Wildlife & Conservation
Scots want ‘wilder’ national parks
A MAJORITY of Scots want our national parks to be “wilder”, according to a survey by the Scottish Rewilding Alliance. An opinion poll conducted by market research agency Survation found that 74% of Scots agreed with a call to make national parks wilder, while 6% were opposed to the idea. In February, NatureScot – the…
Read MoreBluebell wood freed from Rhododendron bushes
VOLUNTEERS from the Kinclaven Woodland Working Group are celebrating the eradication of the final Rhododendron ponticum bush at Kinclaven Bluebell Wood in Perthshire. Over the last four years, the team of 50 has worked to reduce a thick mass of the plant, spending nearly 2,000 hours on the task. The plant had claimed more than…
Read MoreTV’s Miranda Krestovnikoff headlines Scottish Marine Fest
TELEVISION presenter Miranda Krestovnikoff has been unveiled as the star act at this year’s Scottish Marine Fest. Krestovnikof, who rose to fame as one of the presenters on the BBC series Coast, will open the festival on 8 June. The five-day programme runs at the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick until 12 June. Other events…
Read MoreDogs Trust celebrates fostering scheme
THE Dogs Trust is celebrating the work done by its forster carers to look after rescue dogs. Some dogs are not suited to life in kennels, and so the trust places them in a foster home through its “Home from Home” fostering scheme. The trust said that foster carers play a major role in helping…
Read MoreScotland gives bees a helping hand
PROJECTS throughout Scotland are helping bees and other pollinators, according to a new report. The “Pollinator Strategy 2022 Progress Report” by NatureScot, the Scottish Government agency known previously as Scottish Natural Heritage, highlighted the work of organisations to create wildflower meadows, connect habitats, and gather evidence on how climate change is affecting pollinators. Projects highlighted…
Read MoreNorthwoods Rewilding Network plants 100,000 trees
THE Northwoods Rewilding Network has planted more than 108,000 native trees during its first two years, according to figures released this morning. The network, which has grown to include 55 partners spread throughout Scotland, said the trees cover an area equivalent to 210 football pitches. More than 4,100 of the trees are along rivers, where…
Read MorePeatland restoration roadshow shifts into gear
MONDAY marks the start of a peatland restoration roadshow. Peatland consultancy firm Caledonian Climate Partnership (CCP) has organised the discussions, which are touring Scotland until 23 March. The roadshow – which is supported by NatureScot and Peatland Action – is aimed at “people with an interest in land management and nature restoration, including farmers, keepers,…
Read MoreHighlands Rewilding buys Argyll’s Tayvallich Estate
THE Highlands Rewilding project today revealed it has raised the £10.5 million it needed to buy the 3,500-acre Tayvallich Estate in Argyll. The initiative, which already owns Beldorney in Aberdeenshire and Bunloit near Loch Ness, raised the funds ahead of last night’s deadline. Highlands Rewilding announced in December that it was in exclusive talks to…
Read MoreMove from research to conservation to save migrating birds
SCIENTISTS want efforts to shift from research to conservation in order to save migrating birds. Species under threat include cuckoos, swifts, and turtle doves, as well as swallows and whinchats. The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) warned that gaps in research into the problem shouldn’t…
Read MoreInstagram star Less Waste Laura helps NatureScot
NATURESCOT, the government agency known previously as Scottish Natural Heritage, has teamed up with Instagram star Laura Young, better known as “Less Waste Laura”. Young will help to promote the organisation’s “Make Space For Nature” campaign on social media. The partnership includes social media posts and an episode of the “Make Space For Nature” podcast.…
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