wildlife Trust.” Michael Braithwaite, Patricia’s widower.

Patricia’s passion for Scotland’s wildlife and wild places will live on through the kind gift she left in her Will.

Every gift in every Will, no matter how large or small, really does make a difference to the future of Scotland’s wildlife. To find out more, call Zoë on 0131 312 4772 or visit scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk

News

16 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE NOVEMBER 2019

Social media Biodiversity link/Web decline link

ver the last 50 years, the human population has doubled, the global economy has increased fourfold and global trade has grown tenfold. Over this same period, nature has declined and species have been lost at a rate unprecedented in human

history. The pressure humanity places on the planet’s natural resources has irreversibly changed the way other species live. We have changed the global climate and the environment to such an extent that many now recognise that we are in a new geological age: the Anthropocene.

1/3

of all land on Earth is used for agriculture

Earlier this year, a report was published by the Intergovernmental SciencePolicy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. It is the most comprehensive report ever published on the state of our natural world, and it outlines the five most significant drivers of biodiversity loss globally.

CHANGING LAND AND SEA USE

The most widespread change in land use has been the increase in the area used for farming, but urban areas have also doubled in less than 30 years. This comes at the expense of woodlands, wetlands and grasslands. In the sea, an increase in industries such as aquaculture and offshore energy has impacted marine ecosystems.

DIRECT EXPLOITATION OF ORGANISMS

Direct exploitation is the most significant driver of change in the marine environment, primarily though fishing. But humans have also over-exploited natural resources on land through activities such as hunting, logging and harvesting.

33.1%

of global fish stocks are being overfished

68%

of land in Scotland is used for agriculture

Only

54%

of Scotland’s fisheries are assessed as sustainable

CLIMATE CHANGE

16-21cm of global sea level rise since 1900

46,000

pieces of floating plastic per square mile of ocean

ALIEN SPECIES

Climate change is having a profound impact on our natural world. Whilst some species are increasing their range, many are being squeezed out. Sea level rise has led to the loss of coastal habitats, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and the timings of natural cycles are being disrupted.

559

of Scotland’s breeding seabirds have declined in 30 years

POLLUTION

pieces of litter found per 100m of beach in Scotland in 2018

With the increase in global trade and the ease at which people can move around the planet, the threat, and prevalence, of species being introduced to areas outside their native range has risen. Some of these non-native species are highly invasive and therefore very destructive.

38%

Pollution levels and trends differ greatly across the world. In some countries, air pollution is still on the increase but in Scotland, polluting emissions continue to fall. However, marine plastic pollution is a persistent and growing worldwide issue.

1/5

of the world’s surface at risk of plant or animal invasions

£200m

a year – cost of invasive non-native species to the Scottish economy

NOVEMBER 2019 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 17

Biodiversity decline

THE INTRINSIC LINK Nature is in the unique position of being both a victim of climate change and a major part of the solution – which is why an unprecedented global decline in biodiversity should be of deep concern to us all, writes Rich Rowe.

18 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE NOVEMBER 2019

Biodiversity decline

hen it comes to warnings about our impact on the natural world, it couldn’t be any clearer – or more ominous. A landmark report published in May found that nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history, that we are losing species at an increasing rate, and that the damage being done to the natural world will have significant impacts on humans across the planet. These are not new findings, but this report by the Intergovernmental SciencePolicy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is the most comprehensive ever compiled. According to the report, the average abundance of native species in most land-based habitats has fallen by at least 20%, mostly since 1900, while more than 40% of amphibian species, more than 30% of reef-forming corals and more than a third of all marine mammals are threatened. In all, about one million plant and animal species face the risk of extinction, many within a matter of decades. Of course, this is not just about plants and animals. Given that natural ecosystems provide humans with everything from food and medicine to building materials, as well as a range of ‘services’ – nature cleans our water, purifies our air, regulates temperature and locks up carbon and other harmful greenhouse

gases – this is also very much about us. In this regard, the report pulls very few punches. Painting a comprehensive picture of the relationship between economic development and its impact on biodiversity over the past 50 years, it highlights just how desperately frayed and frazzled the natural world has become as a direct result of human activity. “The health of ecosystems on which we and all other species depend is deteriorating more rapidly than ever,” comments Sir Robert Watson, IPBES Chair. “We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide.”

CHANGE IN DIRECTION

But while the scale of the decline in global biodiversity sends alarm bells to a deafening level, the situation is not without hope. Rather than a grim standalone, the report can be seen in the context of what could yet be a defining year in terms of environmental awareness and public concern. It could even prove to be a year not simply of awareness, but also a strong commitment to the kind of ‘transformative change’ that IPBES authors are calling for. According to the report, changes in land and sea use,

Biodiversity decline

TIED TOGETHER

For Trust staff at reserves across Scotland, the links between climate change and biodiversity loss are already apparent. Warming temperatures, 20 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE NOVEMBER 2019

more severe – and frequent – weather events, plus changes in the distribution of prey species have seen some species struggle in areas where they have previously flourished. Rare Arctic-alpine plants that rely on the cool climate found at higher altitudes are being forced higher up the mountains until there is nowhere else to go. Meanwhile, upland species such as dotterel, ptarmigan, snow bunting and mountain ringlet butterfly are also feeling the squeeze. Out at sea, rising water temperatures continue to disrupt the delicate balance of marine food webs – with Scotland’s great seabird colonies among the

Seagrass beds are important stores of so-called ‘blue carbon’

exploitation of living things, and climate change are the top three leading drivers of the decline in nature. The other two main culprits are pollution and invasive species. Currently, it is undoubtedly climate change that is the greatest focus of attention. With young campaigners following the lead of 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg by organising school strikes, groups such as Extinction Rebellion organising public protests and the UK Committee on Climate Change presenting the most compelling evidence yet, environmental policy has never been so high on the political agenda. In April, Scotland became one of the first countries in the world to declare a global climate emergency. This move was swiftly followed by the Scottish Government agreeing to amend the Climate Change Bill to make the country’s targets even more stringent and to reduce Scotland’s emissions to net-zero by 2045 – five years ahead of the UK target. These are positive steps, but given the intrinsic links between climate change and loss of biodiversity, there is an urgent need to break what is perhaps the ultimate vicious circle: while further climate change will contribute to greater biodiversity loss, greater biodiversity loss will contribute to further climate change. One cannot be tackled without the other.

hardest hit – while, more generally, changes in the timing of natural events from leaf growth to bird migration are increasingly evident. As Dougie Peedle, the Trust’s Head of Policy, points out, nature can be a powerful ally in combating climate change, but only if it is itself in a healthy state. “This is why we are pushing hard to ensure that the Scottish Government fully appreciates the value of natural climate solutions, such as restoring peatlands, greening urban spaces, planting more trees, allowing natural regeneration of woodland and enhancing the capacity of the marine environment to store carbon,” he explains. Encouragingly, Scotland’s First Minister has acknowledged that the challenges facing biodiversity are as important as the challenge of climate change – with the Scottish Government’s recently published Programme for Government placing these twin emergencies closer to the heart of its policy actions over the coming year and beyond. The Programme for Government includes measures such as the development of Regional Land Use Plans that will help maximise the potential of every part of Scotland’s land to contribute to the fight against climate change. It also pledges continued support for the Central Scotland Green Network – Europe’s largest greenspace development – which identifies the best opportunities for greenspace projects that will deliver the biggest climate change and biodiversity benefits across the Central Belt. “If this same approach could be

Biodiversity decline

rolled out at the national level, then we would take a big step towards ensuring that our habitats and ecosystems have the resilience required to make their full contribution to addressing climate change, plus a whole lot more besides,” comments Dougie.

LAND AND SEA

environment started to get the attention it deserves in the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government, which includes a commitment to new research into how Scotland’s seas can store blue carbon, plus a new virtual centre to coordinate marine climate change science and research. “We also welcome the repeated commitment to bring forward a national deep-sea marine reserve, as well as measures to improve management of inshore fisheries,” he says. Perhaps most encouraging of all is the growing understanding that loss of biodiversity – from the insects that pollinate our crops to tiny organisms

that keep our soils healthy – has just as much potential to hurt us humans as climate change has. As such, the hope is that the Scottish Government can build on some of the positive developments outlined and start to deliver the greater investment in nature that is required. By doing so, Scotland can then not only realise its emissions targets but also go a long way towards reversing the loss of biodiversity. Rich Rowe is an outdoors writer based in Innerleithen, Scottish Borders. richardrowe.co.uk © Mark Hamblin,2020VISION

In the meantime, the Trust continues to undertake a range of restorative actions that champion the importance of saving nature. “Healthy, biodiversity-rich ecosystems absorb CO2, help us adapt to the changing climate and inspire technology that can contribute in the fight against climate change,” comments Sarah Robinson, the Trust’s Director of Conservation. With carbon storage and biodiversity value at the core of such work, expansion of native woodland forms a major part of both the Coigach and Assynt Living Landscape and Cumbernauld Living Landscape restoration projects. Elsewhere, important peatland restoration work continues at sites such as Red Moss of Balerno, Carsegowan Moss and Red Moss of Netherley. Similarly, with pollinators in decline across the UK, the Trust has supported the creation of the Nectar Network project – a string of connected nectar and pollen-rich sites along the Ayrshire coast designed to work together to ensure the long-term survival of pollinating insects in the area. An example of what happens when like minds come together, the Nectar Network was developed when a group of Ayrshire businesses, golf clubs and their neighbours, who were already exploring sustainability together, decided to take action. But it’s not all about what can be done on dry land. Increasing attention is being focused on the importance of protecting the biodiversity of Scotland’s marine environments – a vast area that makes up about 60% of the UK’s seas and six times that of Scotland’s land mass. While there is huge potential for carbon storage on land, it is in fact marine habitats that store the greatest amount of carbon, often known as ‘blue carbon’. “It’s often a surprise to people that there is more carbon locked up in the top 10cm of Scotland’s seabed than in all of our peatlands,” notes Sarah. With Scotland’s seas containing a wealth of blue carbon habitats such as saltmarshes, seagrass beds and kelp forests, as well as the seabed, enhancing such areas is more essential than ever. As Dougie Peedle is pleased to point out, the importance of the marine

It’s often a surprise to people that there is more carbon locked up in the top 10cm of Scotland’s seabed than in all of our peatlands.

Upland species such as the dotterel are feeling the squeeze as climate change shrinks their natural habitat

NOVEMBER 2019 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 21

Q&A

Francesca Osowska

Chief Executive, Scottish Natural Heritage

With 2020 being the year in which the world will agree new targets to help reverse the loss of biodiversity, it will be an important milestone for nature conservation. What is Scottish Natural Heritage’s role in this? Next year is critical for nature in Scotland and the world, I want it to be the turning point, and for Scotland to be centre stage in devising solutions. Our mantra is that: “A nature-rich environment provides solutions to the climate emergency.” I’m especially passionate about the great work we have led with partners to show this under Peatland Action and Dynamic Coast. We are working closely with partners across the UK to contribute to preparations for the Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of Parties in Kunming, China, in 2020, where new international biodiversity targets will be agreed. The State of Nature Report 2019 paints a bleak picture of our wildlife and wild places. How alarmed should people in Scotland be? This is a time for us all to come together for biodiversity. My colleagues have worked alongside the Scottish Wildlife Trust and other conservation organisations to compile the report. The report pulls no punches about the main threats and pressures faced by our biodiversity. It’s the kind of evidencebased reporting we need if we’re to focus on the real issues and getting an agreed consensus on the state of nature. It’s a very important step and goes to the heart of SNH’s purpose: to improve our natural environment in Scotland and inspire everyone to care more about it. Are there any reasons for hope? Absolutely, there are plenty of reasons for hope. Scotland is so well-connected organisationally that we are superbly placed to galvanise action cooperatively. Some of our species are doing well, such as butterflies and woodland birds, but others require immediate action. The report has many examples of people turning things around for nature. We now need to work together at a larger scale and enlist the support of many more partners. The Scottish Wildlife Trust is one of many non-governmental organisations 22 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE NOVEMBER 2019

working to protect and restore nature across Scotland.

together can we deliver transformational change.

How important is the work being done by these organisations? The Scottish Wildlife Trust and sister NGOs do a vital job in protecting and restoring Scotland’s nature. Most of the data for the State of Nature report and many SNH reports come from naturalists including Trust members. My heartfelt thanks go out to all these volunteers. We’re very conscious in SNH that we can’t work alone. Collaboration is fundamental to delivering enriched nature across Scotland and I’m delighted that SNH has such strong partnerships. Only

Has the response by young people to the climate emergency and ecological crisis changed any of your views? I’ve been inspired by the response of young people in this country and across the world. They are standing up for what they believe in and calling us out for our inaction to date. Young people have strengthened my resolve to work with and for them for Scotland’s nature. We have worked with ReRoute to shape our biodiversity work and a representative of our Young Person’s Panel attends our SNH Board. They are not only the future – they are the now.

NOVEMBER 2019 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 23

Ten years of Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels

Return of the native

24 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE NOVEMBER 2019

Ten years of Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels

For many of us, red squirrels are fairytale creatures, glimpsed only in story books. But thanks to the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project led by the Trust, this charismatic species is returning to areas where it hasn’t been seen for decades, writes Louise Gray.

SQUIRREL NUTKIN UNDER THREAT

Despite its position nowadays as a favourite character from storybooks,

the red squirrel has not always been a popular mammal. In 1903, when Beatrix Potter first published The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin, red squirrels were considered a ‘nuisance’. On Scottish sporting estates, the rodents were killed because of the damage they caused to conifer plantations. But it was not culling by gamekeepers that drove red squirrels out of areas where they had previously flourished, it was the introduction of another species of squirrel. Towards the end of the 19th century, grey squirrels were introduced from North America to country house estates across the UK. Greys can weigh twice as much as reds and gradually replace the smaller species by making it difficult for new generations of young red squirrels to survive the competition for habitat and their main food source of nuts and seeds. In addition to this, greys can carry a disease, squirrelpox, which has no effect on them but is transmissible to red squirrels, causing a painful death for the majority of individuals within just two weeks. By the 1990s, red squirrels had disappeared from most of England and were being lost from the Central Belt in Scotland. It was estimated that there were more than 2 million grey squirrels in the UK and just 160,000 reds. In North East Scotland, grey squirrels that had been released in Aberdeen in

t started with a few cones falling from the Scots pines and a chattering in the branches, children claimed to have seen bushy red tails disappearing behind tree trunks and tufted ears twitching amidst the beech leaves. But it wasn’t until the first red squirrels scampered out of the wood and on to a bird feeder that the residents of Hoddom Castle caravan park dared to believe their luck. After more than 20 years, the iconic mammals were back. Richard Thomson, a volunteer for the Scottish Wildlife Trust, describes the joy of the residents as the red squirrels returned to the area and were glimpsed in the surrounding woods for the first time. “It has been wonderful to see people come on their holidays and see this beautiful creature they remember from their childhood – or even just story books,” he says. The Hoddom and Kinmount Estate in Dumfries and Galloway is just one area of Scotland where the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) project has managed to help these beautiful creatures return. The question is, how do we ensure another generation of children can enjoy seeing Squirrel Nutkin scamper out of the woods?

Gwen Maggs tops up a squirrel feeder, which helps her keep track of numbers

around 1970 were spreading out widely across Aberdeenshire, and in the south of Scotland grey squirrels had spread southwards from the Central Belt over much of the Scottish Borders and Ayrshire. However, red squirrels had managed to survive in most of their former Scottish range, and were without any grey squirrel threat in their strongholds in the Highlands, Argyll and northern parts of Stirlingshire and Tayside. Whilst it was widely recognised that if the grey squirrel threat was not tackled,

In 1903, when Beatrix Potter first published The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin, red squirrels were considered a ‘nuisance’. NOVEMBER 2019 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 25

News Ten years of Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels

A red squirrel visits an SSRS feeding station

red squirrels would continue to be lost year-on-year, the conservation community hesitated before taking on a challenge that seemed open-ended. With grey squirrels already so widely spread across the lowlands of Scotland, a smart approach to containing their populations was essential.

A GREY AREA

26 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE NOVEMBER 2019

THE SQUIRREL ‘HADRIAN’S WALL’

Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels launched in 2009 as a partnership

between the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Forestry (then Forestry Commission Scotland) and Scottish Land & Estates. SSRS had the specific aim of maintaining the still extensive red population in Scotland by containing grey squirrels to Central Lowland areas. This meant creating a squirrel ‘Hadrian’s Wall’ on the Highland line, running from Montrose in the east to Helensburgh in the west where the project, together with collaborating landowners and volunteers, set out to remove grey squirrels to the north of the line and keep populations south of the © Cameron Singh-Johnstone

Dr Mel Tonkin, SSRS Project Manager, recalls how courageous it was for an organisation dedicated to protecting wildlife to take on the culling of one species to protect another. “We were aware that many people in Scotland enjoy their contact with grey squirrels,” she says. “So we needed to make sure that the public understood why targeted population management of the species was necessary to prevent the same catastrophic losses of red squirrels in Scotland that had been so evident over the past century in England and Wales.” Introduced invasive species are recognised as being in the top five causes of biodiversity loss globally and, in the UK, the North American grey squirrel is regarded as one of these owing to the extent of land area they occupy, their devastating effect on native red squirrels and their destructive bark-stripping of hardwood trees. As a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the

UK and Scottish governments, along with wildlife NGOs, had a duty to act to protect a much-loved native species from its non-native cousin. “We set out to help people understand the reasons behind the demise of red squirrels in local woodlands. With understanding, acceptance of the necessity for grey squirrel control often followed,” explains Mel.

Members of the public can submit squirrel sightings through the project’s mobile-friendly website

Ten years of Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels

We’ve seen some really positive changes in and around Aberdeen over the past few years. line at low enough densities for local red populations to recover. In southern Scotland, where an earlier conservation project had set up extensive networks of grey squirrel control in an attempt to prevent the spread of squirrelpox, SSRS continued work for a number of years. Then in 2013, the project partners took a decision to cease attempts to stop the northward spread in order to direct efforts towards protecting southern Scotland’s populations of red squirrels. When SSRS started, the project collected evidence to demonstrate that its work to control grey squirrels could greatly benefit the red population. Ten years on, no one can doubt that grey squirrel control has a vital role in securing the future of Scotland’s red squirrels. Even so, and despite the partnership having expanded to now include the Red Squirrel Survival Trust and RSPB Scotland, the challenge of sustaining the efforts over the long term still remain.

PEOPLE POWER

Mel Tonkin says it is thanks to the work of people like Richard and other volunteers, as well as the many landowners involved in the project, that the reds are surviving in the south of Scotland. As this phase of SSRS comes to an end in 2022, the Trust is already working on a plan for raising funding for

essential work to continue. Mel is realistic about the future, judging that there will need to be continued professional grey squirrel control and support for the landowner control network across the Highland line for a long time to come. “We also intend to provide support for the volunteer networks that we are currently helping to set up to continue the essential work being done.” But it’s not only people living in priority areas who can help. “One thing that everyone in Scotland can do is submit sightings of red and grey squirrels on our website,” says Gwen Maggs. For Richard Thomson, it has all been worth it and he just wants to make sure the squirrels do not disappear again. “The red squirrel is an iconic part of Scotland’s wildlife,” he says. “We cannot turn back the clock and get rid of the greys completely, but we can do our best to keep the reds here. It is going to be tough but if we get enough people and enough support to help keep squirrelpox down and preserve habitat, we have a good chance.” Louise Gray is a freelance environmental journalist and author of the award-winning book, The Ethical Carnivore. For more information on Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels, visit scottishsquirrels.org.uk

In the past ten years, red squirrels’ ranges have grown thanks to conservation efforts

RETURN OF THE NATIVE

Another important part of the strategy to protect Highland red squirrels was the ambition to completely remove the isolated grey squirrel population from the Aberdeen area. “We’ve seen some really positive changes in and around Aberdeen over the past few years,” explains Gwen Maggs, Conservation Officer for the North East. “The grey population has been reduced to a remnant population centred on the city which has allowed reds to return to many of their previous haunts across Aberdeenshire and even in Aberdeen city such as Cults, Seaton Park and Hazlehead Park. “This summer we even had a sighting of a red squirrel in Duthie Park, less than a mile from the city centre, an area that has been dominated by greys for decades.” In the south of Scotland and the Borders, where red and grey populations are both widely spread, control of the grey population has meant that the reds are holding on across most of Dumfries and Galloway, as well as the western half of the Scottish Borders. In some cases, such as at Hoddom and Kinmount Estate,

reds have been able to return to woodland where they were outcompeted by the greys 20 years ago. Richard Thomson is one of the volunteers helping to control the grey population. When he started trapping squirrels 10 years ago, only a couple of reds were found each year and more than 100 greys. Today, there are around 60 red squirrels trapped and released each year, and the numbers of greys being trapped has declined substantially. North of the Highland line, red squirrels are faring well thanks to the work of SSRS staff, volunteers and private landowners to prevent an influx of greys. Reds are even returning in lowland areas south of the Highland line where the greys have been pushed back. All around the shores of Loch Lomond – on the front line between greys and reds – greys have been reduced enough to allow the reds to return. The Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park’s aspiration to be a ‘red only’ zone is not far from being realised.

NOVEMBER 2019 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 27

Paludiculture

WET FARMING COULD PALUDICULTURE HELP RESTORE OUR DEGRADED PEATLANDS?

With the increasingly urgent need to reduce our carbon emissions wherever possible, Emma Goodyer looks at the role that paludiculture could play in reducing the greenhouse gases emitted from our degraded peatlands.

ost of us consume products grown on peat on a daily basis. Crops such as lettuce and celery are grown directly on peat soils in East Anglia. Dairy cattle are, in places, grazed on intensively drained peatland. Garden produce is often grown in peat-based compost. And palm oil can come from trees planted where Southeast Asia’s swamp forests once stood. Agricultural practices first developed in the dry lands of the Middle East’s ‘Fertile Crescent’ about 12,000 years ago. As farming spread, humankind began an obsession with draining soils for 28 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE NOVEMBER 2019

dry-land agriculture rather than working holistically with the prevailing conditions of the land. Extensive drainage has taken a significant toll on our peatlands. In Scotland, 80% of peatlands are damaged, largely as a result of agriculture. When naturally wet peat soils are drained, oxygen introduced into the soil makes the peat begin to decay, releasing large amounts of carbon. Damaged peatlands are currently responsible for 4% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. Continued agricultural management of peat through drainage and tillage leads to

soil degradation, subsidence and a loss of productivity. These ‘wasted’ peat soils pose a real risk to the future of UK food production, especially in areas of England such as the East Anglian Fens. Whilst crops are rarely grown directly on peat in Scotland, peat is still extracted from a number of Scottish bogs for use in horticulture. These extraction sites are often severely damaged, with poor prospects of restoration. In Scotland, peatland greenhouse gas emissions come primarily from damaged blanket bogs and areas of forestry on peat, but a large number of lowland sites

Paludiculture

could, if managed correctly, help to reduce emissions and diversify the future of agriculture. Restoring habitat is possible for most areas but for some sites the pressures from surrounding land use and the cost of restoration – which can be millions of pounds per site – can be prohibitive. Equally, with peat covering 20% of Scotland’s land area, we cannot afford to cease economic activity on all areas of peat. ‘Paludiculture’ (from the Latin ‘palus’ meaning swamp and ‘cultura’ for care, or cultivation) could be the way forward. The practice of crop production on wet soils, paludiculture represents a more sustainable way to maintain productive use of peatland. Paludiculture is not nature protection: it is agriculture with clear production goals. But what paludiculture is, is a wetter way of farming on peatlands that does not degrade the peat layer and even adds to peat accumulation. Re-wetting areas of peat and stabilising water levels close to the surface help to immediately reduce the amount of carbon being emitted as greenhouse gases. There can also be direct wins for biodiversity, as cultivated crops can support species such as sundews and breeding golden plover. As a form of land management, paludiculture is in the early stages of development. Of Europe’s 28.5 million hectares of degraded peatlands, less than 1% has been re-wetted, with paludiculture covering only a fraction of this area. But it’s not an entirely new practice. For thousands of years, products from wetlands, such as reeds, have been harvested for use in construction and for fuel. During the Second World War, school children were recruited to harvest Sphagnum moss from raised bogs in

Successful Sphagnum farming in Lower Saxony, Germany.

Cranberries grow naturally on Scottish peatlands. We currently import cranberries grown commercially on paludiculture sites in America and Canada but there is the possibility of commercial production on abandoned peat extraction sites in the UK

Scotland to produce wound dressings for first aid kits on the battlefield. Developing a paludiculture approach in the UK will require suitable sites and crops to be identified, the technical challenges of farming on wet land to be overcome, and the development of production lines and markets for novel produce. Typical products include food for people and livestock, medicines, biomass for energy production and raw materials for construction. Extensive trials are already underway in the UK to look at bringing peatland products to market. Sphagnum farming is being trialled to produce raw Sphagnum or ‘white peat’ as a peat replacement to support and maintain the horticulture industry in the UK; after all, Sphagnum is really just new peat that hasn’t decomposed yet and offers many of the same properties as peat-based compost. With careful management, it

would be possible to grow and harvest Sphagnum sustainably from paludiculture sites. Paludiculture is not a panacea and cannot be sustainably applied everywhere. Just as we wouldn’t advocate turning native woodlands over to productive forestry, we wouldn’t advocate that natural bogs are converted to sustainable productive use. However, with the large areas of damaged peatland we have left to restore, paludiculture might just represent a useful stepping stone towards lessening the historic burden of Scotland’s damaged peatlands while maintaining farming and productivity. Emma Goodyer is the IUCN UK Peatland Programme Manager, a project hosted by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. For more information, visit iucn-uk-peatlandprogramme.org NOVEMBER 2019 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 29

1a0ni0c % cotton

org e g rang clothin ilable va now a online

“I’m proud to be fighting for Scotland’s wildlife. Join me in supporting the Scottish Wildlife Trust and get your t-shirt today.” Gordon Buchanan

Wildlife Filmmaker and Presenter

scottishwildlifetrust.teemill.com

30 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE NOVEMBER 2019

Social media The link/Web big picture link

Katrina Martin

“I really enjoy slowing down and looking close-up during day-to-day life,” explains Katrina Martin. “There are always so many things to see that would be easily missed and giving time for the senses to engage is of particular benefit to my mental wellbeing.” Growing up in Norfolk, Kat spent her childhood searching every nook and cranny for creepy crawlies, marvelling at the tiny details of these perfectly formed creatures. She is now an Education

Manager for the Trust-led Coigach and Assynt Living Landscape Partnership, and her love for photography has developed alongside her love for nature. “To me, macro photography feels like entering a different world and the imagery communicates in a way that words can’t,” says Kat. “I happened across this nettle weevil while out on a walk in Cumbernauld’s Forest Wood Wildlife Reserve. His tiny face was peeking out from the safety of a

THE BIG PICTURE

leaf, amongst the many nettle plants that were lining the path edge. I was particularly struck by his beautiful metallic blue-speckled appearance. The image is composed to incorporate the weevil’s habitat and convey a small snapshot of this individual’s story at the point our separate lives converged.” Camera: Nikon D40X. Lens: Nikon Micro-Nikkor 105 mm. Shutterspeed 1/125; Aperture F/13. ISO: 400 NOVEMBER 2019 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 31

Photography competition

The Perfect Portrait

In celebration of the 100th edition of Scottish Wildlife magazine, due to be published in March 2020, we are launching a competition to find the best wildlife photographers amongst our readership.

he theme of the competition is ‘The Perfect Portrait’ and individuals will be separated into one of two categories based on age: Adult (18 and over) or Young Person (under 18). The competition will be judged by a panel including wildlife filmmaker and presenter Gordon Buchanan and the Country Director for People’s Postcode Lottery, Annemiek Hoogenboom. One of the winning images will appear on the front cover of the 100th edition of Scottish Wildlife in March, whilst the other will appear in the Big Picture feature inside the magazine.

COMPETITION GUIDELINES This competition is open to all members of the Scottish Wildlife Trust. You are able to submit up to three images to the competition. All images submitted must be: • Photographs of wildlife taken by you in Scotland • Portrait oriented (landscape-oriented photographs will not be considered) • A minimum size of 2480x3508pixels at 300dpi. Please note that entering the competition will be treated as consent for the images to be used in Issue 100 of Scottish Wildlife magazine. Full Terms and Conditions can be found on our website.

32 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE NOVEMBER 2019

For full Terms & Conditions and to enter, visit scottishwildlifetrus t. org.uk/photocomp

Wildlife photography is not easy. Even the experts claim that despite the hard work and time spent trying to capture a good subject, only one thing counts in the end – luck… This gives us duffers some hope. After all, unlike camera lenses, luck is not bought over the counter... An extract from the first edition of Scottish Wildlife magazine, published in the summer of 1987

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GIVE VISITORS A WARM WELCOME

e are lucky enough to have access to forecasts many days ahead and it is rare that harsh weather arrives without any warning, but for garden birds any sudden arrival of bad weather or snow will be unplanned for. Birds need to spend their days consuming high-energy, high-calorie foods to help them keep warm during the freezing nights. Any unexpected frost or blanket of white can make food that is normally easily accessible disappear, causing distress and even worse for garden birds. To help your birds survive this sudden onset of wintery weather, make sure your CJ Wildlife feeders are filled up every day, ready for the dawn and dusk rush hours, and try to offer high energy foods which are easily consumed. CJ Wildlife sunflower hearts, peanut cakes and suet treats are some of the most efficient ways for birds to take on the

essential nutrients and calories they need in the winter. Ensure that you have a good supply of extra food in store should bad weather cause difficult driving conditions or delivery delays in upcoming weeks and months. Stock up whilst the offers are on, so you don’t get caught short when your garden birds need it the most. A clean supply of water is also vital for your feathered friends at this time of year both to drink and to help keep their plumage in tip-top condition for warmth. Do not add any anti-freeze products to the water as these are highly toxic to birds and other wildlife. Below are a few tips on how to ensure the survival of garden birds this winter and how to encourage them back to your garden: • Putting up CJ Wildlife nest boxes now not only provides shelter during the long cold nights but also makes it more likely to

become the chosen home for a family in the spring as the birds have made it their own throughout the winter. • Keep feeders and bird tables topped up to ensure that on every visit to your garden the birds find the food they need, this means their valuable energy supply has not been wasted. • Ensure feeders and water baths have been cleaned before the first harsh frost so there is no need to disturb the birds at feeding time when the temperatures drop. • Try making your own fat cakes for the festive season with the children by combining melted peanut cakes with CJ’s Bird Cake Mix poured into moulds; or have fun with the new Peanut Butter Modelling Clay to make unique treats. So, look out for a wide variety of birds visiting your garden over the next couple of months, including the wren, starling, mistle thrush, brambling and, of course, the much-loved robin. www.birdfood.co.uk

Goldfinches tuck in NOVEMBER 2019 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE

Art and nature

Inspired by Rahoy RAHOY Hills Wildlife Reserve near Lochaline, Morvern, encompasses a diverse range of habitats from windswept grasslands, mires and heaths to cliffs, lochans and oak woodlands. Tall herbs and Arctic alpines cling to the cliffs and golden eagles soar above the hills. Four years ago, Rahoy’s inspirational qualities spawned an idea for an unusual way to raise funds for the reserve. The Rahoy Hills Artist-in-Residency was the brainchild of Anna Raven, who sits alongside local Trust members on the reserve management committee. Each year, an artist has been hosted at Rahoy Hills, immersing themselves in the sights and sounds of the reserve. Their diverse interpretations of the reserve are displayed in the Boiler House Gallery at Ardtornish. The artists donate a proportion of their sales to the Scottish Wildlife Trust, helping to support the management of the reserve. Here, we hear from several artists who have been inspired by Rahoy.

ELLIS O’CONNOR “I was selected to be artist in residence on the Rahoy Hills reserve in 2018. I spent the first two weeks of my time staying in November and exploring the reserve and the varied and atmospheric environment that is to be found there. My work made from my time on the reserve is a reflection of the dominant peaks that are part of the landscape, the shifting of the elements and the significant beauty of the place.” More of Ellis’s artwork can be seen on his website, ellisoconnor.com

COLIN DUNCAN “Rahoy Hills reserve is an extraordinary place and, in part, a true signifier of what has been lost from much of the Scottish wilderness. “To draw and paint there in support of the Scottish Wildlife Trust has been a privilege and although the resulting paintings are far from representational, they are in direct response to being there, walking and immersing myself in its unique landscape.” More of Colin’s artwork can be seen on his Instagram account, @colinduncanartist

KYLE NOBLE “My practice is inspired by contemplative moments spent in Scottish nature. I often create mystical landscapes which process encounters with Scotland’s wild beauty. “The Rahoy Hills Wildlife Reserve at Ardtornish has been a recent obsession. Spending six weeks on the reserve and accompanying the ranger, Steve Hardy, on a few of his surveys created a good understanding of its flora, fauna, and geology. “The oakwoods provided much inspiration however the rushing Arienas burn and dramatic Beinn Ladain have all made their way into my works since this period.” More of Kyle’s artwork can be seen on his website, kylenoble.com 34 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE NOVEMBER 2019

Art and nature

BEN AVERIS “I am a botanist and artist living near Edinburgh. Since the late 1980s, I’ve made many visits to Rahoy Hills, doing botanical survey work and, from 2001 to 2017, as a member of the reserve management committee. I’m interested in all aspects of this reserve’s ecology, just as I am in all environments everywhere from mountains to cities, but my Rahoy artwork focused especially on the amazing mossy woodland and on the people who work there.” More of Ben’s artwork can be seen on his website, benaverisart.co.uk

CLAIRE HUBBARD “I’m an illustrator currently creating comics and repeat patterns featuring different species of animal - cats, bats and blobfish to name a few. “Exploring Rahoy Hills and learning about the various native species and conservation initiatives was exactly what I needed to breathe some new life into my work. “I was inspired by my experience to create a series of all-ages comics – Wild Lives – based on these animals, with the aim to spark, in future generations, an interest in natural science and conservation.” More of Claire’s artwork can be seen on her website, emseeitch.com, and on social media @emseeitch

WILDLIFE CROSSWORD

by Moira Hutchison 8 9

ACROSS: 1. The smallest snipe (4) 3. A plant with a prickly head (6) 6. A lizard-like amphibian (4) 7. A young deer (4) 8. A female swan (3) 11. A white-barked tree (6,5) 15. A useful pollinator (3) 17. A member of the crow family (4) 18. Varieties are common, Arctic and little (4) 19. Does this animal pester? (6) 20. This bird seems to be tied up (4)

DOWN: 1. The genus commonly known as rushes (6) 2. The Trust uses these animals for conservation grazing (4) 3. An upward climber (11) 4. A fish-eating mammal (4) 5. A type of heather (4) 9. A climbing plant (3) 10. A great, blue, crested, peanut eater (3) 12. The UK’s largest wasp (6) 13. Walking sideways on the seashore (4) 14. A jumping amphibian (4) 16. Spore-bearing plant (4)

Answers are printed on Page 37. NOVEMBER 2019 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 35

Watch out for

Watch out for... Some things to enjoy over the coming months Books

Author: John D Burns

All books published by Vertebrate Publishing A MENTION of the Wirral might not immediately bring mountains to mind, but it would appear there’s something in the Mersey water that sends folk into the hills. After all, Andrew Irvine was born on the Wirral and he and his climbing partner, George Mallory, left from Merseyside for Everest in 1924. Whilst the lives of this young pair were sadly taken during their expedition, some still believe they were the first conquerors of the world’s highest mountain. Fast-forward 50 years and another man from the Wirral was beginning his love affair with the mountains. Now a bestselling and award-winning mountain writer, John D Burns has spent 40 years exploring Scotland’s hills and beyond. His debut book, The Last Hillwalker, was published in 2017 and quickly became a modern classic of hillwalking literature. A talented storyteller with an obvious passion for wilderness, as well as a good sense of humour, the author recounts some of his many adventures in the hills, from finding the remains of a Lancaster Bomber amongst

Television

Seven Worlds, One Planet Sundays from 27 October on BBC One

NARRATED by Sir David Attenborough, Seven Worlds, One Planet is the latest landmark series from the BBC’s Natural History Unit. Each episode will take viewers to a different continent and reveal how the distinct character of each location has helped to shape the remarkable animal life found there. As well as showcasing new animal behaviours and providing unique insights into life at the extremes, the series will highlight some of the key challenges being faced in a modern world dominated by humanity.

36 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE NOVEMBER 2019

the peaks of Torridon to his time spent ice climbing in the Canadian Rockies. The following year, Bothy Tales was published: a collection of both true and imaginary tales from Burns’s time spent in these isolated mountain shelters. In his unique and wonderfully descriptive style, the author captures the thrill of being among Scotland’s hills, as well as the interesting and, at times, testing conditions – and people – that can be met there. This autumn, Burns’s third book and

first full novel, Sky Dance, was published. Whilst the lead characters are heavily typecast, the story brings to light several current hot topics such as raptor persecution, grouse moor management and rewilding. The author’s views – and indeed frustrations – are clear from the beginning, and although some readers will undoubtedly have differing opinions, the important thing that this book does is raise awareness of these issues amongst the hillwalking community.

Watch out for

Prize draw

Win a culinary adventure in Ardnamurchan

ilcamb Lodge Hotel is base for exploring the local the only 4-star hotel hills and beaches, with the and 3AA Rosette Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Restaurant on the beautiful Rahoy Hills Wildlife Reserve Ardnamurchan Peninsula. just a half-hour’s drive away. Voted by its customers as It would be hard to the best UK Boutique Hotel imagine a setting more 2019, Kilcamb Lodge beguiling than this is also the winner beautiful lochside READER of the Best hideaway. OFFER Pet-friendly Famous far Hotel. and wide for Gourmet Dine & Stay This dining Two nights’ dinner, bed and beautiful excellence, its breakfast for two, for £530 boutique menu features You will be greeted with Afternoon Tea and Scones on arrival. Then enjoy hotel is set accomplished sumptuous meals from the à la carte within cuisine, or seven-course tasting menu, prepared by 3AA Rosette 22 acres of delicious fresh Head Chef Gary Philips. meadow near fish and shellfish, the head of Loch Scottish beef Sunart. It is a perfect and venison.

A more relaxed Brasserie menu is available for those seeking less formal dining. Luxury rooms and suites offer comfort and style for your stay, as does the excellent team of helpful, friendly and professional staff.

Kilcamb is a member of Scotland’s Hotels of Distinction, www.hotelsof-distinction.com To be in with a chance of winning an overnight stay for two with dinner and breakfast, enter our superb competition.

To enter, tell us which peninsula the Kilcamb Lodge Hotel sits on. Send your entry to Scottish Wildlife Trust Competition, c/o Connect Publications, Studio 2001, Mile End, Seedhill Road, Paisley, PA1 1JS. Terms and Conditions: Prize cannot be redeemed during weekends and special events. Black out dates may apply and the prize is subject to availability. Prize must be redeemed within six months of winner being notified. This data will be used by Connect Publications (Scotland) Ltd solely for the purpose of managing the competition.

ADOPT AN ANIMAL

O ur adoptions are 100% plastic free

Our brand new animal adoptions make the perfect environmentally friendly gift for any nature-lover. The lucky recipient will receive one of our fantastic new adoption packs and can sign up to receive exclusive email updates about their adopted species throughout the year. EACH ADOPTION PACK INCLUDES: ■ A personalised adoption certificate ■ A beautiful wooden keyring ■ An exclusively designed papercraft model ■ An informative animal fact file ■ A fun-filled activity book ■ A handy bookmark ■ Two stunning postcards Choose from a range of six iconic Scottish animals and make a real difference to the future of Scotland’s wildlife.

Order your adoption online today from just £2.50 per month. Visit scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/adopt Across: 1. Jack; 3. Teasel; 6. Newt; 7. Fawn; 8. Pen; 11. Silver birch; 15. Bee; 17. Rook; 18. Tern; 19. Badger; 20. Knot. Down: 1. Juncus; 2. Cows; 3. Tree creeper; 4. Seal; 5. Ling; 9. Ivy; 10. Tit; 12. Hornet; 13. Crab; 14. Toad; 16. Fern. NOVEMBER 2019 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE 37

Talking point

WE HEAR Y’D LOVE TO O OF SUPUR STORIES PORTI NG THE TR UST

NEW FEATURE

Talking Point

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

Art, awareness and advocacy - here, we look at three ways that people are helping to support the work of the Trust.

Fly fishing

Street adverts RAISING awareness of the Trust is essential for continuing our growth and impact as a conservation charity, but many forms of advertising come with a big price tag. So when Emily Johnston and her business partner got in touch offering some free advertising space around Dundee and Perth, we jumped at the opportunity! “After speaking with a Trust staff member at the Dundee Ethical Market, we signed up as members but felt like we wanted to do more,” she said. “Our company provides advertising space, primarily for promoting local arts and culture, but we felt so passionately about the Trust’s work that we wanted to offer free space.”

38 SCOTTISH WILDLIFE NOVEMBER 2019

WHEN illness struck in 2015, Gwyn Winter turned to art as a coping strategy. What began as a form of therapy quickly became an all-consuming passion, and one that she was able to combine with her lifelong love of wildlife. A self-taught artist, Gwyn won the Earth Hour Challenge art competition in March, so we were delighted when she got in touch offering to do a pastel painting of an osprey that we might auction as a fundraiser to support our work. “Through my art I hope to help raise awareness of the

plight of some of our most iconic and endangered species,” Gwyn said. “Ospreys are a bird very close to my heart after seeing one catch a fish at Loch Rannoch so it has been a great pleasure painting one

for the Trust.” The sale of Gwyn’s painting, ‘Fly Fishing’, raised a fantastic £360 to help support the Trust’s work. To see more of Gwyn’s work, visit gwynwinter.co.uk

The determination to make a difference GIULIO BIONDI is a 29-year-old Italian with a thirst for knowledge, a passion for nature and a determination to change the fate of the environment. Having represented young people on our strategic review of volunteering in 2018, Giulio became the Trust’s first official Young Leader. He has now been joined by 10 other young people, all of whom share his ambition to protect and restore our natural world. “I have been an advocate for the

environment since I was a child,” Giulio said. “I guess it’s just something that has always resonated with me. “Growing up, I have become increasingly aware of the importance that a healthy and functional ecosystem has for the wellbeing of all lifeforms on Earth, including ours.” Earlier this year, Giulio organised a clean-up event at Sighthill, Edinburgh, for his employer and helped to plant native trees and shrubs along the Leith shore for the

Edinburgh Shoreline Project, part of the Trust-led Edinburgh Living Landscape. All of this he does voluntarily. When asked what one message he would like to tell members of the Trust, Giulio said: “If you’re reading this, you already care about the environment, but sadly a lot of other people still don’t. “Our first job should be to help them change their mind and appreciate the value of nature. If we are to succeed, we need as much help as we can get.”