Wildlife & Conservation
River Clyde boom aims to net litter
PLASTIC and litter will be stopped from entering the sea thanks to a new River Clyde boom. Plans for the boom were announced this morning to mark the United Nation’s World Oceans Day. Glasgow City Council is discussing possible locations for the boom, but said it will be “below the weir and will not cross…
Read MoreEriskay Pony Society launches biggest ever DNA project
THE Eriskay Pony Society is working with genetics experts at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) and the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) to carry out the biggest survey of Eriskay Pony DNA. The project aims to help protect and promote the critically-endangered native breed. The society is funding the project, with help from the Horserace Betting…
Read MoreCairngorms big nature weekend hailed as ‘big success’
THE Cairngorms big nature weekend took place in person following two years online. More than 1,000 people took part in over 70 events over the two days. Activities included organised events – such as a nature fair in Glen Tanar and a river adventure on the Spey – to art workshops and behind-the-scenes tours of…
Read MoreHave you seen a spotted flycatcher?
THE spotted flycatcher is one of six species of migratory birds returning home to Scotland right now – and scientists need your help if you spot one. Researchers at the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) are fitting spotted flycatchers with tags so that they can track their flights between Scotland and Africa. Monitoring the birds…
Read MoreLangholm Moor extension for community buyout
THE Langholm Moor community buyout has been given an extra two months to raise the money it needs to purchase 5,300 acres in Dumfriesshire. The Langholm Initiative needs to raise £2.2 million to buy the land from Buccleuch Estates. A deadline of 31 May had been set to complete the deal, but the landowner has…
Read More‘Phoenix’ bird hide rises from the ashes at Loch Leven
THE “Phoenix” birdwatching hide at Loch Leven national nature reserve (NNR) was opened officially on Friday. Mike Cantlay, chair of Nature Scot, the Scottish Government agency formerly known as Scottish Natural Heritage, was joined by reserve manager Neil Mitchell and Kinross Beaver Scouts for the event. The previous hide burned down last year, sparking outrage.…
Read MoreWading in to help save Scotland’s woodcock
The past decade has seen a serious decline in our woodcock population – it’s time to find out why. A spring woodland, coloured with the final rosy hues of gloaming as a thrush sings its last aria before nightfall. A woodcock passes back and forth overhead: its silhouetted outline is ethereal against the bruises of…
Read MoreUrgent plea to save Scotland’s rainforests
CAMPAIGNERS are calling for cash to help them save Scotland’s Atlantic oak woodlands. The sites, which stretch along the length of the west coast, are known as “Scotland’s rainforests” thanks to their high rainfall. The forests – which include birch and hazel, as well as oak – are home to specialist specials of plants, insects,…
Read MoreBirdwatching champion launches podcast
ENVIRONMENTAL activist Mya-Rose Craig will launch a beginner’s birdwatching podcast on 29 January. Craig, 18, founded her charity, Black2Nature, in 2016 to encourage children and teenagers from visibly ethnic minorities to connect with the environment. Last year she was awarded an honorary science docorate by the University of Bristol, becoming the youngest person in the…
Read MoreCould the missing lynx return?
A YEAR-LONG survey has been launched to find out if the public wants lynx to be introduced to the Highlands. Supporters say the big cats would help to control roe deer numbers, while opponents worry about their effect on sheep kept near woodland, the species’ favoured habitat. The consultation has been launched by three charities:…
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