Wildlife & Conservation
Former RSPB boss lands at seabird centre
THE Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick has named Stuart Housden as the next chair of its board of trustees. Housden is a former director of fellow bird charity RSPB Scotland. He succeeds David Windmill, who has served as chair at the seabird centre for the past eight years. Susan Davies, the centre’s chief executive,…
Read MoreCammo Park turns Christmas trees into wildlife homes
MORE than 350 people have donated their old Christmas trees to the Friends of Cammo Park. The 200-strong voluntary group – which helps the City of Edinburgh Council to manage the Cammo Estate in the north of the city – will use the trees as piles of dead wood. The old trees will decay to…
Read MoreWoodland birds bounce back
SCOTLAND’S woodland birds look like they’re recovering from the “Beast from the East”. The storm was linked to a 12% fall in woodland birds between 2017 and 2018. NatureScot, the Scottish Government agency previously known as Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), said woodland bird numbers have now returned to a more stable position, alongside farmland birds.…
Read MoreNew beat for wildlife crime officer
SCOTLAND has unveiled its latest recruit in the fight against wildlife crime. PC Gavin Ross has joined the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) as its investigations support officer. Ross was previously he local community police officer for Dunbar. He said: “When I was in Edinburgh, very early in my service, I became involved in investigating…
Read MoreShooting body calls for restraint during cold snap
THE British Association for Shooting & Conservation (BASC) is calling for voluntary restraint in Scotland during the cold snap. Britain’s largest shooting organisation highlighted the need for voluntary restraint when hunting ducks, geese, wading birds – including woodcock – coot, and moorhen. BASC Scotland director Colin Shedden said: “We are fully aware that the current…
Read MoreBeaver appeal raises £60,000
CONSERVATION charity Trees for Life has raised nearly £60,000 through a crowdfunding appeal to help protect Scotland’s beavers. The fundraising effort sets the scene for a court challenge to the Scottish Government’s beaver policy, which the charity claims is causing “needless loss of beavers’ lives”. Trees for Life and rewilding charity The Lifescape Project claim…
Read MoreHelping nature: Scotland’s successes and challenges
A NEW report reveals what progress has been made towards tackling biodiversity loss in Scotland – and the challenges that lie ahead. NatureScot, the Scottish Government agency previously known as Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), has published its biodiversity duty report covering 2018 to 2020. The document details the work carried out to tackle the loss…
Read MoreMixed picture for songbird breeding
DATA from bird ringers suggests that not all birds benefited from last spring’s mild weather and lack of human disturbance during the lockdown. Figures from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) reveal how 24 species of songbird fared, with some suffering from a mismatch between breeding and food availability. Lee Barber, the BTO’s demographic surveys…
Read MoreTen easy ways to help Scotland’s wildlife
HALF of Scots want to do more to help our native wildlife, according to new figures. NatureScot, formerly Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), carried out its research during the pandemic, when more people visited nature reserves and green spaces in cities. The Scottish Government agency has now come up with ten top tips to help Scots…
Read MoreScottish rowan up for European tree award
A ROWAN tree near Moffat will represent Great Britain in a European contest. The Woodland Trust has chosen “The Survivor” at Carrifran to represent Great Britain in the “European Tree of the Year” competition. The public selected “The Survivor” as Scotland’s “Tree of the Year” back in October. It has now beaten off competition from…
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