Scottish National Heritage - The Nature of Scotland Summer 2010 Issue_8

The Nature of ScotlandScottish Natural Heritage Summer 2010

Gentle giants Discover where basking sharks like to spend their summers

Nature for allIntroducing our wildlife and landscapes to new audiences

Paddle upCanoe through the Great Glen in 2012

www.snh.gov.uk 1

Contents

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Features 8 The great big paddle Scotland’sfirstcanoe trailtakesshape

10 Celebrating 100,000 awards Awardsschemereaches 100,000milestone

14 Simple and easy campaign Newcampaignpromotes natureclosetohome

22 Fun in the sun Celebratingthevarietyoflife

26 Public speaking Whatthepublicthink aboutestates

28 Welcome to Scotland’s nature Revealingtheenvironment toethnicgroups

34 We two are one SNHandDCSjoinforces

50 Scotland’s sea monster Newresearchidentifies baskingshark‘hotspots’

56 Green prescriptions Getoutdoorsifyouwant tofeelbetter

60 Sound judgement Testingthewaterformarine renewablesandwildlife

Regulars2 Where we are SNHcontactdetails

3 Welcome

4 Wild calendar Wheretogoandwhattosee thissummer

16 News

20 Common heritage Linkinglanguageandenvironment

36 Reserve focus DiscoverInshMarshesNNR

42 Area news Reportsfromaroundthecountry

46 Events diary Guidetowhat’son

49 Inspired by nature Showandtell –what’sinspiredyou?

58 Kids only! Activitiesforyoungerreaders

64 Mailing list Joinourmailinglist

Credits

The Nature of ScotlandThe Magazine of Scottish Natural HeritageIssue Number 8 — Summer 2010

Published quarterly© SNH 2010ISSN 1350 309X

Editor: John Walters Tel. 01463 725 222

Cover photo: Red, green and brown seaweeds in shallow water off the coast of Coll. Photographer: Sue Scott Inside cover: Sugar kelp Saccharina latissima in sheltered conditions off the west coast. Photographer: Paul Kay Welcome page: Highland darter dragonfly. Photographer: Lorne Gill/SNH

Photography – all images by Lorne Gill/SNH other than: Mark Hamblin 6; FLPA 7t; Sam Baumber/Rory Syme/JMT 11; Miranda Morgan/JMT 12; David Pyper/George Watson’s College 13t; Stephen Bly 13b; Laurie Campbell 16; www.toothandclaw.org.uk 19; Andrea Cringean/SNH 22; Lloyd Smith 25t; Dougie Barnett 28, 29, 30; www.angusbremner.com 31, 32, 33; Neil McIntyre 34; Alan Ross 40t; Ewen Cameron 42m, 42r; Juan Brown 44l; Shetland Amenity Trust 44m; Tim Dean 44r; David Bell 45l; Naturepl.com 50, 53, 54; Prof Callum Roberts 52; Kat Jones 61; Paul Kay 62.

Map 37: © Ashworth Maps and Interpretation Ltd 2010. Based on Ordnance Survey mapping. © Crown copyright and database right 2010. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number SNH 100017908.

We’ve set up the following ‘Flickr’ page www.flickr.com/snh-iyb2010 with a selection of SNH images to celebrate the International Year of Biodiversity. You can download the images to use as screensavers or to share with friends.

To share your views about The Nature of Scotland or suggest articles for future issues please contact the editor:

SNH Magazine Great Glen House, Leachkin Road, Inverness IV3 8NW Email: [email protected]

The views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of SNH.

Printed by: J Thomson Colour Printers

JTCP35K0610

When you have finished with this magazine, please recycle it. Pass it to another reader or dispose of it at your local waste-collection point.

Where we are…

YoucancontactSNHbyletter,telephoneoremail.Thefollowingdetailsshouldenableyoutofindyournearestmainoffice,butbearinmindthatwealsohaveanumberofsmallerofficesthanthoselisted.

AfulllistofourofficesappearsontheSNHwebsite:www.snh.gov.uk

Corporate headquarters

GreatGlenHouse,LeachkinRoad,InvernessIV38NWTel.01463725000Email:[email protected]

Other main offices

Battleby,Redgorton,PerthPH13EWTel.01738444177

SilvanHouse,3rdFloorEast,231CorstorphineRoad,EdinburghEH127ATTel.01313162600

CaspianHouse,MarinerCourt,ClydebankBusinessPark,ClydebankG812NRTel.01419514488

Area offices

ArgyllandStirlingTheBetaCentre,InnovationPark,UniversityofStirling,StirlingFK94NFTel.01786450362

DumfriesandGallowayCarmontHouse,TheCrichton,BankendRoad,DumfriesDG14ZFTel.01387247010

NorthernIslesGroundFloor,StewartBuilding,AlexandraWharf,Lerwick,ShetlandZE10LLTel.01595693345

EastHighlandFoddertyWay,DingwallBusinessPark,DingwallIV159XBTel.01349865333

NorthHighlandTheLinks,GolspieBusinessPark,Golspie,SutherlandKW106UBTel.01408634063

WestHighlandTheGovernor’sHouse,TheParade,FortWilliam,Inverness-shirePH336BATel.01397704716

StrathclydeandAyrshireCaspianHouse,MarinerCourt,ClydebankBusinessPark,ClydebankG812NRTel.01419514488

TaysideandClackmannanshireBattleby,Redgorton,PerthPH13EWTel.01738444177

WesternIsles32FrancisStreet,Stornoway,IsleofLewisHS12NDTel.01851705258

ForthandBordersSilvanHouse,3rdFloorEast,231CorstorphineRoad,EdinburghEH127ATTel.01313162600

GrampianInverdeeHouse,BaxterStreet,Torry,AberdeenAB119QATel.01224266500

2 The Nature of Scotland

Welcome

SimonPepperBoardMemberScottishNaturalHeritage

WelcometothissummerissueofThe Nature of Scotland.Afteroneofthehardestwintersonrecord,there’sthehopeofaglorioussummerahead–enoughtogladdentheheartofanyoneheadingforthegreatoutdoors.Andwhatacountrywehavetoattractusoutdoors!FewplacesinEuropecanmatchScotlandforthevarietyandwildqualityofourlandscapes–ourmountainsandcoasts,woodlandsandforests,islands,lochsandrivers.Scotland’stownsandcitiesalsohaveplentyofnaturalareasnearbywhichareopentothepublicandwherewildlifeisabundant.Inthisissueyou’llfindarticlescelebratingthewonderfulopportunitiesthatScotlandofferstogetoutandenjoytheseplaces.

Ifyou’veeverbeeninspiredbyanexperienceofnature,youwon’tbesurprisedtoreadaboutresearchthatshowstheseexperiencesaregoodforourmental,aswellasphysical,healthandwell-being.AnditwillcomeaslittlesurpriseeithertofindthatexploringourrelationshipwiththeEarth–aspromotedbytheJohnMuirTrust–isgoodforourgrowthasindividuals.

Thenaturalenvironmentis,ofcourse,thefoundationformuchofoureconomy,especiallyinruralareas.Providingforvisitstothecountrysideandcoastforallkindsofnature-basedactivitiesisavaluablepartoftheruraleconomy.Thosewhoownthelandhaveanimportantrolehereandthey’rekeentoplaytheirpartinraisingawarenessandunderstandingamongthegeneralpublic.

Climatechangeisanever-presentissuethesedays,influencingallkindsofthinkingaboutthefuturemanagementofournaturalenvironment.ItunderlinestheimportanceofthepioneeringworktoharvestScotland’soutstandingresourcesofcleanrenewableenergyatsea.Wave,tideandwindenergycouldwellallowustoreplacetheclimate-damagingcombustionofcoal,oilandgas,theso-called‘fossil’fuels.Youcanreadabouttheresearchthat’sunderwaytoensurethatwebenefitfromthesenewenergyresourceswithoutharmingourmarinewildlife.

ThisyearSNHtakesoverresponsibilityforScotland’swilddeer.Theseiconicanimalsareavaluableandmuch-lovedpartofournaturalheritage.However,theycandamagecropsandwildlifehabitatswhentheirnumbersgetoutofhand.Gettingthebalancerightisamatterofcarefuljudgement.

You’llfindallofthesetopicsdiscussedinthisissueofThe Nature of Scotland.IhopeyouenjoyreadingthearticlesandthatatleastoneoftheminspiresyoutogetoutandenjoyScotland’swonderfulnaturalenvironment.

The Nature of Scotland

Wild calendar

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Takealongsummerday.Addapinchofwildlife.Itcouldbethecallofalonefalconoveramoorwherenothingelsemoves.Itmightbe10,000daisies,studdedlikestarsontheturfofafield.Stirinsomewater,whetherthat’stheriver,sea,cascadeorasunnyshower.NowblendinaScottishbackdroptoyourtaste.Drinkdeepofthisgloriousseason.

The big B at St CSea,sand,flowers,brightlycolouredbutterfliesandotherinsectsmakeapotentsummercombination.AtStCyrusNationalNatureReserve,nearMontrose,youcanseeallthesethingsbythebeach-,cliff-andgrassland-load.

Partofitswildlifepowercomesfromthesheernumberofplantshere(about350higherplantspecies,andcounting).Someofthesehavenamestoquickenthepulseofthosewithalikingforfineflowers.Meadowsaxifrage,purplemilkvetchandbloodycranesbillarepartofthisexcitingbunch.

Partcomesfromthevarietyofinsectshere,includingallfiveScottish-dwellingspeciesofgrasshopperandcricket,morethanadozendifferentbutterfliesandmorethan200speciesofmoth.Perhapsthemoststrikingofthesemothsistheday-flyingsix-spotburnet,resplendentinshinyblackandscarlet.

So,inthisInternationalYearofBiodiversity,StCyrusisagreatScottishexampleofvarietyoflifeinamuch-cherishedplace.Giveitavisittodiscoverwhatthe‘B’wordreallymeans.

Web tips: www.nnr-scotland.org and click ‘Find an NNR’www.snh.gov.uk/pdfs/education/burnetmoth.pdf

1 Purple milk vetch was so-named from a belief that it could boost milk production in cattle that ate it.

2 The six-spot burnet is a day-flying moth that often lives near the coast. Its colours warn predators that it’s poisonous.

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Sum

mer

KennyTaylorgivessomeseasonaltipsforsavouringScottishwildlifeandlandscapes

http://www.snh.gov.uk/docs/A439952.pdf

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3Originally native to Spain and Portugal, then kept in guarded warrens, rabbits have only become common across Scotland in the last two centuries.

4The pied flycatcher is scarce in Scotland, so hearing one in a summer oakwood is always an enjoyable surprise.

5 Every part of the Isle of Eigg’s coast is interesting. But the Singing Sands, where dry grains can squeak underfoot, is both beautiful and remarkable.

A bunny runs through itMammalwatchingisusuallyachallenge,butsummergivesopportunitiestoseeawiderrangeofspeciesthanduringotherseasons.OnthewestcoastandaroundtheHebridesandNorthernIsles,thesecouldincludedolphins,porpoises,sealsorottersatanytimeofday.InlandontheScottishmainland,earlymorningandeveningcanbethebesttimesformammalviewing.

Trysittingatduskbytheedgeofbroadleavedwoodstocatchsightofpipistrellesorotherbats.Rabbitwarrensarealsofuntowatchwhentheyoungerbunniesareonthehop.Theymaybecommon,butyouneedpatiencetoobserverabbitsatcloserange.

Forgoodranger-ledbadgerviewing,gototheScottishWildlifeTrust’sFallsofClydereserve,nearNewLanark.Here,youcanlookatGlasgow’shomeriverinadifferentlight,asittumblesthroughsteepandwoodedgorgesandoverlargewaterfalls,thenarrangetoseesomeofthewoodland’smostdistinctivelyhairyinhabitants.

Web tip:www.swt.org.uk/visit/reserves and click ‘Visit’ then ‘Reserves’

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Catch a flying pieIfyou’refinetuninganearforbirdsong,earlysummerinaScottishoakwoodcanbeagreattimetopractise.That’sbecausesomeofthelouder,residentsongsters,suchaschaffinch,arejoinedbymoresubtle-voiced,migrantsingers.

Piedflycatcherandredstartaretwosuchmigrants.Givethemalistenonlinetogetanideaoftheirphrasing.OakwoodswhereyoumighthearthemincludesomeofthoseinArgyll,LochaberandflankingLochLomond.VisitthewoodsandwetlandsoftheRiverDee,inDumfriesandGalloway,andyoucouldalsocombinesongappreciationwithviewsofpartofScotland’sexpandingredkitepopulation.

TheGallowayKiteTrailisacircularroutethatrunsneartheDeefromnorthofCastleDouglastoNewGallowayandback.There’safeedingstationatLauriestonthatcanbepopularwiththebirdonceknownasthe‘gled’inScotsdialect.Butthere’salsoachanceofseeingsomeoftheseelegantscavengersalongotherpartsofthevalley.

Web tip: Online birdsong clips: www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguideGalloway Kite Trail: www.gallowaykitetrail.com

Say it again, sandRum,Eigg,MuckandCanna:that’saworld-classquartetofnamesforanyonewithalikingforcharacterfulislands.Eachcouldrewardasummervisit,withEigganexcellentintroductiontothegroup.

OnethingIrelishaboutEiggishowitscommunityhasthrivedsincetheislandwasboughtbyapartnershipbetweenlocalpeople,theScottishWildlifeTrustandtheHighlandCouncilin1997.It’salsoaplacewhere,almostliterally,thelandscapecanspeaktoyou.

TakeashortwalkfromCleadale,intheheartofthecommunity,toacoastwhereancientrockfeaturesareto

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thefore.AtLaigBay,youcouldstandonbeautifulJurassicsandstonesfromthetimesofthedinosaursandlookouttoseeanottersearchingtheinshorekelpbedsforcrabs.

Butit’sthe‘SingingSands’herethatcanstealtheshow.Catchthemindryconditions,andthequartzitegrainswillsqueakunderfoot:weirdbutpleasingmusicfromtheremainsofmountainslongvanished.

Web tip: www.isleofeigg.net and click ‘Nature on Eigg’

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The Nature of Scotland8

The great big paddleWorkhasbegunoncreatingScotland’sfirstformalcanoetrail,whichwillstretchalongtheGreatGlenbetweenFortWilliamandInverness

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1 The waters of world-famous Loch Ness will be a big draw for paddlers.

2 Project officer for the Great Glen Canoe Trail is Donald Macpherson.

OneofScotland’smostpopulartouristlocationsissettoplayhosttothecountry’sfirstofficialcanoetrail.

ThenewGreatGlenCanoeTrailwillofferinternationalandnationalpaddlerstheopportunitytojourneyfromcoasttocoastacrossthecountry.They’llbeabletotravelthe100kmstretchbetweenFortWilliamandInverness,passingthroughthehistoricCaledonianCanalandfourlochs,includingthechallengingwatersofworld-famousLochNess.

ProjectofficerforthenewtrailisDonaldMacpherson,whowillbeoverseeingthedevelopmentthroughtoitsopeninginspring2012.“It’sgreattobeplayingaroleinthedeliveryofsuchafantasticproject,”commentedDonald.“Thetrailiswellplacedtoattractawholerangeofoutdoorenthusiastsfrombothapaddlingandnon-paddlingbackground,becauseit’ssuchaniconiclocationwithspectacularsceneryandwildlife.

“AndoneofthebigadvantagesoftheGreatGlenisthattherearevariouslocationswhereyoucanlaunchorfinish,unlikeotherpaddlinglocationswheretheonlywayoutistocompletethedistance.Noteveryonewillcomeheretopaddlethefulldistance,which

willtakefourorfivedaystocomplete.Somemayoptforjustaoneortwodayrouteinstead.”

Over£600,000isbeinginvestedintheGreatGlenCanoeTrail,whichaimstotakeadvantageoftheincreasingpaddlermarketthat’sestimatedtobegrowingbyastaggering25%eachyear.FundinghascomefromtheEuropeanRegionalDevelopmentFund,BritishWaterwaysScotland,HighlandCouncil,ForestryCommissionScotlandandScottishNaturalHeritage.

Low-levelpontoonsarebeinginstalledatlocksandbridgestoimproveaccessonandoffthewater.Andtherewillbe‘trailblazerrests’,consistingofspeciallyidentifiedinformalcampsiteareasandsecurelong-staycarparkingareasateachendoftheglen.

Fulldetailsonsafety,travelarrangements,accommodationandthefacilitiesalongthewaymarkedroutewillbeavailableontheforthcomingGreatGlenCanoeTrailwebsite,andintheproposedtrailguideleafletandguidebook.Theseaimtoensurethatpaddlersgetasmuchsatisfactionfromtheirtripaspossible.

Addedtothat,anorientationpaneloutliningtraildirectionsandsafetyadvicewillbelocatedattheaccess/exitpoints.Thesepanelswillcomplementtheexisting‘GreatGlenWays’

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interpretationsignage,whichpromotesthethreesustainablewaystovisitthearea–byboat,bybootorbybike–andfeaturesinformationaboutlocalculture,heritageandwildlife.

Somegroupswhohavecanoeingexperienceofopenwaterwillprefertoplantheirownexpedition.Butothersmaypreferaguidedtripwithalocaloutdooractivityprovider,whocantakecareofallthetravelarrangements,equipment,foodanddrink,aswellasofferinglocalcampingknowledgeandsafetyresources.

“Whetheryouconquerthetrailindependentlyorwithalocaloutdooractivityprovider,theGreatGlenCanoeTrailwillbebothanadventureandaneducationintothejoysofthegreatoutdoors,”Donaldcontinued.

“AndalthoughtheCaledonianCanalismainlypaddledinopenCanadiancanoes,therearegrowingnumbersofpaddlersalsotakingtothewaterwayinseakayaks,whichcutthroughthewaterandtravelfaster.Butwhatevercanoeorkayakyouchoose,andwhateveryourskilllevel,thenewGreatGlenCanoeTrailissettobeanunbeatableexperience.”

Ifyou’reinterestedinfindingoutmore,youcancontacttheprojectofficeron01463725563oremaildonald.macpherson@britishwaterways.co.uk


Celebrating 100,000 awardsTherehavebeenrepeatedwarningsrecentlyaboutpeoplebecomingdetachedfromnature.ButasuccessfulawardsschemerunbytheJohnMuirTrustpointstohopeforthefuture

TheJohnMuirTrust,theUK’sleadingwildlandcharity,reachedaprettyspecialmilestonerecentlywhenitpresentedthe100,000thawardunderitsenvironmentalawardscheme.

Tomarktheoccasion,aspecialeventwasheldattheRoyalBotanicGarden,Edinburgh,withrepresentativesofthefirst,10,000th,20,000th,50,000thand100,000thJohnMuirAwardsattending.

ThesuccessofthisflourishingenvironmentalawardschemehasseenitquicklygrowfromitsScottishoriginstobecomewidelyestablishedacrosstheUK.Theawardisfocusedonwildplaces,encouragingawarenessandresponsibilityforthenaturalenvironment,inaspiritoffun,adventureandexploration.

FollowingtheexampleofScottishconservationheroJohnMuir,tensofthousandsofparticipantshavenowenjoyedtheirownadventuresinwildplaces,andtakenresponsibilityforlookingaftertheenvironment.

“Theawardisopentoall,”explainedRobBushby,managerfortheJohnMuirAward.“Itwassetuptoencouragepeopleofallagesandbackgroundstoconnect,enjoyandcareforwildplaces.

“It’snotcompetitivebutitismeanttochallenge

thosewhotakepart.Theyhavetoshowenthusiasmandcommitmentfordiscoveringawildplace,activelyexploringit,doingsomethingtoconserveitandsharingtheirexperiences.”

Therecipientofthe100,000thawardwas13-year-oldCumbrianschoolpupilJakeAtkinson,andtheactivitiesheundertooktoachievethefirsttwolevelsoftheawardshowthesortofcommitmentthatcanbeinvolved.

JakewaspartofagroupfromUllswaterCommunityCollege,Penrith,whocompletedawildlifegardenproject.Itinvolvedhedgelaying,drystonewalling,treeplantingandpondconstruction,aswellascreatingwaterfeatures,sculpturesandhomesforwildlife.

HeandhisfriendsalsovolunteeredforavarietyofoutdooractivitiesintheLakeDistrictNationalPark,workingwiththeFieldStudyCouncilandtheForestryCommission.AndoverthepastcoupleofyearsJakehasbeenhelpingarangeofstudentswithASDs(autisticspectrumdisorders)towardstheirownJohnMuirAwards.

“WhatIenjoyedmostwashelpingsomeoftheyoungerpupilstoachievethetaskstheyweregiveninthegarden,”saidJake.“Ialsolikedworkingwithmyfriendsintheeco-gardenandlearningnewskillstotakehomeanduseonthefarm.Ienjoyedmeetingandgettingtoknownewpeople,butmostofallhavingfun!”

1 Some of the scenes and people from the special event held to mark 100,000 John Muir Awards.

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Journey of discovery

TheJohnMuirTrustsetuptheawardin1997togetmorepeopleactiveintheconservationmovement.Itoperateslargelythroughavariedrangeoforganisations,includingschoolsandoutdoorcentres,aswellasyouthandcommunitygroups–over700madeuseofitlastyear.Butmanyindividuals,familiesandsmallindependentgroupsalsotakepart.

They’reinvitedtofollowinthefootstepsofJohnMuir(1838–1914),withhislife-longjourneyofdiscoveryandexplorationtohelpconservethespecialqualitiesofwildplaces.MuirwasborninDunbar,EastLothian,andwentontobecomethefounderoftheUSnationalparks.Heiswidelyregardedasthefatherofmodernconservation.Throughouthislife,Muirsharedhisexperiences,feelingsandvisionforwildplaceswithawideraudience,sotheawardparticipantsareencouragedtodolikewise.

JohnHutchisonischairmanoftheJohnMuirTrustandbelievestheawardisgreatatcharacterformingforyoungpeople.“Theexperienceitprovidesisveryimportantfortheself-discoverythatleadstoself-confidence.

“100,000awardsisahugemilestonetocelebrateinsuchashorttime.TheJohnMuirAwardisfirmlypartofthecoreworkofthetrust’snewvisionforwildland.Ibelievethat,throughtheaward,we’refindingandnurturingthenextgenerationofenvironmentalcommunityactivists.”

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2 Recipient of the 100,000th award was Jake Atkinson (far left).

“TheJohnMuirAwardputsadifferentslantoneverything.Itbringsoutthewonderandbeautyofbeinginnature.It’sabeautifulwayofworkingwithkidsandencouragesthemtolookatthebiggerpicture.”Sarah Robertshaw,Forestry Commission project leader

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George Watson’s CollegeEdinburghAnnualinvolvement

There’sa30-yeartraditionofoutdoorresidentialexperiencesforpupilsintheirthirdyearatGeorgeWatson’sCollege.TheiradventurestakeplaceinallcornersofScotland,withadozendifferenttripstakingstudentsfromKnoydartandSkyetoDumfriesshireandHarris.

Since2003,thethirdyearprojectsprogrammehasincludedtheJohnMuirAward.Itaimstoreflectanddevelopthelongstandingcarefortheenvironmentthat’sbeenanimportantaspectofthesetrips,andtoheightenappreciationofthesespeciallocations.

“TheJohnMuirAwardmademethinkcarefullyabouttheworldaroundmeandhowpreciousthesewildplacesare.”Pupil

“NowI’veexperiencedsuchawildarea,Icanseethebeautyandimportanceofmaintainingtheseplacesthroughouttheworld.”Pupil

Bridges ProjectHM Prison CraiginchesAberdeenAutumn2009

RangersfromAberdeenCityCouncildeliveredaJohnMuirAwardforprisonersfromCraiginchesPrison.Itwasproposedasa‘bridging’projectbetweenparticipants’liveswithintheprisonandlifeintheirhomecommunitiesuponrelease.

Theyusedbushcraftandsurvivaltechniquestoimproveteamworkandcommunicationskills.Mapworkandresearchallowedthemtolearnmoreabouttheirlocalwildplaces,whilealsocontributingtolocalcommunitiesbybuildingplantersforprimaryschools.

“Alotoftheguyshavenothingtogetoutfor.Withthiswehavesomethingtogetoutfor…somethingtolookforwardto.”Award participant

“Eventhoughwehaveourdifferencesofopinion,we’vebondedovertheJohnMuirAward.”Award participant


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1515www.snh.gov.uk

Simple and easy campaignAnewcampaignlaunchesinJulyaimedatencouragingallofustomakebetteruseoftheoutdoorsandnatureclosetohome.Thecampaignhasthestrapline‘Simplepleasures,easilyfound’andcelebratesthesimplepleasuresofferedbyournaturalenvironment.Thefocusisonhighlightingwhatcanbeachievedfromourowndoorstepsintermsoflocalwalks,parksandgreenspaces.

“ThecampaignpromotessimpleoutdooractivitiesthatcanbeenjoyedanywhereinScotland,”explainedEleanorMacDonald,SNHcampaignmanager.“Thesimplepleasuresincludeactivitieslikeskimmingstones,lookingforafour-leafedcloverorwatchingasunset,sothey’reallfunanddo-ablethings.

“Wealsowanttoreducethetimeneededtoplananoutingbyprovidingusefulinformationaboutroutesclosetowherepeoplelive.Theinformationwillalsotellthemhowlongeachrouteislikelytotake,makingiteasiertofitoutdoorenjoymentintobusyeverydaylives.”

Thiswillbeanationalcampaign,butthefocuswillbelargelyurban.ResearchshowsthatmanypeoplelivinginAberdeen,EdinburghandparticularlyGlasgowvisittheoutdoorslessthanonceaweek.Theaimistoinspirethemtomakemoretimeforoutdoorenjoymentinsteadofotherleisureactivities.

Nationalposters,newspaperadvertsandleafletswillallformpartofthecampaign.Thesewillprovidetoptipsandideasforthingstodo,aswellasdirectingthepublictoanonlinesource

withinformationspecifictotheirlocalarea.InGlasgow,forinstance,theinformationwillincluderoutesalongtheKelvinWalkway,GlasgowGreenandtheRiverClyde,aswellastheForthandClydeCanal.

Theapproachtakenforsomeofthecommunicationswillbetoshowpeoplehavingfuninallweathers,ratherthantheusualtendencytopresentimagesofhot,sunnydays.It’shopedthismayhelpinfluencepeopletochangetheirbehaviouratthosetimesoftheyearwhenspendingtimeoutsideislessattractive.

ThiscampaignsupportsSNH’s‘EnjoyingtheOutdoors’policy,whichaimstopersuademorepeopletotakepartinoutdoorvisits,andencourageeveryonetogetoutsidemoreoften.Thisapproachrecogniseshowimportantenjoyingtheoutdoorsisforpeople’squalityoflife.

Thecampaignwillincludeatoolkitoftoptipsforhowtogetactiveoutdoors.Partnerssuchasrangerservices,communitygroups,walkleadersorclubsandassociationswillbeabletousethevisualidentityofthecampaignbydownloadingmaterialsfromtheinternet,whichtheycanthenchangetosuittheirowncircumstances.

Anypartnerwillhaveaccesstothis,anditwillbeuseableforanylocation.Itwillincludepostertemplates,leaflettemplatesandnewsreleases.Meanwhile,SNHwilltakealeadontargetingthecampaigninGlasgowandotherurbancentres.

“Wehopethiscampaignwillgivepeoplelotsofideasforplacestogooutdoorsandthingstodo,”addedEleanor.“Wewanttocreateasenseofbuzzaboutthesimplepleasurestobegainedfromoutdoorenjoyment.”

1 Poster advertising the new campaign.


Positive and negativeBeaveractivitycanhavebothpositiveandnegativeeffectsonfreshwaterfish.That’stheconclusionofthemostthoroughrevieweverundertakenoftheeffectsofbeaversonfreshwaterfish.

ThereviewwascarriedoutforSNHbytheUniversityofSouthampton.It’sbasedonstudyingthescientificliteratureandsurveying45fisherymanagersandscientists,alongwithbeaverecologyexperts,mainlyinNorthAmericawheremostoftheresearchhasbeencarriedout.ThereportdiscussestheimplicationsofthisworkfortheEuropeanbeaverinScotland.

Amongthenegativeeffectsarebeaverdams,whichcansometimesstopfishmovingupordowninnarrowerriversandstreams.Therewerealsoreportsofsomespawningareasbeinglostimmediatelyupstreamofdamsduetomoresiltbeingpresent.Theseeffectscanchangeovertimeandtheinfluenceonfishpopulationsremainsunclear.

Beaverscanalsohavepositiveeffectsonfish.Theseincludeanincreaseinthevarietyofhabitatsinstreamsandagreaterareafortherearingandoverwinteringoffish.Therearealsoreportsofanincreaseininvertebrates,suchasinsects,onwhichfishfeed.Beaveractivitymayalsohelptoproviderefugeduringperiodsofhighorlowwaterflows.

Overall,thepositiveeffectswerementionedmorefrequently(157times)thanthenegativeeffects(102times).Inthesurveyofindependentexperts,theresponsestomorethanhalf(58%)ofthequestionssuggestedthattheimpactofbeaversonfishwaspositive,with21%negativeandtheremainderneutral.

Thereportconcludesthatthenegativeimpactofbeaversonthemovementoffishandtheavailabilityofsuitablespawninghabitatcanbeatleastoffsetbythebenefits.Theseincludeanincreaseinthevarietyofhabitatsandtheresultingincreaseintheabundanceandproductivityoffish,includingsalmon.

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WS

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United frontProminentScottishlandownershaveunitedtocondemnanypersonwhoillegallypoisonsbirdsofpreyorotherprotectedspecies.

Over200signedalettertoenvironmentministerRoseannaCunningham,callingforthe‘fullweightofthelaw’tobebroughttobearonthosewhoillegallykillraptors.

Themovecomesaftertheremainsofthreegoldeneagles,abuzzardandasparrowhawkwerefoundduringthefirstweekofMayonornearthegroundsofSkiboCastle,nearDornoch,Sutherland.Policeareinvestigatingifpoisoningwasinvolved.

Theletterstates:“Itiswidelyrecognisedthatwildlifemanagementisacomplexbusinessthatcontinuallythrowsupnewchallenges,butnothingcanjustifyillegalactivity.Itis,forus,astraightforwarddecisiontounderlineourviewofillegalpoisoning.Frankly,wecondemnitoutofhandandithastostop.

“ThoseofuswholiveandworkintheScottishcountrysideareappalledbysuchbehaviour.Theonlythingthatisachievedbysuchactsistheunderminingoftheexcellentworkthatisdonedayin,dayoutonScottishestatesbyowners,landmanagersandgamekeepersintermsofanimalwelfareandconservationofScotland’snaturalheritage.

“Themessagemustgoouttothepeoplewhoindulgeinsuchcriminalbehaviourthatwhattheydoistotallyunacceptabletotheoverwhelmingmajoritywhohavethetrueinterestsofthecountrysideatheart.

“Wewillcontinuetodoeverythingwecantoensurethatmessageisconveyedacrossthelandmanagementsector.Wedonotpresumeguiltnorrefertoanyparticularincident,buttheapparentdeliberatepoisoningofprotectedspeciesinrecentyearshasleftusutterlydismayed.

“WealsosupportthefullweightofthelawbeingbroughttobearonthosewhoareinvolvedinillegalpoisoningandendorsetheeffortsofthePartnershipforActionagainstWildlifeCrime,inwhichourrepresentativeorganisationsareactiveandenthusiasticparticipants.”


NE

WS ‘Operation Caesar’ launched

Significantandlastingcriminaldamagehasbeenfoundat75%ofinternationallyimportantfreshwaterpearlmusselsitessurveyedacrossScotland.

Criminalactsincludedbothillegalpearlfishingandunauthorisedriverworksthatledtothedestructionofwholepearlmusselpopulations.

Inabidtocrackdownaftertheunexpectedlyseveredamage,policeandSNHhavelaunched‘OperationCaesar’,whichseeksthepublic’shelpinidentifyingandreportingtothepoliceanysuspiciousactivity.

Themusselsareaprotectedspecies,andcrimesagainstthemcarrythepossibilityofprisonsentences.Scotlandhasatotalof21designatedprotectedsitesforpearlmussels,withScottishriversholdingaroundhalfoftheworld’spopulationofthespecies.

ThewildlifecrimefindingscametolightafterthelatestroundofSNH’sroutinemonitoringduring2008/2009.Itcoveredareasspeciallydesignatedtoconservetheseamazingandextremelyvulnerableanimals.Outofninesitessurveyed,damagewasfoundatseven.Threeshowedsuchsignificantdamagethatrecoverywillbeextremelychallenging.

InoneriversysteminthewestHighlands,oneofthelargestpearlmusselbedsofatleast600animalswasfoundtohavedisappearedsincethepreviousmonitoringvisitfiveyearsearlier,withnoexplanationotherthandestructivepearlfishing.

“We’vebeenshockedatthefindings,”statedIainSimeofSNH,“andit’sclearthatwemustundertakeurgentworktosavethisspeciesfromalmostcertainextinctioninsomeareas.Unauthorisedengineeringinoneriverseemstohavedestroyedthemostsignificantpearlmusselbedofaround900animalsinthelowerreachesoftheriver.

“Anothersitehasseenthekilling,inlessthanaday,of50%ofthemusselsintheburn,makinganyrecoveryfortheremaininganimalsextremelydifficult.We’velaunchedOperationCaesartoenlistthehelpofpeopleintryingtostopthesecrimes.”

NorthernConstabulary’schiefinspectorMatthewReisssaidtheywouldbeappealingtotheanglingandwalkingcommunities,aswellasotherswhoenjoythecountryside,tobeonthelookoutforanysuspiciousactivityatornearwater,especiallyasthewarmersummerweatherapproaches.“Thiscanextendtosuspiciousactivityinandaroundrivers–frompeoplesearchinginriversandshellsonbankstovehiclesparkedearlyintheday,”headded.

‘OperationCaeser’issocalledbecausethefreshwaterpearlmusselshaveanancientculturalhistoryinScotland.It’ssaidthatCaesarinvadedBritaintogethishandsonthepearlssometimesyieldedbythemussels,whichalsoadorntheScottishcrownjewels.

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NE

WS

Sea eagle researchWhite-tailedseaeagleshaveaminimalimpactonthedeathsoflambsaccordingtotheresultsofascientificstudy.

Thestudy,undertakenbytheFoodandEnvironmentResearchAgencyforSNH,recordedthefortunesoflambsontheGairlochpeninsulainWesterRoss,fromApriltomid-Augustlastyear.

Theresearchfoundthatseabirds,suchasfulmar,werethemainsourceoffoodfortheseaeagles.Therewaslittleevidenceofdeathsamongthelambsthatcouldbelinkedtotheraptors.

“Thisisaverytimelyandvaluablepieceofresearch,”commentedenvironmentministerRoseannaCunningham.“Theseaeaglesareawonderfulpartofournaturalheritageandtheirreintroductionhasbeenanoutstandingsuccess.

“Butwealsorecognisethatfarmersandcroftersarerightlyconcernedabouttheirlivestockandit’simportantwedevelopourknowledgeandunderstandingofthisissue.

“Wherethereareproblemswithseaeaglespredatingonlivestockwewilllookatmaintainingandimprovingschemestofindwaystohelpfarmersmanagetheirstocktoco-existwiththesemagnificentbirds.”

Wildcat population appears stableTwonewreportssuggestthattheScottishwildcatissurvivingasadistinctspecies.

Thefirstreportlookedatthegeneticmake-upofthespeciesandconfirmedthatScottishwildcatscanbedistinguishedfromferalcatsbycoatmarkings.DoubtwascastovertheidentityoftheScottishwildcatduringacourtcasein1990,andtherehasbeenongoingworksincetoconfirmitsuniqueness.

ThesecondreportpresentstheresultsofaScottishwildcatsurveyconductedbetween2006and2008.ThisconcludedthatwildcatsappeartobestableintheirhistoricallocationsinthenorthandeastofScotland,withlocalisedpopulationssurvivingaroundArdnamurchanandMorvern.However,theirfateelsewhereislessclear.

TheScottishwildcatisoneofourmostendangeredmammals,withcross-breedingwithdomesticcatsposingthegreatestrisk.Thereportswillhelptodelivereffectiveconservationactionandthemanagementnecessarytosustainthespecies.Inparticular,theclearguidanceonhowtoidentifythespecieswillhelptotargetcontrolofdomesticcatsinareaswheretheyposemostrisktothesurvivalofthewildcat.


Dualchas coitcheannCommon heritage

Lus buidhe Bealltainn

ThanaGàidheilfhathasta’comharrachadhnaBealltainn,co-dhiùlebhithagainmeachadha’chiadlathadhenChèiteanmar‘LathaBuidheBealltainn’.Tha‘buidhe’andàchuidnachomharradedhathagusdedheaghfhortan(canaidhsinn‘nachbuidhedhut’gucumantafhathast).BhaBealltainnbhòthùsnafèillphàganachabhanainntrigeadhdont-samhradh.Bhaeaigceanneilenabliadhnabho‘Shamhain’,fèillphàganacheileabhaa’comharrachadhtoiseacha’gheamhraidh.Chanadhnaseanndaoine‘bhoShamhainguBealltainn’nuairabhaiada’ciallachadhanlethfuardhenbhliadhna.

ThaBealltainnairacomharrachadhannanlusdùthchasachairannochddìtheannanbuidhemunàmsindhenbhliadhna.’SesinCaltha palustris,lusrisancanarmarsh marigoldannamBeurla.AnnanGàidhlig,’se‘lusbuidheBealltainn’ant-ainmath’air.Bhiodhdaoinea’curdìtheannananluisseooscionnandorsanairsondrochgheasanasheachnadh;uaireannanbhiteganceangalriearbaillcruidhairandearbhadhbhar.Iscinnteachgubheildathanluisco-cheangailterismarabhadaoinegathomhasmarfhortanach.

Thaemarastriceblàthguleòraiga’Bhealltainnachcorrauaircuirearansneachdmudheireadhdhengheamhradhaiganàmsin.Thathara’gabhail‘sneachdmubheulnaBealltainn’airaleithid.AgusbhiodhnabalaichagèisteachdairsonnacuthaigairlathanaBealltainn.Nancluinneadhiadi,dh’èigheadhiad“‘Gug-ùg!’arsa’chuthagLathaBuidheBealltainn”.Agusmhothaichnaseanndaoinegumbiodhant-eunbeagrisancanarawhimbrelannamBeurlaa’nochdadhaiganàmsinah-uilebliadhna(coltachrisa’chuthaig,bidhea’curseachada’gheamhraidhannanAfraga).Marsinthugiad‘eunBealltainn’airmarainm.

B’eanseannchleachdadhabhitha’togaildàtheineairLathanaBealltainntronchùirtesprèidhisiomadhrudeileairsonanùrachadhisdìonanaghaidhdrochbhuidseachd.Thathara’smaoineachadhgubheilTullybelton/Tulach BealltainnannanSiorrachdPheairtammeasgnanàiteachanannsantachradhaleithid.Gednacheilant-seannfhèillCheilteachseoairacomharrachadhgumòrannanAlbaan-diugh,thaiairbeathaùrfhaighinnannsnabliadhnaicheanachaidhairanoidhchemudheireadhdhenGhibleanairCnocnaCalltainnannanDùnÈideann.Gedathadreachrudeiginùr-nòsachoirre,thateineaigmeadhana’ghnothaichfhathast.

ThemarshmarigoldisavividreminderofthecloselinksbetweenGaeliccultureandtheScottishseasons,asRuairidhMacIlleathainexplains

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Yellow plant of Beltane

ThemarshmarigoldisperhapsthemostvividplantreminderofthecloselinksbetweentraditionalGaeliccultureandtheScottishseasons.Thedaythatstartsthesummer,nowthefirstofMay,isstillknowninGaelicaslatha buidheBealltainn–the‘yellowdayofBeltane’.

Buidhe,however,doesn’tjustmean‘yellow’.Italsohassuggestionsofgoodfortune.Thisplant,whichbearsyellowflowersatthetimeofBeltane(theEnglishwordcamefromGaelic),islucky–itsbloomswouldoftenbetiedabovedoorwaysortothetailsofhorsesorcattletobringgoodfortune.TheGaelicnameforthespeciesislus buidhe Bealltainn(soundslike‘loossboo-yuhBYOWL-tin’)orthe‘yellowplantofBeltane’.

Anotherspeciesnamedforthisseasonisthewhimbrel–eun Bealltainn(‘ee-unBYOWL-tin’),actuallymeaning‘birdofBeltane’.AndTullybeltoninPerthshirewouldhaveexperiencedthefiresthroughwhichcattleandothergoodswerepassedaspartofthepurificationritesofthispre-Christianfestival.ItsnamecomesfromtheGaelicTulach Bealltainnor‘Beltanehill’.ThetwogreatestfestivalsintheoldGaeliccalendarwereBealltainnand,sixmonthslater,Samhain–thestartofwinter.ThefirstdayofSamhainisstillwidelycelebratedinGaelicScotland,asitisintheEnglish-speakingworld,whereit’scalled‘Halloween’.

Buidhe aig a’ Bhealltainn. Bha, agus tha, lus buidhe Bealltainn a’ comharrachadh toiseach an t-samhraidh ann an inntinn nan Gàidheal.

The yellow Beltane plant. To Scotland’s Gaels, the marsh marigold in bloomis a traditional symbol of the start of summer.


Fun in the sunAlmost200eventscelebratingScotland’swildlifeandenvironmenttookplaceacrossScotlandduringScottishBiodiversityWeekinMay

1 Exploring the rockpools of Coldingham Bay in Berwickshire at a ‘seashore safari’ event.

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2 Artist Fraser MacDonald and his assistant Neil planting herbs in a recycled planter at his ‘Garbology’ site at Perth and Kinross recycling centre.

3 Professor Keith Nicholson helps a couple of pupils from St Leonard’s Nursery in Edinburgh explore the wildlife in their pond.

4 Dennis McCullough shows how to handle a great tit that’s been caught at a bird ringing workshop at Westmuir Community Woodland, near Kirriemuir in Angus.

5 Perth Youth Theatre Collective performing the environmental play The Tree at Larghan Park, Coupar Angus.

2

OrganisedbySNHandpartners,theweekofferedsomethingforeverytaste,includingenjoyingaguidedbadgerwalkonCorstorphineHillinEdinburgh,mini-beasthuntingatVogrieCountryParkinMidlothian,abluebellwalkintheBallathieWoodsinPerthshire,learningaboutbatsandswiftsinPitlochry,pond-dippingatVaneFarmatLochLeven,seeingpuffinsnearDunbeathinCaithness,hearingthedawnchorusatThreaveGardensinDumfriesandGalloway,watchingseaeaglesontheIsleofMullandgoingforaguidedwalkattheAlltMhuicbutterflyreservenearFortWilliam,tonamejustafew.

ChildrenatStLeonard’sNurseryinEdinburghlaunchedtheweekwhenSNHboardmember,ProfessorKeithNicholson,joinedthepupilstoexplorethenursery’sspectacularwildlifegarden.“ScottishBiodiversityWeekgivespeoplealloverScotlandachancetogetoutinthecountrysideandenjoysomewonderfulevents,”commentedProfessorNicholson.“Weliveinaspecialplace.EveryoneknowsaboutthenaturalbeautyinareasliketheHighlandsandIslands,butthere’sasurprisingamountofwildlifeeveninourcityparks.SoIhopepeopleenjoyedgettingoutandenjoyingsomeofthesefunevents.”

Buttheoccasionisn'tquiteoveryet.Ournaturephotographycompetitionisongoinguntil31July.Youcanfindoutmoreaboutitfrom www.snh.org.uk/biodiversityweek.Thethemeis'emotions'–wewanttoknowhownatureaffectsyou.Therearegreatprizestobewon,includingaone-to-onetutorialwithSNH’sownphotographer,LorneGill,andafantasticdigitalcamera.Thetop30imageswillbeusedtodevelopanexhibitionthatwillfeatureintheEdinburghInternationalFringeFestival.Sendyourbestimagestobit@snh.gov.ukanddon’tforgettotellushowtheimagesyoutookaffectedyou.

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ArecentresearchstudylookedatpublicattitudestowardsestatesandlandownersinScotland.DavidGreer,deputychairmanoftheScottishEstatesBusinessGroup,reflectsontheresults

Public speaking

Untilnow,itwasdifficulttoassessaccuratelywhatpeoplemadeofestates,ifanythingatall.Ontheonehand,estatescouldbeseenmakingasignificantcontributiontoruralScotland,buttheirreputationwasstillburdenedwithvariousissues.

SotheScottishEstatesBusinessGroupandtheScottishRuralPropertyandBusinessAssociation–twoorganisationswithsignificantinvolvementinlanduseacrossScotland–decidedtoaskthepublicwhattheyreallythought.Theyfelttheresultswouldbeusefulinconsideringthewayaheadforlandmanagement.

ThetwoorganisationscommissionedGeorgeStreetResearch,anindependentmarketresearchagency,toundertakethewide-rangingstudy.ItinvolvedfocusgroupsacrossScotland,followedupwithasurveyofover1,000adults.Theresultsoftheresearchcanbeviewedatwww.sebg.org/news

It’sfairtosaythatbothorganisationswereabitanxiousaboutbeingonthereceivingendofa‘wartsandall’assessmentbythepublic.Asitturnedout,theresultswerebothsurprisingandinformativeforthelandmanagementsector.

Predictably,theresearchrevealedthatthepublicappreciatetheruralScottishlandscapeandvaluehighlythewell-cared-fornaturalresourcesthattheycanenjoy.Theyalsobelievethecountrysideplaysanimportantpartintourismandleisure.

However,thoseinterviewedhadverylittleawarenessofestates,andtherolethattheyplaywasvirtuallyunknown.Some65%saidtheyknewverylittleornothingaboutestatesandonly1%saidtheyknewa‘greatdeal’.Theparticipantsalsosaidtheydidn’tregardlandownershiponitsownasa‘topofmind’issue.

Thepublictendedtorelatetothestereotypical‘MonarchoftheGlen’imagewhenpromptedtothinkaboutestates,

ThereputationofestatesandlandownershipisasubjectthatwillgenerateawiderangeofopinionsinScotland.Andtheviewsexpressedwill,ofcourse,dependonwhoyouask.

1 Farmland, birch woodland and conifer plantations in Upper Deeside, Grampian.

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buttheydidn’tregardthatimagenegatively.Theydid,however,formanegativeviewiftheywereawareofaparticularissue,suchasanaccessproblem,butdidn’tdisplaygeneralhostility.

Thepublicmadeitclearthat,oncetheywereawareoftheroleofestates,theyfeltitwouldbehelpfulforestatestocommunicatemorepositivelyonwhattheydo.

“Thestudyshowedthatthemanagementandmaintenanceofthecountrysideweresomewhattakenforgrantedandpeopleassumedthemtobelargelyafunctionofnature,”commentedJoFawcett,managingdirectorofGeorgeStreetResearch.

“Therewasalackofawarenessaboutestatesratherthanantagonism,andit’sclearthepublicenjoythefacilitiesandgoingintothecountryside.Theyjustdon’tthinkmuchabouthowthathappensorwho’sinvolvedinmakingithappen.”

Thesewerekeyfindingsasfarasestatesareconcerned.Therearemanyandvaryingviewsonestates,andofcourse

werecognisethatwecanbeviewedinanegativelight.Itwouldbeabsurdtosuggestotherwise.Butitwasalsoclearthatthepublic’sopinionsaboutestatesandlandownerswerenotasstrongaswethoughttheymightbe.

Themessagecomingbackfromthepublicisthat,whentheyexperienceestates,theylikewhattheysee.Theydonot,however,makestrongconnectionsbetweenthatexperienceandthecontributionofestates.Thebiglessonforustolearnisthatweneedtomakeveryclearwhatroleweplay.

ManyruralestatesinScotlandcontributeagreatdealintermsoftourism,leisureandbusiness.Andtheworkthat’sdoneonestatesacrossScotlandintermsofconservation,wildlifeandhabitatmanagementissomethinginwhichweshouldtakepride.

ThepublicseemsopentofindingoutmoreaboutthecontributionwemaketoruralScotland.Providingthemwithbetterinformationisachallengethatestatesandlandownersmustmeetsuccessfully.

1


1 The group visited Cleghorn Glen woodland, where the steep slopes have protected the rich mix of trees from felling and development.

2 Martin Twiss (right) talked about the woodland plants that carpet the ground during spring and early summer.

Welcome to Scotland’s nature

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www.snh.gov.uk 29

Youprobablyknowplentyofoutdoorplacesthatyoucanvisit,havinggatheredtheinformationfromfamily,friendsandexperienceovertheyears.Butwhatifyou’renewtothiscountry?ScottFergusonandElaineMacintoshofSNHoutlineacoupleofprojectsaimedatmakingthatknowledgemorewidelyavailable

Manyofusaresurroundedbyinformationaboutspecialplacestovisitandthingstodointheoutdoors,soit’seasytoforgetthatknowingwheretogoandwhattodoisn’tassimpleforeveryoneinScotland.

IgotachancetoexperiencethisfirsthandwhenIjoinedagroupfromtheBridgesProgrammeinGlasgowearlierthisyear.ThegroupwasvisitingCleghornGlenWoods–whichformspartoftheClydeValleyWoodlandsNationalNatureReserve–aspartofa‘CommunityIntroductions’project.Thisisaprogrammeofvisitsto‘specialplacesfornature’forblackandminorityethniccommunitygroups.

ThegroupvisitingCleghornGlenwasjuststartingona14-weekpersonaldevelopmentprogrammewithBridges.TheprogrammesaimtohelprefugeesandasylumseekerslivinginGlasgowgainmeaningfulworkexperience.Theyoffertraining,officialrecognitionandschemestoupgradetheirskillsaimedathelpingrefugeeprofessionalsgetintolong-termjobsattheappropriatelevel.

Itwasclearfromthestartthatthevisitwasasuccessful‘introduction’.MartinTwiss,whoworksoutoftheSNHLanarkoffice,ledthegrouponawalkthroughthegorge,andPammyJohalfromBackbone(whohassetupandwillleadalltheCommunityIntroductionsvisits)thenhadusallexploringthewoodswhileblindfolded.

Forsome,itwastheirfirstopportunitytoexploretheScottishcountrysideaftertwoorthreeyearslivinginGlasgow.Aswewalkedbackthroughtheancient

“FantasticdaybecauseIrelaxandforgetabouteverything...myworries...thinkingaboutmanythings.Quiet,peaceful...hadtimetolistentoeveryoneandhaveanopinion.”Akhmed

2

The Nature of Scotland30 The Nature of Scotland30

3 The group all had a go at exploring the woods while blindfolded, including Scott Ferguson from SNH.

4 Ecofusion was a lively and colourful day out.

oakwoods,therewasalotofchataboutchildhoodexperiencesintheoutdoors,andmanyquestionsaboutotherplacestovisitandhowtogetthere.ThegroupleftwithacommitmenttoplanandrunanothervisitwiththeBridgesprogrammestaff.

CommunityIntroductionsisapartnershipbetweenSNH,BackboneandtheForumforEnvironmentalVolunteeringActivity.Backboneisatrainingandpersonaldevelopmentorganisationthatpromotes‘celebratingdiversitythroughadventure’,primarilyforwomenandblackandminorityethniccommunities.

BybringingtogetherBackbone’scontactsinblackandminorityethniccommunitiesaroundScotlandwithourknowledgeofScotland’soutdoors,theCommunityIntroductionsprojecthasorganisedaseriesof12visitstosomeofScotland’s‘specialplacesfornature’betweenMarchandJulythisyear.Theresponsefromboththenaturalheritagesectorandcommunitygroupshasbeenfantastic.Nositemanagerhasturneddowntheopportunitytotakepartandofferawelcometovisitinggroups,andmorecommunitygroupswanttovisittheoutdoorsthanwe’vebeenabletoaccommodate.

TheprogrammeofvisitshastakeninnationalnaturereservesatTentsmuir,LochLevenandtheIsleofMay,LochLomondandtheTrossachsandCairngormsNationalParks,aswellasClydeMuirshielandPentlandHillsRegionalParks.Foreachvisit,Backboneandthehostorganisationworktogethertoplanactivitiestailoredtothevisitinggroup,aimedatgivingparticipantsatasteofwhatScotland’soutdoorshastooffer–whetherit’sfun,amazingwildlife,orjustachancetorelaxinbeautifulsurroundings.SNHarenowworkingwithBackbonetosecurefurtherfundingtoextendtheprogramme.

Aftereachvisitweaskbothparticipatinggroupsandthehostorganisationtotelluswhatthevisitmeanttothem.Andthefeedbackshowsjusthowimportantanorganised‘introduction’canbeforgroupswithlimitedaccesstoknowledgethatmanyScotstakeforgranted.

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4

Fusion for allAsunnySundayinAprilsaw4,000peopleinEdinburgh’sHolyroodParkattendEcofusion,auniquemulticulturalcelebrationencouragingmorepeopletoenjoytheoutdoors.

Ecofusionmergedoutdoorandenvironmentalactivitieswithartsandcraftsfromaroundtheworld,combiningguidednatureandheritagewalks,aclimbingwallandabikeskillscoursewithNepalesedance,ThaifruitcarvingandJapaneseknotwork.

Arthur’sSeatprovidedaninspiringbackdropaspeoplebrowsedinformationstallsonopportunitiestoenjoyScotland’soutdoorsandtookpartinactivitiesaroundbrightlycolouredIndianmarquees.Over40environmentalandcommunityorganisationswereinvolved,withtheaimofencouragingmorepeople–ofallculturalbackgrounds–tomakethemostofScotland’soutdoorsandthenatureontheirdoorsteps.


Ecofusionwasinspiredbythe‘WorkingwithDifference’programme,setupbytheForumforEnvironmentalVolunteeringActivityandBackbone.ThisinvolvesapartnershipofenvironmentalorganisationsandminorityethniccommunitygroupswhohavebeenworkingtogetheroverthepastyeartoencouragegreaterdiversityinScotland’soutdoors.

Blackandminorityethniccommunitiesareoftenunder-representedinenvironmentalandoutdooractivities,andtheWorkingwithDifferenceprogrammeaimstoaddressthebarriersbysupportingpartnershipsworkingbetweenenvironmentalandblackandminorityethnicorganisations.

Monthly‘gettingtoknowyou’meetingsanda‘learningbydoing’approachledtovisitstotheoutdoorsfor200peoplefromblackandminorityethniccommunitiesandanumberofongoingprojects.Forinstance,avisittoQueenElizabethForestPark,hostedbyForestryCommissionScotland,wasenjoyedbyagroupfromtheprojectforminorityethniccarersofolderpeopleandtheNepalScotlandAssociation.“ThistrailremindedusallasifwewerewalkingintheHimalayas,”remarkedoneofthegroup.“Youdon’tfeellonelywhennatureiswithyou.”

Recently,sevencommunitygroupsreceivedfundingfromthePathsforAllorganisationtosetuplocalhealthwalkprogrammes,andanumberofgroupsareplanningtheJohnMuirAwardwithHistoricScotland’srangerservice.

PammyJohalofBackbonewasdelightedbythepartnershipsandprojectsthatquicklygrewoutoftheprogramme.“InsettingupWorkingwithDifference,wediscoveredthatenvironmentalorganisationsandblackandminorityethniccommunitygroupsfounditdifficulttomakeconnections.Ayearlater,theEcofusioncelebrationeventbroughttogethereverythingthatthisprogrammesetouttoachieve!”

“Manypeoplefeltownershipoftheeventbecausetheywereinvolvedintheplanningprocess,”commentedAdilIbrahimoftheCommunityOrganisationforRaceEquality,whoorganisedafootballtournamentattheevent.“Ecofusionwasanexcellent

5 The climbing wall was a big hit with the children.

6 There were opportunities to get up close to wildlife.

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wayofbringingcommunitiestogether,offeringthemtheopportunitytotrynewoutdooractivities,meetenvironmentalorganisationsandsimplyappreciatetheoutdoorspaces.WeallenjoyedtheoutdoorspaceatHolyroodPark.WehaveneverfeltsorelaxedandcheerfulinEdinburghbefore.”

TasnimRafiqoftheBeyondtheVeilorganisationhadastallattheeventandwasequallyenthusiasticabouttheintroductionsmadeontheday.“WemetupwithsomanypeopleconnectedtoEcofusion,”sheremarked,“andweexchangednumbers,sowe’llhopefullybeabletoworktogether.”

ForSNH,EcofusionwasanopportunitytopromoteScotland’snaturalheritagetoanewaudience.Wewereabletohighlightthespecialqualitiesofnationalnaturereserves,aswellasencouragingpeopletoenjoynatureandlandscapesclosertohome.

AkeyaimforSNHistogetmorepeopletoaccesstheoutdoorsmoreoften,andtoensurethatthehealthandwellbeingbenefitsofthenaturalheritagearesharedmorewidely.So,whetheryoupreferyourdoseofnatureonaquietwalkinthepark,hittingadrenalinehighsinadventurousoutdoorpursuits,visitingoneofScotland’sspecialplacesfornature,orhelpingmanageyourlocalgreenspace,theoutdoorshassomethingtomakeeveryonesmile.

“WeallenjoyedtheoutdoorspaceatHolyroodPark.WehaveneverfeltsorelaxedandcheerfulinEdinburghbefore.”Adil Ibrahim,Community Organisationfor Race Equality

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We two are one

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TwoofthegovernmentorganisationsinvolvedwithwildlifemanagementinScotlandaresettomergethissummer

ReformofthepublicsectorwillseethemergerinAugustoftheDeerCommissionforScotland(DCS)withScottishNaturalHeritage(SNH).

TheorganisationshavebeenworkingtowardsthemergersincetheScottishGovernmentannouncedin2008thattheyplannedtobringtogetheranumberofpublicbodiesinScotland.

TheunionofSNHandtheDCSwillcreateastrongerorganisation.Itwillcombinetheskillsandexperienceofstaffinordertoprovideabetterserviceforcustomers,particularlythosewithaninterestindeeranddeermanagement.ItmeansalsothatdeermanagementinScotlandcanbetakenforwardinthecontextofbroadernatureandlandscapeissues,ratherthanasaseparateactivity.

Inaddition,thenewmergedorganisationwillbemorecost-efficientthroughhavingonlyonebusinesstorunratherthantwoseparatebodies.AndSNHandDCSalreadysharethesameheadquartersbuildinginInverness,sotheupheavalforstaffhasbeenkepttoaminimum.

“ThemergingofSNHandDCScreatesanorganisationthatwillbemoreeffectiveandefficientatlookingafterallofnatureforallofScotland,”commentedIanJardine,chiefexecutiveofSNH.

“We’llbetakingforwardthefullrangeofactionspreviouslydealtwithbytheDCS,whichmeansthatSNHwillnowhaveabiggerroleinwildlifemanagement.WewanttoensurethatScotland’swildlifeismanagedinasustainablewaysothatourrichnaturalresourcesremainforfuturegenerationstoenjoy.”

Theterm‘wildlifemanagement’isanimportantone.Asaresultofthemerger,SNHhavesetupanewwildlifemanagementteam,whichwillfocusonthebroadrangeofissuesinvolvedinthemanagementofcertainwildspeciesfoundacrossScotland–fromourmoreremote,ruralareasthroughtotheheartofourtownsandcities.

Wildlifemanagementcanbeasensitiveareaofworkasitofteninvolvescatching,relocatingorcullinganimals.ThisnecessityhastobebalancedwithSNH’scommitmenttolookafterandpromoteourrich,variednatureandlandscapes,andalsowiththeneedforthehigheststandardsofanimalwelfare.

ThereareanumberofwildanimalsandplantsinScotlandthatareactivelymanagedforfood,sport,conservationandprofit.Somespeciesaremanagedtoreducetheimpacttheyhavethroughdamagingcropsorotherwildlife,suchasmink.

Otherspeciesaremanagedtohelptheirpopulationandconservation,aswehaveseenwiththereintroductionofbirdssuchasseaeaglesandredkites.Somewildanimalsarealsomanagedforcommercialandrecreationalpurposesandforprofit,suchasthemanagementofgrouseanddeerpopulationsforcountrysports.

Ourwildlife,includingdeer,isamajorassetthatweneedtomanageandlookafterforconservationaswellaseconomicpurposes.Indeed,countrysportsinScotlandarethesecondlargestprimarylanduse(some20%)afterfarming.

AfterAugust,SNHwillhaveabroaderroleintermsofwildlifemanagement,andthiswillcontributesignificantlytotheorganisation’soverallresponsibilityforhelpingpeopletounderstand,appreciate,valueandenjoyallaspectsofnatureinScotland.

“ThemergingofSNHandDCScreatesanorganisationthatwillbemoreeffectiveandefficient”


Wetland wonderThesprawlingInshMarshesinBadenochformoneofthemostimportantwetlandsinEurope.Themarshescreateapatchworkofopenwater,wetland,meadowandwoodland,providingasanctuaryforawealthofwildlife

1 The national nature reserve includes a large section of the River Spey floodplain.

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Railway / Station

Reserve paths

0 1

0 1

kilometre

mile

12

3

45

www.snh.gov.uk 37

LookoutoverthevastwateryexpanseoftheInshMarshesandit’seasytoforgetthatyou’remanymilesfromthesea.However,thebroodingbackdropoftheMonadhliathmountainsandtheCairngormsisaconstantreminderoftheinlandlocation.

Themarshesoccupysome10sqkmbetweenKingussieandKincraig,wheretheRiverSpeyspillsoutontothefloodplainseveraltimesayear.Bothsnowandheavyrainresultinfloodwatersfillingupthemarshland.

Toreachthereserve,followtheB970southfromKingussie,towardsandthenbeyondRuthvenBarracks.Thereserveentranceisjustoverakilometreeastofthebarracks.

ThiswalkbeginsatthecarparkandtakesinboththeInvertromie(1.5km)andTromieMeadow(4.5km)trails.TheInvertromieTrailtakesyoutohides,fromwhereyouhavesuperbviewsoverthemarshes.TheTromieMeadowTrailleadsyoutothemeadows,withtheirremarkableshowofplantsandbutterfliesinsummer.Bothtrailsareunsurfacedandhavesteepslopes.Usethenumberedmapanddirectionsinthetexttoguideyouaround.

38 The Nature of ScotlandThe Nature of Scotland

2 Goldeneye have been attracted to nest at Insh Marshes in specially designed boxes put up on trees close to water.

3 Redshank like wet grassland. Drainage on farmland has reduced their numbers nationally.

4 Aspen wood was once a popular choice for making oars and paddles because it’s light and buoyant.

Thefloodplainnaturallyfloodsseveraltimesayear,whichhelpstokeepitfertile.Themarshesprovidesecurenestingandfeedingsitesforlargenumbersofwadingbirdsandwildfowl.Over500pairsofwadingbirds(suchaslapwing,snipe,curlewandredshank),plushundredsofpairsofwaterfowl(includingrarespeciessuchasgoldeneye,wigeonandspottedcrake)nestherefromApriltoJune.

Floodedgroundprovidestheessentialconditionsforthesebirdstosurvive.Listenoutforthemournfulechoofacurleworthepersistent‘pee-wit’callofalapwing.It’salsoanidealenvironmentforarangeofspecialistanimals,fromotterstominutewaterlife.

1

Thereservehasoneofthemostimportantstandsofaspentreesinthecountry.AlthoughaspenoccursthroughoutBritain,it’smostcommoninthenorthandwestofScotland,andisalsofoundinShetlandandtheHebrides.Aspenisnotableforthedistinctivewayitsleavestrembleintheslightestbreeze.Theleavesofthetreewerebelievedinfolkloretotremblecontinually,soitwasalsoknownasthe‘shiveringtree’.

Aspencanreachaheightof20m,butinmostlocationsintheHighlandsitwillonlygrowtoabout10mtall.Thetreeisimportantforrareinsects,mosses,lichensandfungi.Deadaspenalsoprovidesahomefortheveryrareaspenhoverfly,whoselarvaeliveunderthebark.

ThisareaoverlooksInvertromieFarm,andyoucanseealongthelengthofthefloodplain.Cattle,poniesandsheepgrazethemarshfromspringtoautumntokeeptheareafreefromtreesandtopreventthemarshfrombecomingovergrown.Themarshesalsoprovidealittlegrassforhayandotherforagecuttingindrierareas.Thefloodsreturninlatesummerandforcecattleandsheeptohigherground.Duringthesummermonths,youmightseeospreyhuntingforfishalongtheriverandoveropenareasofwater.

2

3

2

3

www.snh.gov.ukwww.snh.gov.uk 39

4


5

InshMarshesisoneofover50nationalnaturereservesinScotland.Findoutmoreatwww.nnr-scotland.org.uk

We’veidentifiedover500typesofplantonthesite,with150onInvertromieMeadowalone.Thereserveiswellknownforawidevarietyoforchids.Acarefulsearchofthemeadowareasinearlysummershouldrewardyouwiththebeautifulpurpleflowersoftheheath-spottedorchidorthesweetscentofthefragrantorchid.Justlikethebirds,theplantshererelyondampconditionstoprovidetheessentialconditionsforthemtosurvive.

Insummer,youmayseemanyvarietiesofbutterfly,includingScotchargusanddarkgreenfritillary.TheformerisfoundmainlyinScotlandwhereitfliesintall,dampgrassland,whereasthedarkgreenfritillaryoccursinarangeofflower-richgrasslands,oftenwithpatchesofscrub.Youcanoftenseedragonfliesaswell,includingtheblackdarter,closetothetrail.

Watchoutforredstartsandtreepipitshereinsummer.Thesesummervisitorsaretypicalspeciesinthiskindofopenwoodland.RedstartsaremainlyfoundinthenorthandwestoftheUK,andareimmediatelyidentifiablebytheirbrightorange-redtails,whichtheyoftenquiver.They‘bob’inaveryrobin-likemanner,buttheyspendverylittletimeatgroundlevel.Youmightalsoseearangeofothersmallwoodlandspeciessuchastitsandwarblers,aswellassparrowhawksandbuzzards,whichmightbespottedhuntingoverhead.

5

4

5 Redstarts are summer visitors to Britain, arriving in April and leaving in early September.

6 The heath-spotted orchid flourishes particularly in the west and northwest of Britain. It likes moorland, acidic soil or damp pasture, and flowers in late May to early August.

7 Visitors enjoying the view over Insh Marshes from the new information viewpoint, part-funded by SNH.

6

41www.snh.gov.uk

Essential informationThereservecoverssome8kilometresoffloodplainbetweenKingussieandLochInsh.ThenearestbusstopandtrainstationareinKingussie,a1.5kilometrewalkfromthereserve.InshMarshesareconnectedtotheBadenochWaycycleandwalkingroute.

OS mapsExplorer402(Badenoch&UpperStrathspey)Explorer403(CairnGorm&Aviemore)

Trail lengthInvertromieTrail–1.5kilometresTromieMeadowTrail–4.5kilometres

TerrainThepathsareunevenlysurfacedandwide,withsomesteepslopes,stepsandroughsections.

DogsIfyouhaveadogwithyou,pleasemakesureyoukeepitonashortleadorunderclosecontrolatalltimes.Pleasealso

makesureyoupickupafteryourdoganddisposeofwastecarefully.

Further informationThereserveisopenallyear.Ifyou’dliketojoinaguidedwalk,arrangeagroupvisitorsimplyfindoutmoreabouttheworkatInshMarshes,youcancontactthewardenatIvyCottage,Insh,Kingussie,tel:01540661518,email:[email protected]

Nearby natural attractionsAtKincraigthere’stheHighlandWildlifePark,whereyoucandiscoverawidevarietyofScottishwildlife,aswellasendangeredanimalsoftheworld’smountainsandtundra.Theparkisopeneverydayoftheyear,apartfrom25December.FromApriltoOctober,theopeningtimesare10amto5pm,andfromJulytoAugustitis10amto6pm. Ifyou’dliketovisitanothernationalnaturereserveinthearea,thenthereareplentytochoosefrom.InshriachandInvereshieisjustacoupleofmilesaway,CraigellachiesitsalongsideAviemore,Glenmoreiscloseby,andthere’sCreagMeagaidhtothewestandAbernethytothenorth.Visitwww.nnr-scotland.org.ukfordetails.

7

42 The Nature of Scotland42 The Nature of Scotland

Return of the natives

Storiesofwildlifeindeclinemayseemcommonplace,butit’sstillpossibletofindnuggetsofgoodnews.Forinstance,majorprojectshaveallowedredsquirrelstomakeacomebackinandaroundAberdeen,andwatervolesarere-appearinginFormartine,nearEllon.Bothanimalswerepreviouslylosingouttoinvasivenon-nativespecies–greysquirrelswerereplacingredsandAmericanminkwerekillingoffwatervoles.

Thewatervoleprojectusedlong-termresearchtofindanefficientwayoftrappingmink.Smallraftsinriverswerecheckedforfootprints,andtheareaswithlotsofactivitydeterminedwheretoplacetheminktraps.Wecan’teliminatemink,butthey’resufficientlyundercontrolforvolestobeseenagainintheTartyandFoveranBurnsforthefirsttimeinover10years.

The‘SavingScotland’sRedSquirrels’projectinthenortheastinvolvesstoppinganyfurtherspreadofgreysquirrelsacrossAberdeenCityandAberdeenshire.Itrequirestargetedcontroltoprotecttheremainingredsquirrelsthatarestillhangingon.Thankstoadedicatedprojectteamandpublicsupport,we’renowseeingredsreturningtosomeoftheiroriginalhauntsinthecity.

Youcanfindfurtherdetailsatwww.watervolescotland.organdwww.scottishsquirrels.org.uk

Moving on

Inmid-AprilwelockedupourAberdeenofficeinRubislawTerraceforthelasttimeandmovedintothepurpose-builtInverdeeHouseinTorry.WesharethebuildingwiththeScottishEnvironmentProtectionAgency(SEPA)andtheJointNatureConservationCommittee(JNCC).

Althoughitwasabitofawrenchtoleaveour‘home’ofover30years,themodernInverdeeHousewillhelpustocontinuesavingenergyandlowerourcarbonfootprint.Thismodernbuildingalsogivesabetterworkingenvironmentandmakesitmucheasierforcolleaguestovisit.

SEPAandJNCCarekeypartnersforSNH,andourjointworkingwillbecomeevenmoreefficientnowthatallthreeorganisationssharethesamebuilding.Projectsthatweallworkonincludedevelopmentplanning;thewaterframeworkdirective;rivercatchmentmanagement,suchastheRiverDeeSpecialAreaofConservation;riverbasinmanagementplanning;marinerenewablesandmuchmore.

Havingallthreeorganisationsinthesamebuildingalsogivesusafurtheropportunitytosharemore‘backoffice’support.Asaresult,SNHAberdeenhavebeenabletomakeanothersmallreductioninstaffing.Clickonwww.inverdeehouse.org.uk/default.aspx forfurtherinformation.

Helping hands

ThelasttimeGrampianfeaturedinthesepages,wewroteaboutprojectshelpedthroughtheGrampianLEADERprogramme.Thegoodnewsisthat,evenwithbudgetcuts,we’restillmanagingtosupportsomegreatcommunityprojects.

Recently,wegave£8,000totheWhale&DolphinSocietytokitouttheirSpeyBayclassroom;£15,000totheStrichenCommunityParktobuyanewtractortomaintainpathsandcutgrass;and£1,000tohelpanewlyformedgroupofvolunteerspurchasebatdetectionequipment.

Inaddition,2010istheInternationalYearofBiodiversityandwewantedtohelppublicisethefactthatit’snotjusttigersandpolarbearsthatareimportant.So,we’vehelpedtheScottishOrnithologistsClubprinttheirNE Bird Atlas.Eventually,afreecopyofthebookwillbeplacedinallschoolsandlibrariesinGrampian.

Mostgroupstowhichwegrantaidhaveonethingincommon–theyrealisethatScotland’snaturalworldsupportsoureconomyandqualityoflife,andweallhavetotakeresponsibilityforit.TheyknowthatSNHcan’tdoeverything,sotheyrolluptheirsleevesandmuckin.Andforourpart,we’redelightedtobeabletogivethemahelpinghand.

SNH Area NewsGrampianCorrespondent: Ewen Cameron

www.snh.gov.uk 43www.snh.gov.uk 43

Room with a view

AnexcitingnewprojectisunderwaytobuildatimberwildlifewatchinghideontheshoresofLochFleetinEastSutherland.WithabackdropofBalblairWoods,thehidewillprovideanewviewingfacilityoverlookingBalblairBay,andwilldemonstratetheuseofhome-grownScotspine.

Theprojectisbeingco-ordinatedbyHighlandBirchwoodsthroughaschemeaimedatencouraginggreateruseofScotspineforbuildingprojects.HighlandBirchwoodsareworkingcloselywithSNH(whoareco-fundingtheproject),SutherlandEstatesandScottishWildlifeTrust.NeilSutherlandArchitectsandMAKARLtdwillbedevelopingandbuildingit.

LochFleetisanationalnaturereserveandit’salreadyapopularareaforwalkersandwildlifeenthusiasts.Thehideshouldbeopenintheautumn,andthenewfacilityshouldattractnotonlywildlifewatchers,butalsofolkinterestedinseeingwhatcanbeachievedusinghome-growntimber.

Knockan face-lift

KnockanCragliessome20kmnorthofUllapoolandholdsthekeytoanamazingstoryofcollidingcontinentsandscientificintrigue.Thisisaplaceofglobalimportance,bothtogeologistsandtopeoplewhosimplywanttowonderattheforcesthatshapeourplanet.

ThecragatKnockanexposesrocksthatlitupthescientificworldinthe19thcentury,withthediscoverythatasliceofoldrockssitsontopofmuchyoungerones.The‘MoineThrust’,asit’sknown,wascreatedbytheforceoftwocontinentscrashingtogethermanymillionsofyearsago.

Today,Knockanisanationalnaturereserveandapopulartouristdestination.In2001,SNHcarriedoutamajorupgradeofthesite’svisitorfacilitiesandit’snowinneedofasubstantialface-lift.SoSNH,withthesupportoftheHighlandLEADERProgramme,havesetouttocreateanewvisitorwelcomearea,refreshtheinterpretationandre-fitthenovel‘RockRoom’.ThenewvisitorfacilitiesatKnockan–aswellasarenewed‘RockRoute’geologicaltrailaroundthearea–willbeinstalledandopenedintimeforEaster2011.

Willows gain ground

TheInchnadamphareainwestSutherlandisfamousforitslimestonepavementlandscapesandassociatedplantlife.Inthelate1980s,theestateremovedtheirsheepfromthearea.Thisbroughtaboutanincreaseinthereddeerpopulation,whichthenledtomoredeergrazingandtramplingtheground.By2000,theanimalswerecausingseriousdamage.

Theownersthereforereduceddeernumbersoverafive-yearperiodaspartofanagreementwiththeDeerCommissionforScotlandandSNH.Thegoodnewsisthatthelandscapesandplants–whichareimportantonaEuropeanscale–haveimprovedgreatly.Inparticular,therarewhortle-leavedwillow(picturedabove),whichseemsespeciallyattractivetodeerbrowsing,hasrespondedreallywell.

Morebushesnowproduceflowersandseeds,andthey’regrowingtallereachyear.Sothedeerbrowsingdoesn’tseemtobelimitingtheirsurvival.Meanwhile,theestateismaintainingdeernumbersatthelowerlevel,whichisstillenoughforthemtomaintaintheirsportinginterests.

SNH Area NewsNorthHighlandCorrespondents: Ian Mitchell, Sue Agnew/Alex Scott


Studying sick fairies

ThefamouscolonyofstormpetrelsontheuninhabitedislandofMousainShetlandwillbestudiedthisyearbyGlasgowUniversityPhDstudentHannahWatson.She’llbelookingattheeffectsofenvironmentalstressonthistinymysteriousseabird,whichlooksforfoodfaroffshoreandonlyreturnstothecolonyindarkness.

MousahasthelargeststormpetrelcolonyinBritainandsupportsperhaps2%oftheworldpopulation.TheRSPBmanagetheislandreserve,andtherearenight-timeboattripsduringthesummermonths.VisitorsheadfortheIronAgebroch,whichisaniconicShetlandlandmarkthatprovidesnestingsitesformanyofthepetrels.Thisdramaticsettingcomesalivewithpurringandhiccupingcalls(likenedtothesoundofafairybeingsick!),asbat-likeshapesflutteraroundthemightystonewalls.

ArecentcensussuggestedthatthestormpetrelpopulationonMousaisthriving,incontrasttomanyseabirdspeciesthathavesufferedinrecentyearsbecauseofashortageofsandeels.Thepetrelsfeedonsurfaceplanktonandcanperhapscopebetterwithfoodshortagesbecausetheirchicksremaininactivewhiletheadultssearchfarandwideforfood.

Festival time

ShetlandNatureFestivalwillbetakingplacefrom3to11July.Nowinitsthirdyear,thefestivalcelebratesthewildlifeandwideopenspacesofShetland,witheventsandactivitiestosuitallagesandinterests.

HoldingthefestivalinJulyallowseveryonetomakethemostofShetland’snature,whendaylightlastsuntillateevening,cliffsareteemingwiththousandsofseabirds,wildflowersarebloomingandthere’sagoodchanceofspottingseamammals.

Thisyear’sfamily-friendlyeventsstartwithanopendayonNossNationalNatureReserve,whichisahighlightinthediaryformanylocalpeopleandalwayspopularwithvisitors.

Throughouttheweektherewillbeworkshopssuchas‘butterflyfeeders’and‘creepycrawlies’,alongwithfamilyfundaysincluding‘ShetlandRocks!’and‘Gowildwithyourchild’.Localorganisationswillalsobegivingguidedwalks(picturedabove),takinginsomeofShetland’smostspectacularsceneryandhighlightingthevariedwildlifeoftheislands.Othereventsincludeboattripsandtalks.

ThefestivalisajointventurebetweenthemainpartnersShetlandAmenityTrust,RSPBScotlandandSNH.Checkoutthewebsitewww.shetlandnaturefestival.co.ukforfurtherdetails.

Heavenly rain

WearyandblackenedfirefighterswerespreadalongtheslopesofGrutFeaontheislandofHoyinApril.Armedonlywithfirebeaters,theyrepresentedthethinlineofdefencebetweentheonrushingtonguesofflamescracklingthroughthetinder-dryheatherandtheancientwoodlandintheBerriedalevalley.

ThevalleyishometothemostnortherlynaturalwoodlandinBritain,holdingOrkney’slargeststretchofnativeancientforest.It’sthoughttodatebackthousandsofyearstobeforethearrivalofpeopleontheNorthernIsles.Itsshelteredslopesgiverefugetoaspecialrangeofislandplantlife,includingdownybirch,rowan,willow,aspen,twoofOrkney’sthreehazeltrees,treelungwortandotherwoodlandplants.Formany,it’saplaceofpilgrimage.

Andthen,withhungryflamesbarely30pacesfromthewoodandwiththefirefightersinretreat,thewindswunground180degrees.Asitdid,therainbegantofall.Thefatiguedcheeredandthelocalcouncillordescribeditas‘divineintervention’.Whoknows,maybeitwas.

SNH Area NewsNorthernIslesCorrespondents: Juan Brown, Denise Woodford, Tim Dean


Caring developers

GreatcrestednewtsareahighlyprotectedspeciesandareknowntofavourthelandscapesofcentralScotlandasaplacetolive.Theycanthereforefrustratesomedevelopersinthisbusypartofthecountry.

I&HBrownareacompanythatspecialiseinreclaimingbrownfieldland.SoyoumighthaveexpectedthemtobeabitvexedwhentheydiscoveredapopulationofthesespecialcreaturesusingpartofasiteearmarkedforregenerationnearthecommunityofBanknock,Falkirk.However,theyinsteadgraspedthechallengewithbothhands–literally!

Theyinstalledover1.5kilometresoffencingtomanagenewtmovementsduringconstruction;designedthelandscapeplantoconsiderfuturenewttravelsandhabitatneeds;setasideover10%oftheareaasawildlifereserve;andinvolvedlocalschoolchildrenincreatingsuitablehomesfornewts.Theyevenallowedtheirdevelopmentmanager,TommyDevlin,tobetrainedandlicensedtohandleandrelocatetrappednewtswithinthesite.

Tommy(pictured)isdelightedtoget‘handson’withthegreatcrestednewts,despiteacertainamountofribbingfromcolleagues.Heregularlychecksthetrapsfornewts,demonstratingthatnotalldevelopersareafraidtoshowtheycareaboutourexceptionalwildlife.

Gigantic scorpion

Evidenceofagiantsix-leggedwaterscorpionhasbeenfoundontheFifecoast.There’snoneedforalarm,however,asit’snotbeenthereforsome330millionyears–beforethedinosaurs.KnownasHibbertopterus,thisancientanimalwouldhavebeenabouttwometreslongandaboutametrebroad,andwasrelatedtomodern-dayscorpionsandhorseshoecrabs.

Weknowitwastherebecauseitleftbehindauniquefossiltrackway(shownabove)asitcrawledoverdampsand.Thetrackway,whichispreservedinsandstone,consistsofthreerowsofcrescentshapedfootprintsoneachsideofacentralgroove.Thegroovewasmadebythetailoftheanimalasitdraggeditselfoverthesand.

Thisfindisuniqueandinternationallyimportantbecausethecreaturewasgigantic.Sadly,thecoastalsitewherethefossilwasfoundisvulnerabletotheforcesofnature.Topreservethisimportantevidence,GeoheritageFife(withfundingfromSNHandtheGeologists’Association)havepaidforthetrackwaytobemouldedinsiliconerubber.It’shopedthatreplicasmadefromthemouldingcanbedisplayedinmuseumsanduniversities.

Restoring the land

ArecentconferenceinPeeblesbroughttogetherlandmanagers,environmentalists,academicsandotherstoconsiderhowtoputrestoringtheenvironmentattheheartoftheScottishGovernment’semerginglandusestrategy.

JamesAronsonfromtheCentreforFunctionalandEvolutionaryEcologyinFrancegavetheopeningpresentation,describinghisexperienceofprojectsinothercountriesandthefactorsthatdecidewhetherornottheyaresuccessful.OtherspeakerscoveredthescopeforrestoringareasforwildlifeinScotland–upland,woodlands,bogs,riversandfloodplains,aswellasfarmland–andhighlightedexamplesofgoodpractice.

Bytheend,therewasbroadagreementthatweneedtodomoretopromoterestoringnaturalareasinScotland.Thiswillcorrectthedamagecausedbypasthumanactivityandalsohelptomeetthefuturechallengesandopportunitiespresentedbyclimatechange.

WillieMcGhee,directoroftheBordersForestTrust,summeduptheday:“Wemustensurethatrestoringtheenvironmentisattheforefrontofanypolicydecisions.Gettingitrightiscriticalforboththelanditselfandforthepeoplewhoworkandliveonit.”

SNH Area NewsForthandBordersCorrespondents: Neville Makan, Heather Kinnin, Andrew Panter


Events diary 2010

July Thursday 1Sunday 4

Tuesday 6Wednesday 14

Thursday 15Monday 19

Friday 23Tuesday 27

Saturday 31

Sunday 11

Sunday 11

Sunday 11

Wednesday 14

Saturday 24

Sunday 25

Sunday 25

Sunday 18

Guided WalksKnockan Crag NNRSutherland

Reptile WalkFlanders Moss NNRStirling

Alpine SecretsCorrie Fee NNRAngus

Fun DayMuir of Dinnet NNRGrampian Highlands

Row, Row, Row Your Boats!Muir of Dinnet NNRGrampian Highlands

Edibles and MedicinalsMuir of Dinnet NNRGrampian Highlands

Run, Jump and ExploreSt Cyrus NNRAberdeenshire

International TravellersLoch Leven NNRTayside

Family Fun DaySt Cyrus NNRAberdeenshire

JoinourgeologistguideandexploreoneofScotland’stopEarthsciencesites.DiscoverhowforcesdeepwithintheEarthcancausegreatmassesofrocktoslideupandovermuchyoungerrock.

Joinreservestaffinthecoolofthemorningfrom9amto11amwhenthereptilesaren’tquitesofast.Spendsometimelookingforlizardsandaddersonandneartheboardwalk.Bookingessential.

MeetattheGlenDollrangerbaseandspendtheday(11amto4pm)onthereservediscoveringtheimportanceofitswildlife.

Meetatthevisitorcentreforgames,craftsandactivitiesforallthefamilyfrom12noonto6pm.Astorytellerandafacepainterwillbeonhandtoentertain.

ComeforasplashaboutandadventurewithMandyTullochof‘MudPies’fame.Suitablefor2-to5-yearolds.Meetatthevisitorcentreforsessionsfrom11amto12noonandfrom1pmto2pm.Bookingessential.

Longbeforesupermarketsandpharmacies,peoplehadtofeedanddoctorthemselveswiththeplantsaroundthem.Meetatthevisitorcentreandfindoutwhichplantstheyusedfrom2pmto4pm.Bookingessential.

ComeforanadventureanddiscoversomewonderfulwildlifewithMandyTullochof‘MudPies’fame.Suitablefor2-to5-yearolds.Meetatthevisitorcentreforasessionfrom10amto11.30am.Bookingessential.

MeetreservestaffatFindatiecarparkandjoinaguidedwalkfrom2pmto4pm.DiscoverthesecretsofLochLeven’slong-distancetravellers,includingswallows,sandmartinsandhousemartins.Bookingessential.

Meetatthevisitorcentreforgames,activities,atreasurehuntandstorytellingforallthefamilyfrom12noonto4pm.

Tel:01571844000

Tel:01786450362

Tel:01575550233

Tel:07733303175

Tel:07733303175

Tel:07733303175

Tel:01674830736

Tel:01577864439

Tel:01674830736

Thursday 8

A Bloomin’ Great Day OutTentsmuir NNRFife

ComeandjointhereservemanagerforadayoffunforallthefamilyonthebeachatTentsmuir,followedbythe‘PuppetLab’show.Bookingessential.

Tel:01382553704

www.snh.gov.uk 47

September

Sunday 12

Thursday 2Thursday 9

Saturday 14

Sunday 15

Sunday 22

Sunday 29

Paws for ThoughtCorrie Fee NNRAngus


Bats in the GlenCorrie Fee NNRAngus

Meet the WardensFlanders Moss NNRStirling

Bog CraftsFlanders Moss NNRStirling

Fungi ForayMuir of Dinnet NNRGrampian Highlands

Bringyourdogandjointherangerfrom2pmto4pmtodiscovermoreaboutyourresponsibilitiesasadogowneraspartoftheScottishOutdoorAccessCode.MeetatGlenDollrangerbase.


MeetatGlenDollrangerbaseat9.30pmtolookandlistenforbats.Bringatorch!

Comealongfrom1pmto4pmandmeetreservestaffontopoftheviewingtower.Chattothewardensaboutwildlifeonthereserve,includinghenharriersandgeese.

Meetattheboardwalkandtakeawalkroundtocollectmaterialsforcreatingsomecraftitems.Bookingessential.

Jointheexpertforaguidedwalktoexplorethereserve’sfascinatingfungi.Meetatthevisitorcentreanddiscoversomeweirdandwonderfulfactsaboutfungifrom2pmto4pm.Bookingessential.

Tel:01575550233

Tel:01571844000

Tel:01575550233

Tel:01786450362

Tel:01786450362

Tel:07733303175

Tuesday 10 Osprey WalkLoch Leven NNRTayside

MeetreservestaffatBurleighSandscarparkandjoinaguidedwalklookingforospreysfrom6pmto8pm.Discovermoreabouttheseamazingbirdsofpreybeforetheyheadsouthforwinter.Bookingessential.

Tel:01577864439

Sunday 8 Doggies’ Day OutSt Cyrus NNRAberdeenshire

Joinreservestaffandacouncildogwardenforadoggies’dayoffun!Discoverhowtogetthebestoutofthereservewithyourdogandtesthisorherskillsatagility.Bookingessential.

Tel:01674830736

August Monday 2Tuesday 3

Saturday 7Thursday 12Tuesday 17

Friday 20Monday 30

Tuesday 3


Osprey WalkLoch Leven NNRTayside


MeetreservestaffatBurleighSandscarparkandjoinaguidedwalklookingforospreysfrom6pmto8pm.Discovermoreabouttheseamazingbirdsofpreybeforetheyheadsouthforwinter.Bookingessential.

Tel:01571844000

Tel:01577864439

www.snh.gov.uk 47

48 The Nature of Scotland48 The Nature of Scotland48

Saturday 18

Sunday 26

Sunday 26

Fungal ForaySt Cyrus NNRAberdeenshire

Meet the WardensFlanders Moss NNRStirling

Fungi ForaysLoch Leven NNRTayside

Jointheexpertforaguidedwalktoexplorethereserve’sfascinatingfungi.Meetatthevisitorcentreanddiscoversomeweirdandwonderfulfungalfactsfrom2pmto4pm.

Comealongandmeetreservestaffontopoftheviewingtower.Chattothewardensaboutwildlifeonthereserve,includinghenharriersandgeese.

JointheexpertsonwalksaroundLochLeveninsearchoffungi.MeetatFindatiecarparkanddiscoversomeweirdandwonderfulfungalfactsfrom2pmto5pm.Bookingessential.

Tel:01674830736

Tel:01786450362

Tel:01577864439

Wednesday 15 Area Evening ReceptionMontroseAngus

Allwelcome(pleasecheckSNHwebsiteorwithlocalAreaofficetoconfirmvenueandtimings).

Events diary 2010

September


DoyouhaveacrackingimageofthewonderfulwildlifeandlandscapesofScotlandoragreatstoryorpoemaboutawildencounter?Iftheansweris‘yes’,thenwewanttohearfromyou,asweplantoprintsomeofthebestentriesinfutureissuesofThe Nature of Scotland.

Thisisyourchancetohaveoneofyourimages,storiesorpoemspublishedforalltosee,sosearchoutyourbesteffortsandsendthemin.Youcanemailyourwordsorphotostoeditor@snh.gov.uk

Remembertoincludeyourname,whereyouliveandbriefdetailsofanypicturessubmitted.Ifyou’resendinginphotosthathavechildreninthem,thenweneedwrittenpermissionfromaparentorguardianofeachchildinthepicture.

Bywayofinspiration,hereareafewimages.Thefirst(above)wasthewinneroflastyear’sScottishBiodiversityWeekphotographycompetition,andcameinfromGordonRaeofLockerbieunderthetitle‘Betweendayandnight’.

Theothertwoimages,ofaptarmiganandamountainhareintheMonadhliathmountains,weresentinbyColinRichards,who’soneofourreadersinBridgend,SouthWales.

Inspired by nature


Scotland’s sea monster


1 Basking sharks are seasonal visitors to Scottish coastal waters. They’re mainly seen on the west coast in summer, and sightings peak around August.


2 Hunting basking shark around Arran, 1770.

3 Basking sharks are active all year round. In winter, they move to depths of up to 900m to feed on deep water plankton.

ThewatersofthewestcoastofScotlandhavelongbeenhometothebaskingshark,theworld’ssecondlargestfish.Shoalsofthemusuallyarriveearlyinthesummer,whentheycanoftenbeseenswimmingatthesurface,feedingontherichsupplyoftinyplanktonthatbloomthen.Thishabitof‘basking’atthesurfacenotonlymakesthesharkshighlyvisible,butwasalsoresponsibleoverthecenturiesformakingthemvulnerabletohunting.

ThefirstwrittenaccountsofthebaskingsharkinScottishwaterscomefromthe1760s,whenthecountry’sfirstrecordedsharkfisheryoperatedfromtheislandofCannaintheInnerHebrides.Localshuntedthesharksfromsmallboatsusinghand-heldharpoons.Althoughthisfisheryprovedunprofitable,itwassoonfollowedbyothers,allthewayfromShetlandtoArranintheFirthofClyde.Thehunterswereafteroilfromtheshark’sliver,whichcanformuptoaquarterofitsbodyweight.Thiswashighlyvaluedatthetime,beingusedmainlyaslampoil,butalsoservingasabalmforachinglimbs.

Sharkhuntingcontinuedonandoffoverthefollowingtwocenturies,beforeincreasinggreatlyintheperiodbetweenthe1930sand1950s.Largenumbersofsharkwerepresent,andhuntersfromtheFirthofClydeandtheSeaoftheHebridessetsailinpursuitoftheliveroil.Itwasnowmuchindemandasanoilforfine-grademachinesandaircrafts,beingsoldforhighpricesontheworldmarket.

However,thishuntingbonanzaultimatelyendedinfailure.Thescarcityofsharks,thechangeableweatherandfallingoilpricesallplayedapart,althoughsomefairlyterriblebusinessdecisionsalsocontributed.Manyofthehunters–mostnotablythecelebratednaturewriterGavinMaxwell–lefthighlyreadableaccountsoftheiradventures,includingvaluableinformationonthekeyhuntinggroundsthattheyrevisitedmanytimes.

BaskingsharkswereoncehuntedwidelyaroundScotland,butsince1998they’vebeenaprotected

species.Now,researchershavefoundtwo‘hotspots’offScotland’swestcoastthatarehighlyimportantforthesharks,asColinSpeediereports

2

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3

54 The Nature of Scotland54

1

Survey work

Fiftyyearslater,andwiththesharkbynowahighlyprotectedspeciesinScotland’swaters,thecountry’swildlifetrustssetupabaskingsharkprojecttosurveythesamewatersthatthehuntershadfoundsoproductive.Wouldthesharksbefoundinsignificantnumbers,andwouldtherestillbekeysitesfocusedontheareaswherethehunterspursuedthebigshoals?StatisticsforthenortheastAtlanticrecordedthat81,639sharkshadbeentakenthroughouttheareabetween1952and2004–asevereonslaughtonascarcecreature.

Fiveyearsofsurveysalongsetroutes,totallingsome956hoursofactualsurveytime,yieldedavarietyofresults.InthehistoricallyimportantareaoftheClydeSea,wesawveryfewsharksatthesurface.Itwasdisappointingtofindthatonlyonesmallarea,aroundArdlamontPoint,producedanythingmorethanrandomsightings.ButtheSeaoftheHebrideswasadifferentmatterentirely.Wesawsharksthroughoutthearea,andattwositeswerecordedremarkablyhighnumbersofsharksonaregularbasis.

Interestingly,thefirstofthesesiteswasaroundCanna,wherethehuntingstorybegan.BetweenCannaandtheHyskeirlighthousetothesouth,werecordednearlythreesharksperhourofsurvey,whichwasaremarkablyhigh

successrate.Atthesecondsite,aroundtheislandofColl,werecordednearlytwosharksperhour.Atbothsites,thesharkswereconsistentlyengagedinwhat’sbelievedtobecourtshipbehaviour,wheregroupsofanimalsswimcloselytogether,oftentouchingeachother.Theywerealsobreaching–leapingclearofthewater–whichisalsothoughttobeconnectedtocourtship.Moreover,werecordedbigshoalsatbothsites–50atHyskeirandashoalof73atColl.Asaresult,weclassedbothofthesesitesasbaskingshark‘hotspots’.

Nowthatthesharkisprotected,thedaysofhuntingareover.Butthatdoesn’tmeanthatthesegentlegiantsareoutofharm’sway,asincidentsfromothersitesaroundtheUKhaveshown.Thisisespeciallytruewhenthesharksareattheirmostvulnerabletohumanimpact–swimmingatornearthesurface.Sharkscanbecometangledupinfishingnetsorcreelropes,forexample,orruntheriskofbeinghitordisturbedbyboats.Fortunately,therewaslittleevidenceoftheformerduringthesurvey,butanumberofsharksdidshowfreshevidenceofcollidingwithboats,allofthemclosetotheCollhotspot.

4

www.snh.gov.uk 5555

Rough guide to basking sharksThebaskingsharkisthesecondlargestfishintheworld,afterthewhaleshark.Itcanreachupto12minlengthand7tonnesinweight,soit’sasbigasabus!

It’sfoundinalltheworld’stemperateoceans.ThisisthebiggestwildanimaltovisitBritainregularly,butit’sslowmovingandharmlesstohumans.

Recentsatellitetrackingresearchhasshownthatthesharkgenerallymovesintodeeperwaterduringwinter,althoughtaggedbaskingsharkshavealsomadelong-distancemigrationsintounexpectedareas.

Inonecase,asharktaggedneartheIsleofMancrossedtheNorthAtlantic,surfacingoffNewfoundland.Andinanotherstudy,asharktaggedoffFloridaintheUnitedStatesmovedtothesouth,crossingtheequatoroffBrazil.

Baskingsharksfeedmainlyonmillionsoftinyshrimpcalledplankton.Asthesharkswimsalong,seawaterpassesthroughitshugemouthandleavesthroughfivegillarches,wheretheenergy-richpreyisfilteredout.They’rethoughttobecapableoffilteringover1,800tonnes–enoughtofillaswimmingpool–ofwaterperhour!

Theycantravelontheirown,butthey’resocialanimalsandformgroups,usuallyinsmallnumbers(threeorfour)butsometimeshavingupto50oreven100individuals.

Baskingsharksareslowtoreproduce,withmalesmaturingataround15yearsofage(5.5–7metres)andfemalesataround18to20years(8–9metres).Afteragestationperiodofupto18months,fiveorsixlive‘pups’ofaround1.4–1.6metresareborn.Theymayliveforupto50years.

4 If you see a basking shark, you can report your sighting at www.mcsuk.org/sightings/baskingshark.php

Visitor favourite

Happily,huntersofadifferentkindnowseekoutthesharks.They’vebecomeakeyelementinScotland’svibrantecotourismindustry,highlypopularwithvisitorsandfilmcrewsfromaroundtheworld.Therefore,commercialecotourismoperatorsarenowencouragedtoattend‘WiSe’trainingcourses(www.wisescheme.org),whichrecommendsafeandsustainablemethodsofsharkwatching.

ThecoursespromoteuseoftheScottishMarineWildlifeWatchingCode(seewww.marinecode.org/scottish-marine-code-g.asp),withspecificadviceonbeingawareofsharkactivityaroundthehotspotsites.SNHhavedevelopedleafletsandwater-resistantmapsaimedatpleasurecraftthatmightvisitthesehighlyimportantsites.Theyhavesimplerecommendationsonkeepingacarefullook-outandsafespeed,forthesafetyofnotonlythesharkbutalsotheboatsandpeopleonboard.

So,historyhasnowturnedfullcircle.WecanstillenjoytheremarkablesightofahugeshoaloftheseleviathansoffthewestcoastofScotland,andclosetothesitewheretheywerefirstexploited.Andthankstotheconservationmeasuresthatareinplace,wecanhavesomeassurancethatthiswillalwaysbethecase,withfuturegenerationsstillbeingabletoenjoythebaskingsharkwhereitrightfullybelongs.

Canna

Coll


1 The path to good health will for some patients involve outdoors exercise.

2 ‘Green exercise’ can take many forms.

Green prescriptions

Visityourdoctornowadaysandyoumightbeprescribedsomeoutdooractivitytoimproveyourhealth.RuthJepson,fromthedepartmentofnursingandmidwiferyattheUniversityofStirling,hasbeenresearchingthesubject

1

56

www.snh.gov.uk 57

It’snowwidelyagreedthat‘natureisgoodforyou’,soitmakessensefordoctorstoprescribeactivitiesthattakeplaceoutdoors.

GPs,nursesandphysiotherapistsinmanypartsofScotlandalreadyprescribephysicalactivityforarangeofhealthconditions.These‘exercisereferralschemes’usuallyfocusonindooractivities,suchasswimmingorgoingtothegym.

‘Greenprescriptionschemes’takeitastepfurther,withhealthprofessionalsabletoprescribeorreferpatientstoexerciseoutdoors.TherearelotsofexistingoutdoorgreenexerciseschemesinScotlandthatcouldbesuitableforgreenprescription.

Manyofthesearegroupbased(forinstancewalkinggroups,greengyms,gardeningprojects)andtakeplaceinthelocalcommunity.They’resupportedthrougharangeoforganisationssuchasPathstoHealth,TrellisandtheBritishTrustforConservationVolunteers.Peoplegetthechancetotakepartinenjoyableoutdoorphysicalactivity,andatthesametimetheycanlearnmoreabouttheirlocalareaandmeetnewpeople.Thiscanalsohelptoreducefeelingsofbeingsociallyisolatedandnotknowinganyone.

NHSHealthScotlandandSNHfundedresearchearlierthisyeartofindoutmoreaboutthegreenprescriptionschemesthatalreadyexistinScotland.Theresearcherslookedatthenumberofgreenexerciseschemesthataimtoimprovehealth,wheretheyareandhowtheylinkinwithhealthprofessionals.Thestudycameupwithover170greenexerciseschemesinScotland,and94ofthemcompletedanonlinesurveyabouttheirwork.

The94schemesareverydiverse,notonlyintermsofsizeandwhattheyprovide,butalsothehealthconditionstheycaterforandwhetherhealthprofessionalsareinvolved.

Thetargetpopulationismostcommonlydeskboundpeopleandthegeneralpopulation,althoughaquarteroftheschemestargetpeoplewithmentalhealthproblems.Forexample,‘BranchingOut’(aconservationscheme)and‘PedalForth’(acyclingscheme)arebothreferralschemesrunforthisgroup.

Therearetwomainwaysthattheschemeslinkupwithhealthprofessionals.Firstly,somegreenexerciseprojectsaredirectlyinvolvedwithestablishedexercisereferralschemes.Forexample,‘WestLothianontheMove’isanexercisereferralschemethatincludestheoptionforpeopletowalkwithagroup.

Theotherlink-upbetweenschemesandhealthprofessionalscomesthroughdirectlycommunicatingandworkingwiththem.‘WalkDeeside’workswithdoctorsandotherstoprovidewalkstosupportarangeofhealthconditions,includingdiabetesanddementia.And‘GallowayStrollers’isanotherexampleofaschemethathasareferralmethodinplace.

Althoughtherearemanysuccessstories,someoftheschemeshaddifficultiesconvincinghealthprofessionalsthatoutdooractivitiesweresafeandreallywouldbenefitpatients.Andhealthprofessionalsarebusypeople,whomayforgettoreferpatientsontotheactivities.Indeed,there’slotsofscopeforhealthprofessionalstoincreasethenumbersofpatientsthattheyrefer,andtheschemeorganisersarekeenforthistohappen.

Thefullreportisavailablefromwww.healthscotland.com/documents/4225.aspxandSNHhasalsopublishedaseriesofhealthandnaturalheritagecasestudiesatwww.snh.gov.uk/about-snh/what-we-do/health-and-wellbeing/healthier-scotland/green-exercise-projects

2


Go down to the beach at low tide and explore the creatures and plants

of the rock pools that are exposed when the tide goes out. You’ll

be able to discover some of the secrets that are hidden in the

world of the sea.

Explore A rock pooLand SEE what YOU

can find!

Crab

Shrimp

Fish

Jellyfish

Shell

Starfish

Seaweed

Anemones

Can you find all of the creatures listed below?

Kid

s on

ly!

Haveyouevertakenthetimetolookatbugs?They’reamazingcreaturesthatfly,buzz,sting,leapandevenlightup!Agoodwayto

attractbugsistoputoutapeeledbananawithbrownsugarsprinkledontop.Leavetositoutsideforawhile,thenspreaditontothe

barkofatree.Checkregularlytoseewhatnewbugsyouhaveattracted.Lookthroughamagnifyingglassanddrawwhatyousee.

Comeoutatnightwithatorchandseeifthereareanynewcomers.Ifyouwanttotakeacloserlookataparticularbug,putitina

containerwithabottletopofwater,astickandsomegreenleaves.(Returnyourbugtotheplaceyoufoundhimwithin24hours.)

going on a bug huntgoing on a bug hunt

59www.snh.gov.uk

worms

are responsible for a lot of things that make our soil good enough to grow healthy plants, which in turn provide us with food. Worms help to increase the amount of air and water that gets into the soil. They break down materials like leaves and grass into things that plants can use. The worms help to turn the soil, bringing down organic matter from the top and mixing it with the soil below. Having worms around in your garden is a good sign that you have healthy soil. If you want to learn more about a worm’s importance in our environment, you can buy worm farm kits, which allow you to see into the wonderful world of worms usually hidden underground!

SPLASH!!This game is best played outdoors on a warm sunny day, when clothes don’t really matter! It’ll work well if everyone who takes part is a good sport. With suspicion and shock, it’s great fun...

You will need:numbercards(e.g.sixpeopleplayingthegame=sixcardsnumbered1to6),aplastictumblerandalargebucketofwarmwater.

How to play: Chooseoneplayertobethesplasher.Hepicksanumberwithoutlettinganyoneelseseeit.Hethenfillsupthesmallcontainerwithwater,andstandsinthecentreoftheotherplayers,whoformacirclearoundhim.Thesplasherfaceseachpersoninturn,andtheoutsideplayerstaketurnstoshoutoutanumberbetweenoneandsix.Whenanoutsideplayershoutsthesplasher’schosennumber,thesplasherthrowsthecupofwateratthem!!SPLASH!!!

keep cool this summerBe inspired by your surroundings and make this beautiful fan to keep you cool during those long sunny afternoons in the garden.

Whatyouneed:apieceofpaperabout1mby20cm,twowidelollipopsticks,PVAglue,stickytapeandcolouredpens/pencilstodecorate.

Lookaroundyouandchooseathemeforyourdesign–maybeflowers,birdsorevenbutterflies!Nowdecoratethepaperbydrawingallyourideas.Youcouldalsoincludewords.

Pleatthepaperintofoldsabout1.5cmwide.Gluealollipopstickontoeachendofthepaper.Thelollipopstickshouldstickoutabout2cmabovethetopofthepaper.Tapethebottomofthefantogether.

Toopenyourfan,bringthelollipopsticksallthewayroundsothattheymeet.Nowyouwillbeabletokeepyourselfcoolwhenthesuncomesout!


Sound judgementAseriesofresearchprojectsisunderwaytoensurethenewmarinerenewablesindustrycanexistinharmonywithwildlife.KatJonesofSNH’sgovernmentrelationsteamreports

1

www.snh.gov.uk 61

Imaginelivinginaworldwheresoundtravelsmorethanfourtimesfasterthanweexperienceandcancarrymanythousandsofmiles.That’swhatlife’slikeforcreatureslivinginthesea.

I’msittingwithCarolineCarter,fromtheScottishAssociationofMarineScience,ontheshoreofLochCreran,afewmilesnorthofherlaboratoryatOban.We’relookingoutonashale-bluesea,rippledbyalightwindblowingfromtheoppositeshore.

“Soundtravelsataround1,500metrespersecondinwater,”shetellsme,“andthelow-frequencysongsofwhalescanbeheardfromonesideoftheAtlantictotheother!

“Formarinemammals,hearingistheirkeysense,”saysCaroline,who’sinherfirstyearofanSNHandScottishEnvironmentProtectionAgencyfundedPhDtoinvestigatewhetherseamammalscanhear,andthereforeavoid,marinerenewabledevices.

“There’sactuallyverylittleinformationaboutsoundlevelsintidallyactiveandcoastalareas,asmostoftheworkhasbeendoneinareasofdeeperwaterwherethemilitaryhavebeeninterestedinsonardevices,”explainsCaroline.

Herresearchinvolvessendinghydrophonesouttodriftwiththecurrentsandmeasuringthenoiselandscapesoftheseareas.Thiswillfillinsomeofthegapsinourunderstandingofnoiseinthemarineenvironment.Itshouldalsohelpwithdesigninganddecidingwheretoputmarinerenewabledevicestoreducetheeffectsonmarinemammalstoaminimum.

Butit’snotjustintheareaofunderwaternoisethatthere’salottodiscover.Weactuallyknowsurprisinglylittleaboutourcoastsandseas,despitehowneartheyareandtheirimportancetooureconomy.

1 Marine mammals, such as seals, have an incredibly keen sense of hearing.

2 Caroline Carter braves the west coast weather to position drifting hydrophones that can measure underwater sound.

EMEC test site

Loch Creran

2


New discoveries

Scotland’scoastlineisoneofthelongestinEurope–ifitwasstretchedoutinastraightlineitwouldreachallthewayfromScotlandtoHawaii.ThevastscaleofScotland’scoastalandmarineresource,alongwiththeobviousdifficultiesofobservingandmeasuringwhat’shappeningunderthesurfaceofthesea,meansthatwe’restilldiscoveringnewspeciesandthewaythatmarineanimalslive.

Forinstance,onlyfouryearsago,SNHscientistsdiscoveredoneoftheworld’srarestcoral-likestructuresinalochinMorven.Thesecoloniesofreef-buildingwormswerepreviouslythoughttoexistonlyinLochCreranandinthreeotherplacesintheworld.It’sclearthatwehaveachallengeaheadofustogetholdoftheinformationweneedtoensurethatwechoosethebestsitesformarinerenewabletechnologiesandtominimisetheirimpactsonmarinewildlifeandhabitats.

“It’svitalthatweincreaseourknowledgeofthemarineenvironmentifwe’retogetmarinerenewabledevelopmentright,”commentsGeorgeLees,policyandadvicemanagerforSNH.“We’rethereforefocusingonsomeofthekeyquestionsthatwillhelpensuremarinedevicescancontributetoalow-carbonScotlandwhilenotharmingourspectacularmarinewildlife.Wehaveanumberofresearchprojects

thatwillhelpusgivethebest,scientificallybasedadvicetogovernmentanddevelopers.”

There’saprojectmappingtheuseofseaspacebyseals,baskingsharks,whalesanddolphinsinthePentlandFirthandOrkneyarea,wheremanyofthetidalturbineswillbeinstalled.Anotherisreviewingtheeffectsofnoisefrommarinedevicesonsalmon,troutandeels.Andthere’salsoareviewofthedivingbehaviourofseabirdsandthedistancestheytraveltofindfood.

MonitoringisanotherimportantstrandofSNH’sresearchwork.Projectsincludesurveyingmarinemammals,fishandbirdsinareaswheremarinedeviceswillbeplaced,aswellasmonitoringwildlifearoundtheEMECwavetestfacilityinOrkney.“Inallcases,we’reidentifyinggapsinourknowledgeandtryingtoensurethatweaddressthem,”Georgeadds.

Naturally giftedScotlandisfortunateinbeingblessedwithawealthofenergyfromnature.Wehave25%oftheoffshorewind,10%ofthewaveand25%ofthetidalresourcesofEurope.Buttherateatwhichweinstallrenewableswillneedtoincreaseifwe’retoachievethecutsingreenhousegasesthatareneededtoavoiddangerousclimatechange.

3

www.snh.gov.uk 63

Toaccommodatethispace,weneednewapproachesforlookingattheeffectsofrenewabledevicesonmarinewildlifeandhabitats.MarineScotlandaredevelopinganapproachwhereoneorafewrenewabledevicesareinstalled,andtheeffectsonthemarineenvironmentandwildlifearecloselymonitoredbeforethenumberofdevicesisexpanded,orlargernumbersarebuiltelsewhere.Informationgatheredfromthisphasedapproachwithearlyinstallationswillhelpusmakebetterinformeddecisionsonhowfuturedevicesshouldbedevelopedandlocated.

ManyareaswithstrongtidesarealsoamongScotland’srichestareasformarinelife.ThisisthecaseintheseasaroundOrkney,wherelargenumbersofseabirdsandmarinemammalsfeastontheplentifulmarinelifeoftheislands.

“Orkneyhasanumberofhighlyimportantprotectedsitesbecauseofthescaleofthebirdcolonies,”explainsGeorge.“WehavetospeaktothedevelopersduringtheplanningprocessinOrkneysothatwemakesurethehealthofthesesitesismaintained.Andinlocationswhereseveralrenewabledevicesareplannedforthesamearea,thenwehavetoconsiderthepotentialforadditionaleffectsonmarinewildlife.”

Sound signatures

OnceCarolineCarterhasgatheredinformationonthesoundscapeintidalareas,she’shopingtoworkwiththemarinerenewablescompaniestofind‘soundsignatures’fortheirdevices.Sheplanstousethese,andherowndata,tocheckwhethermarinemammalswillbeabletoheartidalstreamgenerators.“Thedeveloperswillalsobedoingalotoftheirownmonitoringandresearcharoundthedevices,whichcouldofferimportantinsightsiftheresultsareshared,”shesays.

MarinedeveloperswillneedtocarryoutrigorousmonitoringwhentheyputdevicesinplaceandwillhavetoprovidetheresultstoMarineScotlandandSNH.“We’relookingforwaystoencouragecompaniestosharetheirdatawithoutaffectingtheirneedtokeepsomethingsconfidential,”GeorgeLeescommented.

BackonLochCreran,Carolineistalkingmethroughthehugevarietyofmarinedevicesthatarecurrentlybeingplanned,developedandtested.“No-oneknowswhichwillbesuccessfulincommercialtermsandeachcouldhaveadifferenteffectonthemarineenvironment,”shesays.“Somemarinedevicescouldevenhaveunexpectedpositiveeffectsformarinewildlifebyprovidinganartificialreefforcreaturesthatwouldotherwisehavenothingsuitabletoliveon,”saysCaroline.“Therearesomanyunknowns.Butthat’swhatmakesitexciting.”

3 Serpulid reef in Loch Creran. These are the best developed reefs of their kind in the world. They’re a haven for other marine wildlife.

Productive seasScotland’sseasarehighlyproductiveanddiverse,supportingover8,000differentspeciesand30%ofEurope’sbreedingseabirds.Theyalsocreatehugewind,tidalandwaveenergyresources.TheconnectionbetweenourrenewableenergyresourcesandthefertilityofourseasliesinScotland’suniquegeography.

ThevasticesheetsthatcoveredScotlandduringthelasticeagecarvedahighlyindentedcoastlineleavingdeeplochsandover800islands.ThisgivesScotlandacoastlinesome11,800kmlong,aswellassomeofthestrongestandmostcomplextidesintheworld.Waterflowingbetweentheislandsandaroundtheheadlandsrestrictstheflowofwater.Thiscreatesfiercetidalcurrentsandconcentratesfishintodistinctareas,producingimportantfeedinggroundsforseabirdsandmarinemammals.

ScotlandliesontheedgeoftheEuropeancontinentalshelf,bearingthebruntoftheAtlanticswellandwindsthatblowoverthousandsofmilesofocean.Windsandwavescanbeharnessedtoproducerenewableenergy,butScotlandalsoseesthebenefitsinthenutrientsthatarebroughtupfromthedeepoceanandinthemixingofthewatersbywaves.

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Scottish National Heritage - The Nature of Scotland Summer 2010 Issue_8