Buglife Scotland launches ‘Guardians of our Rivers’

INSECT charity Buglife Scotland has unveiled its “Guardians of our Rivers” project to monitor life in Scotland’s burns.

Members of the public will be trained to spot the creatures living in Scottish streams.

Their surveys will help to monitor the health of our nation’s waterways.

Community groups, schools, and individuals are being recruited to take part in the “citizen science” programme.

Rebecca Lewis, Guardians of our Rivers project officer, said: “Freshwater invertebrates play a vital role as canaries of our rivers, but they are often overlooked.

“This new project will bring them into the spotlight, allowing local people to learn about them and use them to assess the health of their local river.”

Trine Bregstein, coordinator at the Riverfly Partnership, which is working with Buglife Scotland on the scheme, added: “The Guardians of our Rivers project is exactly what we need currently; a way for people to engage with their natural surroundings, become custodians of their rivers, connect with each other and feel empowered to enact positive change.”

The Riverfly Partnership brings together anglers, river managers, and other groups to understand and protect river flies.

Read more stories on Scottish Field’s wildlife pages.

Plus, don’t miss photographer Kevin Morgans’ puffin pictures in the November issue of Scottish Field magazine.