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This beautiful image of a flock of dunlin taking flight from Kinneil Lagoons was taken by Robert Sneddon while on one of the joint IFLI/Braveheart walks earlier this month. There are still five more to come - find out how you can join us by checking out our events calendar here.
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Welcome to IFLI's February 2018 eNewsletter
In this issue:
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Dozens of citizen scientists and conservationists descended on Alloa earlier in February to hear how the work that they do will help to protect our wildlife. The Inner Forth Landscape Initiative ‘From Source to Resource’ conference was held at Alloa Academy and attracted over 70 people from all around the Central Belt to hear speakers from national and local conservation organisations talk about the vital contribution that citizen science can make to the future of our natural world.
Citizen scientists are volunteers who keep and share records of some or all of the wildlife species that they see, which helps inform conservation and environmental research. IFLI partnered Buglife Scotland, Stirling Council and The Wildlife Information Centre to organise the conference. The event looked at the journey that wildlife records make between the recorder and species recording schemes, then onward to inform work to restore, conserve and save species and landscapes.
The keynote speaker was Dr Mark Eaton, RSPB Senior Conservation Scientist, who highlighted the fact that we are rapidly losing much of our wildlife in the UK, both in terms of the number of species, and their abundance. He quoted the worrying statistics that from 1970 to 2013 44% of the UK’s species significantly declined in numbers. Nature is faring worse in the UK than in almost any other country in the world, he said, with the UK ranked 189th of 218 countries in terms of loss of biodiversity.
However there is also better news, with other speakers from Buglife, The Wildlife Information Centre, Butterfly Conservation Scotland and the RSPB explaining how citizen scientists are helping conservation scientists to monitor our wildlife, enabling them to pinpoint some of the causes, and explore potential solutions now and into the future.
Delegates also had the opportunity to join a range of practical workshops on some of the many aspects of wildlife recording, including visits to Alloa’s very own RSPB nature reserve at Black Devon Wetlands.
There were also 20 stalls for folk to browse, with organisations dedicated to protecting a huge variety of wildlife from mud snails to moths, and from frogs to flowers.
Commenting on the conference, IFLI’s Community Engagement Officer, Kate Fuller said: ‘This conference gave us a chance to recognise the valuable work by volunteers and other practitioners who monitor and record the state of the natural world around us, many of them through an IFLI project called ‘Forth Nature Counts’. We were delighted by the number of people who attended, and by the many organisations that also took part. I think it demonstrates the growing number of people who want to go further than armchair wildlife watching, who want to get out and see wildlife for themselves, and make their watching count.’
More information about the conference, including the speaker’s slides, is available on the IFLI website here.
RSPB's Mark Eaton explains what the State of Nature Report tells us about the
country's wildlife (it's not good news!)
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The swift box - a great example of partnership working to protect the natural and historic heritage
On 16 February Historic Environment Scotland (HES) hosted two Insight Tours at Charlestown’s limekilns. Owned by the Broomhall Estate, the kilns were built in the second half of the 18th century by Charles, 5th Earl of Elgin. Charlestown’s limekilns complex became the largest of its kind in Scotland, and played a vital role in supplying quicklime for agriculture and construction to both domestic and overseas markets.
As part of IFLI’s suite of projects that safeguard the Inner Forth’s important built heritage, conservation work has recently been undertaken on the limekilns by HES. This has included the clearance of encroaching vegetation, replacing and repairing stonework, and installing new lintels and ironwork. After donning hard hats, those who attended the Insight Tours last week were treated to unprecedented access to the kilns to hear all about the efforts of the specialist teams involved and enjoy some spectacular views from the scaffolding.
As well as being thoroughly impressed by the extent of the work thus far, people were delighted to hear that wildlife had been considered and catered for: bats will have continued access to the structure via specially commissioned brickwork, and nest boxes have been provided for swifts. The latter in particular is a terrific example of successful partnership working between the RSPB and HES, and demonstrates that built and natural heritage conservation can be complementary. These self-contained swift boxes will not damage the integrity of the limekilns structure, and have safeguarded a known nesting site for this important protected species.
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The arrival of March sees our wild places come alive, as the first bright, mild days of spring begin to invigorate the fields, streams, woodlands and shoreline of the Inner Forth. Amidst the cacophony of birdsong, it’s time to start listening out for the tell-tale grunts and rumbles of amphibians mating in freshwater. Through the night is the best time to hear the unmistakeable ‘ribbit!’ of a toad or frog, which return to their breeding ponds to mate and lay spawn in March. Toads generally prefer deeper bodies of water, and will lay long strings of eggs, whereas frogs will happily spawn their more commonly seen clumps of young in shallow ponds, or even puddles!
The sight of a bee or butterfly lazily gliding from one flower to the next may seem like a distant memory, but the emergence of several species is just around the corner! Buff tail bumblebees are hardy and enjoy a long season over the summer, so keep your eyes peeled for the first queen bees of the year, buzzing around grassland ready to establish a new nest. Butterflies will also begin to fly on warm, still days. Look out for small tortoiseshell butterflies, which will use the advantage of their early emergence to lay their eggs on nettles, ensuring their caterpillars have an abundant food supply upon hatching.
All of your wildlife sightings can be added to our Inner Forth Nature counts form, (https://www.brc.ac.uk/irecord/enter-inner-forth-records) helping us to build a better picture of wildlife in the area.
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Do you follow us on Facebook or Twitter?
Here at IFLI we are extremely grateful to all the people who follow us on our social media channels. There are nearly 1500 on Facebook, and over 1000 on Twitter. It's great to know that so many people are interested in hearing what we get up to! We hope that if you do follow us you like what you read in our posts, but to help us to make them even more relevant to you we wondered if you could spare five minutes to fill in our very brief social media survey? There are only seven questions! Here's the link https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/X6J9JXD
Thank you in advance for helping us out with this!
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Visitors to the RSPB Black Devon Wetlands Nature Reserve might have noticed the two strange floating ‘mattresses’ that have appeared in the main pool overlooked by the viewing screen. Despite rumours to the contrary these are not handy li-los for the wardens to take a nap on if they get a bit tired, but the bases of two floating islands that have been installed to offer safe nesting and roosting areas for a range of wetland birds, out of reach of most predators.
At present the structures are quite bare, although parts of them have been covered in gravel. However the islands are made of a special material that means they can be planted up with emergent vegetation that will offer more cover for the birds – the next job for the team. IFLI’s volunteer photographer David Palmar managed to capture the process of installing the islands – as you will see it was quite a tough task!
Carrying the first piece of the island to the water
Now for one of the anchors - very heavy and unwieldy!
Once all the pieces are in the water they need to test for buoyancy
A fleece layer goes on top to hold the gravel in place
Then the gravel is tipped onto it
One of the islands is towed out into the pool
Cold work in February! They need to get into the water to position the anchor stone and make sure the island is stable and ready for its new inhabitants!
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New paths appearing in Clackmannanshire
The Cambus Woods path takes shape
If you go down to the woods today you may be in for a big surprise! Work is well underway on new paths at Cambus Woods and Back Wood, near Alloa Park, thanks to two IFLI projects being managed by the Central Scotland Green Network Trust. The Cambus Woods path will offer an accessible off-road route between the south of Tullibody and Cambus village, while the path through Back Wood will follow the edge of the Black Devon from the Alloa Park development to link with the new paths that have already been installed through the Initiative at Black Devon Wetlands. The work will transform the once muddy tracks, making them accessible to all, including wheelchairs and buggies. It's due to be complete in the next few weeks, so watch this space for updates!
The new surface has transformed the muddy path that used to wind through the Back Wood
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Pond dipping for grown-ups!
Image David Palmar/Photoscot.co.uk
Join Buglife for this free introductory training course 'An Introduction to Freshwater Invertebrates' on Tuesday 3 April, 10am – 4pm at Bowmar Community Centre, Alloa, and find out more about the creatures which inhabit our freshwater ponds. This is an opportunity to learn more about invertebrate life cycles, feeding habits and improve basic identification skills. An indoor learning session will be followed by a practical outdoor pond survey at RSPB Black Devon Wetlands, with a chance to look first hand at the invertebrates we find. As part of the ‘Marvellous Mud Snails’ project, this course will also cover the techniques for surveying, and correctly identifying one of Scotland’s rarest molluscs. Booking is required as spaces are limited, tea and coffee will be provided please bring a packed lunch. For more information and to book, please email Scotland@buglife.org.uk
RSPB Skinflats community consultation
Image David Palmar/Photoscot.co.uk
Come along to this drop in event on Tuesday 27 February, at Airth Castle Hotel, 4pm to 8pm, and learn about RSPB Scotland's plans for a managed realignment project at its Skinflats Reserve, near Airth. You will find out about the special wildlife of the River Forth, how the project at Skinflats will benefit this wildlife and see examples of managed realignment projects from other parts of the country. RSPB staff members will be available to answer any questions you may have.
Last chance to catch Humphry Repton Exhibition
and Valleyfield snowdrop walks!
2018 is the bicentenary of landscape designer Humphry Repton's death, and to commemorate the occasion West Fife Woodlands Group and Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries are holding an exhibition focused on Repton's plans for the Valleyfield Estate, Fife. Until the end of February, photos and other records of the former estate will be displayed in the Library's Reading Room. Entry is free, and look out for other related events that may take place. Repton was the last great landscape designer of the 1800s, and was engaged by Sir Robert Preston, owner of the Valleyfield Estatem, to draw up plans for the land. An overview of his life and works can be found on The Gardens Trust Website.
Why not visit the Valleyfield Estate after seeing the exhibition? West Fife Woodlands Group are running free guided walks at 2pm every Saturday and Sunday from 3rd February to 11th March.
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FNH Historical and archaeological Forum
Sat 3 March, 2-5pm
Engine Shed, Stirling
A chance for local societies to get together to discuss sharing of best practice, joint projects and cross publicity, and joint funding. More info.
Reclaiming Our Coalfields Communities
Saturday 3 March
Bo'ness Town Hall
The Coalfields Regeneration Trust host a public workshop aimed at planning the future of the Bo'ness and Blackness area. More info.
Climate change impacts on the historic environment
Tues 6 March, 9am - 5pm
Engine Shed, Stirling
This one day seminar will bring together heritage organisations from across the UK to showcase work being undertaken to identify and quantify risks from climate change, and to share best practice.. More info.
GrowClacks Community Meal
Thurs 8 March, 5-7pm
Tullibody Civic Centre
You're invited to come along to this tasty and seasonal community meal in Tullibody for inspiration, and to learn how the GrowClacks Network can help you. More info.
Wetland Wander
Sunday 11 March, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
RSPB Black Devon Wetlands
Join RSPB staff on a wetland wander around the new nature reserve near Alloa. More info.
Bridgeness Biodiversity - Volunteer Day
Wednesday 14 March, 10:00am - 1:00pm
Bridgeness Ship Breakers
Join Buglife on one of their monthly habitat management volunteer days. More info.
Healthy walk with Braveheart
Wednesday 14 March, 1.30-2.30pm
Clackmannan to Kennetpans
A walk to discover more about one of the first industrial scale distilleries in Scotland. More info.
Micromoth ID workshop
Tues 20 March, all day
Balallan House, Stirling
Join Ross McIlwrath, Micro moth and peatlands trainee with Butterfly Conservation Scotland for a free micro moth identification workshop. More info.
Amphibian survey training
30 March, 7.30 - 9.30pm
Black Devon Wetlands, Alloa
Join staff from Froglife for an evening of amphibian surveys and learn how to identify our native amphibian species as you undertake 3 methods of pond survey. More info.
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