Wildlife & Conservation
Improve your deer management skills with BDS
Thinking of taking your deer management skills to the next level? The British Deer Society has three courses already scheduled for 2019 across the UK. Developed and taught by some of the leading experts in the industry, over three days, the Deer Management Course covers a wealth of topics such as population dynamics, census techniques,…
Read MoreThe search is on for Scotland’s Tree of the Year
The Woodland Trust is calling for the public’s nominations to find Scotland’s Tree of the Year 2018. Previous winners include the Suffragette Oak in Glasgow, The ‘Ding Dong’ Tree in Prestonpans and the Big Tree in Kirkwall, Orkney. Is there a tree in your area which can follow them? The winning tree will receive a…
Read MoreMark is a man on a mission – to save salmon
The Atlantic Salmon Trust’s new chief executive is on a mission to find out why its numbers are falling. Mark Bilsby has been named as the new chief executive officer (CEO) of the trust, replacing Sarah Bayley Slater who leaves the post after two and a half years. With more than 20 years’ experience as…
Read MoreVolunteers wanted to keep Scotland’s beaches tidy
Volunteers are being sought to help keep Scotland’s coastline clean and beautiful. Macduff Marine Aquarium will be leading the charge next weekend, with a fun filled couple of days, to get ready for British summertime. On the weekend of 24 and 25 March, the Aberdeenshire aquarium team will be sharing top tips on how to…
Read MoreLooking at the sad decline of Scottish kestrels
I have long had a soft spot for a creature that was once our most common bird of prey. And I came across one again recently, shut in a boiler room at the Aberfeldy Distillery – a dapper little male kestrel. As thin as a wraith, it weighed less than four ounces, when normally it should…
Read MoreTales of the riverbank as beavers pose a problem
As beavers continue their rapid colonisation of Tayside, Strathearn and Strathmore, seeping their way effortlessly into river systems, there is growing disenchantment amongst the farming fraternity, and mounting worries about how to deal with the issues arising daily. Whilst on the one hand, conservationists and many members of the public are ecstatic about the beaver’s…
Read MoreNominations wanted to find Scotland’s finest farm woodlands
The finest farm woodlands in Scotland are being asked to step forward as part of a national awards programme. Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards, which recognise excellent management and the creation of new woodlands, have added a Farm Woodland Award for 2018. Any farm where tree planting or woodland management has made an important contribution to…
Read MoreMeetings set to be held to encourage more Scottish tree planting
Borders farmers and landowners are being invited to forestry talks in the next two weeks. Forestry Commission Scotland is hosting three evening talks in the Scottish Borders aimed at encouraging farmers and land owners to integrate tree planting into their business. The free talks will also provide information on the attractive forestry grants now available…
Read MoreNo need to get in a flap over resolutions with the RSPB
RSPB Scotland is calling on people who still haven’t made a New Year’s resolution. Many people are fed up with the same old resolutions, to exercise more, lose weight, save more money and drink less alcohol, but the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is looking for people who want to make a more…
Read MoreThere’s nothing dry about these fishy tales and fascinating facts
A fisherman has brought together a fascinating collection of stories from fishing on the Dee and Spey. Iain Ogden has written his second book, Great Salmon Rods of the Dee & Spey, which has recently been released and is limited to 500 signed copies. In over forty years of regularly casting a line over the…
Read More