Rural Community Gateway

Still time to Spring Clean

Keep Scotland Beautiful’s National Spring Clean is happening throughout April, and it’s not too late to get involved or organise your own event.

Keep Scotland Beautiful decided to launch this year’s clean up at Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park. An estimated 69,000 injuries to domestic and wild animals are caused by litter every year according to a national survey of vets.

Pupils from the Green Flag Eco Committee of Kincardine-in-Menteith Primary School carried out their spring clean around the Pet Farm of the Park, after learning about how litter can affect animals.

Chief Game Warden, David Booth commented, "In the past few years many animals have been treated following injury caused by litter carelessly and thoughtlessly discarded by visitors to the park and surrounding area. . . . We are supporting National Spring Clean in the hope that people realise the impacts of their actions."

Almost 6000 people have already signed up to organise, or take part in, a National Spring Clean event. There’s still plenty of April to go, so if you are interested go to the Keep Scotland Beautiful website for more information.

Rural transnational project has its final fling

A transnational project looking at delivering services in remote and rural areas will hold its final conference in the Corran Halls in Oban on 23rd May 2007 - and attendance is free.

NPP DESERVE (Delivering Services in Remote and Rural Areas), finishes in June 2007, and has looked at transferring ways of delivering services in rural areas between the countries involved – Finland, Iceland, Scotland and Sweden. Projects have included community shops, halls and community transport – including the Cowal DESERVE project.

The Final Fling conference will be on the theme of delivering services in remote and rural areas. The main speaker is John Sinclair, who worked for 35 years as a professional musician, with the last 17 in the Ozzy Osbourne band! John now splits his time between musical projects, drug and alcohol awareness and helping private clients with a variety of issues.

Delegates will also hear about projects from the countries involved and workshops will give an opportunity to explore the projects in more detail.

Attendance at the main event is free. Optional study visits will take place on 22nd May 2007, to projects in the surrounding area and neighbouring islands, for which delegates will be charged a small fee.

For a full programme, more information and to book your place, contact Barbara Love, NPP International Co-ordinator, on 01463 251 725 or email Barbara.love@scvo.org.uk

Osprey lays egg live on internet

The Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) were delighted when the female osprey at Loch of Lowes Wildlife Reserve, near Dunkeld, laid her first egg on 13th April 2007. And she has laid another two since, on 16th April and on 19th April!

Visitors were able to see the first egg being laid thanks to the nest cam, with footage shown in the visitor centre and also on the SWT website.

Initially, the SWT had thought that a new female had taken up with the returning male osprey, but they can now confirm that the female is in fact the bird that has been nesting at the site since 1991.

To safeguard the eggs from thieves and disturbance, the reserve’s Osprey Watch will be keeping an eye on the nest with 24-hour monitoring.

Andrea Williams, SWT’s Perthshire Reserve Ranger said, "the female’s night-time antics have been really interesting to see and are proving to be an eye-opener. She doesn’t just sit there and sleep! She moves around frequently, she adjusts the egg, stretches her wings and sometimes calls out."

If you want to know more take a look at the SWT’s Osprey Diary and nest cam.

Hedgehogs in transit

In February, the Gateway reported on plans to relocate, rather than cull, hedgehogs in Uist. The transit is now underway and hedgehogs are currently being moved to the mainland.

Hedgehogs are not native to the Western Isles and measures have had to be taken to control and reduce the population. While foraging, hedgehogs have been eating the eggs of ground nesting birds such as lapwing, redshank and ringed plover.

David MacLennan, SNH Area Manager for the Western Isles and Rum said, "Since the first cull in 2003, SNH has always held the welfare standards of the animals as high priority by seeking the advice of the Scottish SPCA. This trial translocation which will last for a year is now considered the best way forward following new advice and research into the subject."

Hedgehogs caught by the Uist Wader Project are immediately handed over to the Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue Trust. They are then transferred to the Trust's mainland base in Ayrshire where they acclimatise before being released at carefully chosen and monitored sites.

Andy Christie, from Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue Trust said, "The first batch of Uist hedgehogs has arrived at Hessilhead. All are in good condition and eating well and most have already attained their target release weight. They will soon be released in mature or wild gardens where food will be provided."

Read Gateway article Relocation relocation for Uist hedgehogs

• Privacy
• Help
• Contact Us
• Disclaimer