nature – Page 3 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Miniature vertical farms travel the country as Dandelion’s cubes tour begins

Dandelion’s cubes are going on tour, starting on top of the iconic Calton Hill in Edinburgh. Special cargo bikes, featuring Dandelion’s unique ‘growing cubes’ called ‘Cubes of Perpetual Light’, will be touring Scotland in Dandelion’s latest initiative to bring music, nature, art, science, community food growing and more, to as many people as possible.

The Cubes Bike Tour forms part of Dandelion, a major creative programme demonstrating the power of collective action through an ambitious ‘grow your own’ initiative that aims to reach hundreds of thousands of people throughout Scotland and further afield this summer.

The creative programme has been following the arc of the growing season, spanning from April to September 2022, bringing together music and art with science and technology to inspire people to ‘Sow, Grow and Share’ music, food, ideas and stories.

Commissioned by EventScotland and funded by the Scottish Government,  Dandelion is Scotland’s contribution to UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK. 

A touring fleet of cargo bikes displaying Dandelion’s growing cubes – miniature vertical farms – will travel the Highlands and Lowlands throughout August.

Four custom-made, electrically assisted bikes – each carrying a cube – will visit ten towns and cities, stopping at school playgrounds, green spaces, town centres, and Dandelion’s Unexpected Gardens, among other locations.

The bikes team will also be giving away free seeds to encourage people to grow their own food. As we come to grips with the impacts of climate change, the need to travel sustainably have never been more important, and the cargo bikes show one way to what is possible.

The bikes also embed active travel at the core of the tour by cycling across the country, as Scotland prepares to host the UCI Cycling World Championships in 2023.

The 1m x 1m cubes are designed to foster accelerated plant growing and have been developed to grow hundreds of seedlings under LED light, combining design craft, traditional horticultural expertise and technological innovation.

The Dandelion team will also be giving away free seed packets and sharing their expertise, so that everyone can grow their own herbs at home and also find out more about Dandelion’s Harvest celebrations in September.

At each stop, the cubes will play new music specially commissioned for Dandelion by Scottish and international artists, inspired by the natural world and can only be heard at the sites, including Vendanth Bharadwaj, Arooj Aftab & Maeve Gilchrist, 2022 Mercury-nominated Fergus McCreadie, Ravi Bandhu, Trio Da Kali, and amiina & Kathleen MacInnes.

Featuring programmable, immersive lighting integrated with speaker systems designed to best showcase the new music playing from the cubes. Each new music piece is commissioned by Dandelion with additional support for international work from British Council Scotland.

Neil Butler, Director of Festivals and Events at Dandelion, said: ‘We can’t wait for the Cubes Bike Tour to begin. It’s a great way to share Dandelion’s message and reach people in locations throughout Scotland.

“The bikes will be travelling all over the country so we’d love to see people coming along to witness some of the magic, get seeds to grow your own at home and hear more about our upcoming Harvest celebrations.’

Paul Bush OBE, Visit Scotland Director of Events said: “The Dandelion programme is creating an incredible array of events across Scotland this summer, each finding unique moments to connect with people all over the country through growing.

“The Cubes Bike Tour is another engaging example of this, taking Dandelion right into the heart of locations right across Scotland to be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.

“It’s also fantastic to see events like this embed active travel as part of their programme, and it’s particularly exciting to see biking at the core of this tour as Scotland gears up to celebrate cycling on the world-stage in one year’s time, hosting the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships”.

Cosmo Blake, Network Engagement Manager at Sustrans Scotland “We are delighted to be able to support Dandelion by supplying four cargo bikes for the Cubes Bike Tour this August.

“By utilising the National Cycle Network, the UK-wide network of signed paths and routes for walking, wheeling and cycling, the tour will be able to reach communities sustainably. With the ever-present impacts from climate change, the importance of both food and transport sustainability are becoming more and more relevant.

“Bringing together active travel, growing, and the arts is a fantastic way to demonstrate the huge breadth of possibilities of cycling for transport as well as for leisure.”

The Cube Bikes will be passing through the places below:

Edinburgh, Tue 2 August

1pm, Edinburgh Botanic Gardens

4pm, Unexpected Garden, Lauriston Farm

Hawick, Wed 3 August

4pm, Hawick Museum, Wilton Lodge Gardens

Stranraer, Fri 5 August

1pm, Unexpected Garden, Harbour Street

Greenock, Sat 6 August

10.30am, Battery Park and along the esplanade

11.30am, Beacon Arts Centre

2pm, The Drying Green, Inverkip Road

Glasgow, Sun 7 August

10.00am, Govan Cross

12noon, Glasgow Science Centre

Forres, Tue 23 August

1pm, Market Square

7pm, Grant Park

Inverness, Wed 24 August

5.30pm, City Centre

Alness, Thu 25 August

Schools tour only

Wick, Fri 26 August

11am, Harbour tour

1pm, Market Square

Thurso, Sat 27 August

1pm, Town Centre

7.30pm, Unexpected Garden

Further locations to be announced throughout August.

For more information and location updates, please see: www.dandelion.scot

Dandelion is commissioned by EventScotland, funded by the Scottish Government and is part of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK. The bikes were commissioned for Dandelion by Sustrans. The Cube Bikes Tour route will follow the National Cycle Network where available. https ://www.sustrans.org.uk/national-cycle-network/

Has the ‘COVID effect’ worn off for nature lovers?

Big Butterfly Count sees a drop in participants compared to 2020 and 2021, as conservationists urge the public not to forget the benefits of being connected to nature – and it’s not too late to take part!

Wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation are urging people not to become disconnected from nature, after the start of their Big Butterfly Count saw a significant drop in people taking part, in comparison with the last two years.

Dr Zoe Randle, Senior Surveys Officer at Butterfly Conservation, said: “In 2020 and 2021 we saw a big increase in the number of people taking part in the Big Butterfly Count. During the COVID restrictions people were spending more time at home, and maybe without the day-to-day busyness and distractions, they noticed nature more and were able to enjoy spending more time outside.

“However, since Big Butterfly Count started on the 15^th July, we’ve only had half of the Counts compared with the same time last year. It’s left us wondering whether, now there are no COVID restrictions, are people beginning to forget about nature and the wildlife that needs our help to survive?”

It’s something Butterfly Conservation’s Vice President, the TV presenter and naturalist Chris Packham, is also worried about.

Chris said: “During lockdown many people used the opportunity of having a little bit more time to engage with nature, and many of them found some respite and solace there. Now we are asking people to re-connect and give something back to nature by taking part in the Big Butterfly Count.”

A lack of butterflies could also be putting people off taking part this year.

Chris adds: “Last year was our poorest year ever in terms of the amount of butterflies people were seeing. It’s too early to tell if this year will follow suit, but certainly anecdotally we are hearing that people feel there are fewer butterflies around.

“That might have put people off taking part in the Big Butterfly Count, but it’s equally important for people to tell us that because when it comes to submitting data we need to know where there aren’t these insects as well as where there are.

“Butterflies and moths are important indicators of the wider health of our environment. If they are struggling then so is the rest of the natural world. It is so important people continue to take part in the Big Butterfly Count. If we don’t know what is happening then we can’t deliver good quality conservation.”

Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count is a UK-wide survey open to everyone, of any age, living in towns, cities or the countryside. Taking part requires you to spend just 15 minutes in an outdoor space counting the amount and type of butterflies, and some day-flying moths, you see. It is easy to do and the more people who do it, the greater the benefits to our understanding of nature and how to help it.

There were over 150,000 counts submitted to the Big Butterfly Count last year, more than ever before.

This year’s Big Butterfly Count runs from the 15^th July to the 7^th August. For more information and to take part simply visit www.bigbutterflycount.org or download the free Big Butterfly Count app.

Big Butterfly Count: Butterfly scientists call on public for help

Butterfly Conservation launches this year’s Big Butterfly Count with a warning that time is running out to help save species.

Wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation are urging the whole nation to help Britain’s butterflies by taking part in the Big Butterfly Count.

Butterfly Conservation revealed in May that half of Britain’s remaining butterfly species are now on the Red List and threatened or near threatened with extinction. Last year’s Big Butterfly Count saw the lowest ever number of butterflies recorded. As butterflies and moths are an important indicator of the health of our environment, a reduction in their numbers is a cause for serious concern.

However, taking part in the Big Butterfly Count is one really positive way that everyone can help.

The information gathered is vital in helping scientists understand more about what is happening to the nation’s butterflies and therefore put in place the conservation measures needed to protect them.

In recent years Butterfly Conservation has helped save two species from extinction in the UK and halted the decline of many others. The charity has proved that with the right information and targeted action, species can be brought back from the brink,

Dr Zoe Randle, Senior Surveys Officer at Butterfly Conservation says: “Thanks to the wonderful British public who take part in their thousands, the Big Butterfly Count is the largest natural history citizen science project involving insects in the world and provides us with a valuable snapshot of what is happening for butterflies across the whole of the UK.

“It can act as an early-warning system, letting us know how various environmental changes are impacting insects, and allows us to gather vital data from places that would otherwise be totally unrecorded.”

With the numbers of butterflies in decline, learning as much as possible about them is more important than ever. Zoe adds: “We really need people’s help this year to help us figure out where our butterflies are and what we need to do to save them. It’s not just the rare species of butterfly – the ones with restricted habitat or foodplants – that we are concerned about. Some of our previously commonly seen butterflies, like the Small Tortoiseshell, are also declining rapidly.”

The Small Tortoiseshell, which can be found all over the UK and was once a familiar species in gardens throughout the country, has declined by 79% since 1976. It’s one of the species included in the Big Butterfly Count, and Butterfly Conservation hope that data from citizen scientists will mean more can be understood about its fate.

Taking part in the Big Butterfly Count is not only good for butterflies – it’s good for humans too!

Dr Amir Khan, Butterfly Conservation Ambassador, is one of a number of famous faces supporting the Big Butterfly Count. He says: “Spending time in nature is hugely beneficial to our mental health. Just a short amount of time spent in the natural world can alleviate stress, and connecting with nature can help us feel happier and more energised.

“Watching butterflies for just fifteen minutes can be a wonderful and calming experience. It is good for you as well as benefitting butterflies by helping Butterfly Conservation gather the important data they need to understand how to better protect these special insects. It is truly a win-win situation for all of us.”

Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count is a UK-wide survey open to everyone, of any age, living in towns, cities or the countryside.

Taking part requires you to spend just 15 minutes in an outdoor space counting the amount and type of butterflies, and some day-flying moths, you see. It is easy to do and the more people who do it, the greater the benefits to our understanding of nature and how to help it.

There were over 150,000 counts submitted to the Big Butterfly Count last year, more than ever before. Though worryingly, 2021 also saw the lowest average number of butterflies logged since the event began thirteen years ago. More counts are undertaken and submitted year on year, but it seems there are fewer butterflies and moths to be seen.

Butterfly Conservation scientists are keen to see if this is a trend that continues in 2022, and how the picture differs for butterflies across the whole of the UK. This means it’s more important than ever that the public take part and help to gather the data needed.

This year the Big Butterfly Count is sponsored by garden wildlife specialist Vivara and the DFN Foundation, a commissioning charity focused on influencing sustainable change in special needs education, supported employment, healthcare and conservation.

Sarah Hancocks, Marketing Manager for Vivara, commented: “We are so excited to be extending our partnership with Butterfly Conservation and our sponsorship of the Big Butterfly Count.

“We’re incredibly passionate about nature and know that all types of wildlife play a vital part in our ecosystem. That’s why we’re on a mission to help give parts of Britain back to nature and help restore the balance of biodiversity in back gardens across the country.

“The Big Butterfly Count is a fantastic way of doing this and furthering research into, and support of, butterflies.”

David Forbes Nixon OBE, Chairman of the DFN Foundation, said: “The DFN Foundation is delighted to once more be the official co-sponsor of this great event and support Butterfly Conservation in their vital work helping us protect butterflies from extinction.

“Last year was the biggest count to date, with over 150,000 counts submitted from people across the UK and I hope we can make it even better this year.

“As we enjoy summer, I encourage everyone around the country to take part and use this as an opportunity to connect with nature in an easy and fun way. Not only will it benefit the health and wellbeing of all who take part, no matter their age, but also help save species of butterfly that are crucial to our environment and ecosystem.”

This year’s Big Butterfly Count runs from the 15^th July to the 7^th August.

For more information and to take part simply visit www.bigbutterflycount.org or download the free Big Butterfly Count app.

New plan calls for urban wetlands to help ‘level up’ wellbeing inequalities

Creating wildlife-rich wetlands like ponds, streams, wetland parks and rain gardens in deprived urban communities could help level up inequalities in wellbeing across the UK, according to a new report.

Currently, people in the poorest urban and ethnic communities are twice as likely as those in more affluent groups to live in neighbourhoods without good quality blue or green spaces. Some research suggests this differing access to nature-rich areas could be associated with health inequalities.

The Wildfowl & Wetland Trust’s (WWT) Creating Urban Wetlands for Wellbeing. A Route Map’ outlines how high-quality wetlands could help tackle these inequalities, often more effectively than other forms of nature.

The report highlights how wetlands can help low-income urban communities, which are frequently most at risk from the harmful impacts of poor mental health and the climate crisis, through relieving stress, cooling cities, reducing air and water pollution, alleviating flooding and boosting biodiversity.

In addition, the report outlines how blue spaces (environments that feature open water, such as wetlands) directly reduce stress more than green spaces alone. This could be due to the particularly wide range of stimuli .wetland nature provides which engage all the senses The light, soundscapes, changing patterns on water, and meaningful personal associations associated with aquatic settings may all reduce stress.

The powerful calming effect of blue space is further demonstrated by a study of 16,000 people across 18 countries, which found that frequently visiting ‘watery’ nature decreased mental distress. Just 10 minutes spent in urban wetlands can be enough to improve a person’s mood.

People also socialise more in blue spaces, helping to build community cohesion and reduce social isolation. And restored linear wetlands, such as rivers, provide opportunities for physically active travel and leisure in space-limited towns and cities.

WWT is working with the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) and the NHS, prescribing wetlands in London for people experiencing poor mental health with limited resources.

Dr Ben Plimpton, Project Manager from the Foundation, commented: “Initiatives such as WWT and MHF’s Blue Prescribing at London Wetland Centre can be particularly effective at improving people’s mental health – and may sometimes prevent the need for crisis support.

“Initial assessment of social prescribing has shown that the average wellbeing value of wetland social prescribing was £4,848 per person, compared to £1,084 and £1,127 per person for arts engagement and sports participation respectively.

“Increasing structured access to city wetlands for those with limited resources, as our scheme does, could be one of the simplest ways to lift people’s wellbeing in urban areas.”

The route map details how nature-rich wetlands can be created in a range of urban settings at a variety of scales, allowing them to fit in any urban space, including:

installing simple drainpipe wetlands in backyards and gardens
building new rain gardens during street repair work and neighbourhood improvements
restoring streams and rivers flowing through neighbourhoods
creating parks centred on wetlands that provide a wellbeing resource for whole communities

It recommends creating and restoring wetlands where they can best reduce health inequalities, such as in areas without access to nature, where deprived communities and neighbourhoods are at risk of flooding and overheating as the climate crisis escalates.

The report urges governments, businesses and civil society to play their part in creating and restoring urban wetlands that can help to level up wellbeing.

In particular, restoring wetland nature to urban areas should be a major part of the Government’s plans to level up opportunity across the country, with a new legal duty on councils and developers to provide access to nature.

Dr James Robinson, Director of Conservation at WWT, said: “Most human settlements grew around a water source and wetlands long used to be an integral part of our great towns and cities.

“However, increasingly new developments have swallowed many of them up. Worryingly, there are no UK-wide plans to increase the amount of blue or green nature in urban areas, despite the huge value they provide. London’s natural spaces alone save the NHS £950M annually.

“WWT are experts at protecting, restoring and building new wetlands but to do this at scale, including in urban areas, more support and funding from the public and private sectors is needed.

“The opportunities that wetlands offer to enhance and extend our lives are established – but they are not being grasped. WWT’s route map released today provides a clear plan of how this can be achieved.”

David Lindo, ‘the Urban Birder’, who supports WWT’s call for more urban wetlands, said: “I grew up in London and the River Brent was a lifeline for me as a child. I became absorbed in its wildlife and it sparked my lifelong love of birds and boosted my mental wellbeing.

“Everyone should have access to that and it’s imperative that decision-makers consider how to incorporate wetlands into our urban spaces – sooner rather than later. Wetlands could offer national and local government a win-win situation helping them reach their levelling up, climate change, nature and health targets all at the same time. It’s time to start thinking smart.”

WWT’s call for more urban wetlands is part of their wider Wetlands Can! Campaign, which is urging the public to pledge their support for a “blue recovery” by creating and restoring 100,000 hectares of wetlands throughout the UK to help combat the climate, nature and wellbeing crises.

wwt-creating-urban-wetlands-for-wellbeing Download

Protecting and enhancing nature

More funding for local nature restoration projects

Projects that support biodiversity and improve the health and wellbeing of local communities are set to benefit from further funding.

All local authorities, plus Scotland’s two National Parks, will receive a share of £6.5 million directly from the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Process Fund – the second stream of the £65 million annual Nature Restoration Fund.

£5 million has been allocated to local authorities to deliver projects that support the priority aims of the Fund: habitat and species restoration, freshwater restoration, coastal and marine protection and eradication of non-native species.

Councils can also apply to top up their direct allocation from a £1.5 million pot to deliver larger scale, multi-year nature restoration projects.

Biodiversity Minister Lorna Slater visited Howden Park in West Lothian to see how previous allocations from the Nature Restoration Fund have helped the local council to improve the biodiversity, connectivity and climate resilience of the popular park.

Ms Slater said: “The Scottish Government is committed to tackling the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, both at home and abroad.

“Connecting people with nature, in urban and rural areas, brings so many benefits in terms of health and wellbeing. Improving our more green spaces will enable people to enjoy spending time outdoors and care for the natural environment on their doorstep.

“The Edinburgh Process Fund will play a critical role in supporting local authorities to restore nature in their area, through things like creating wildflower habitats in parks to restoring floodplains around rivers and expanding native woodland. Projects will be delivered by local government and their partners, who are well placed to direct investment to the projects that will make the most difference for nature and benefit communities”

“The Fund builds on the Edinburgh Process which has established our commitment and reputation as leaders on the natural environment. It has provided a platform establishing the central role of subnational governments, cities and local authorities in delivering for biodiversity. We will continue to drive the Edinburgh Process forward through to COP15 later this year.

NatureScot’s Head of Biodiversity and Geodiversity Dr Katherine Leys said: “We are delighted that the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund has been able to allocate funding to local authorities through the Edinburgh Process Fund.

“Local authorities have an important role to play in tackling the nature and climate crises, and are very well placed to identify nature restoration priorities at a local scale.”

Public urged to hunt for woodland moths

MOTH NIGHT 19th – 21st MAY

Moth enthusiasts, conservationists and the public will be heading for the woods for the UK’s annual Moth Night event this week. Running on the days and nights of Thursday 19^th – Saturday 21^st May, this annual celebration of moths is organised by Atropos, Butterfly Conservation, and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH).

Moth Night highlights the important role played by the 2,500 species of UK moths, unsung heroes of our native wildlife both as plant pollinators and essential food for many other animals.

Woodland, the theme of this year’s event, is a vital habitat for moths because their caterpillars feed on trees, shrubs and lichens, while woodland flowers provide nectar for adult moths. Woodland also provides relatively warm, sheltered conditions, ideal for a wide variety of springtime moths to fly in.

Mark Tunmore, editor of the journal Atropos and Moth Night founder, says: “Common broad-leaved trees such as birches, oaks and willows support hundreds of different moth species here in the UK, which in turn are a vital link in the food chain, particularly for bats and insectivorous birds.

“Great Tits and Blue Tits, for example, depend entirely on moth caterpillars as food for their chicks. At this time of year, woodlands are at their colourful best and so are their moth inhabitants, with a wide range of beautiful species on the wing.

“We are also encouraging daytime moth hunts this year as there are many day-flying species to be seen, including the stunning Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moth, Speckled Yellow and Argent & Sable. In Scotland it is a particularly special time of the year for moths, with scarce species such as the spectacular Kentish Glory, Netted Mountain Moth and Small Dark Yellow Underwing flying.”

The abundance of moths has declined by one-third in Britain over the last 50 years and a recent study suggested that declines had been even more extreme in more wooded landscapes. However, some woodland moths have done well, benefitting from the increase in broadleaf woodland in the UK, which has more than doubled in area since the late 1960s.

Dr Richard Fox, Head of Science at the charity Butterfly Conservation, says: “Government commitments to increase tree cover are very welcome. Allowing natural regeneration of woodland and more tree planting will greatly benefit moths as well as helping to tackle the climate crisis.

“However, it needs to be the right trees in the right places. Planting non-native trees, such as conifers or Eucalyptus, or planting trees on wildlife-rich open habitats such as grasslands and heaths, will have a negative impact on biodiversity, including for moths.

“In addition, we need to redouble the protection of the UK’s remaining ancient woodlands; unique, irreplaceable habitats of great wildlife, and also historical and recreational, value. At this time of year, our ancient woodland feature moths such as the nationally scarce Marbled Pug, Barred Umber and Marbled Brown.”

Dr David Roy, Head of the Biological Records Centre at UKCEH, says: “For Moth Night 2022 we’re encouraging the public to look for and submit sightings of moths in woodland, but also in their gardens, parks and the wider countryside.

“There are public events that people can attend to see magnificent moths. Moths are excellent indicators of biodiversity and the quality of woodland and other habitats, so by submitting Moth Night sightings, people are doing citizen science and helping understand the impacts of land management and climate change.”

For more information on taking part in Moth Night, which runs 19-21 May 2022, see: www.mothnight.info

How to take part in Moth Night 2022

While you can buy light-traps that do not harm the insects, specialist equipment is not required to attract moths. Leaving outside lights on, painting ‘sugar’ mixture on fence posts, or draping rope soaked in red wine over bushes can be particularly effective.

There is advice at mothnight.info/taking-part/

For help identifying moths, people can check guides to species, the What’s Flying Tonight? app or contact moth enthusiasts via the Moth Night Facebook page.

Alan Titchmarsh calls on people to create a Pit Stop for Pollinators

TV gardener Alan Titchmarsh calls on people to create a Pit Stop for Pollinators this spring, providing butterflies and moths with the plants they need for survival.

Wildlife is in crisis – 76% of butterflies in the UK have declined since 1976 – which is why Butterfly Conservation has joined forces with TV gardener Alan Titchmarsh to encourage people to create pit stops for pollinators this spring, and help insects get from one area of habitat to the next.

Pit stops of all sizes are needed, which means everyone can get involved, no matter how large or small the space they have available is. Even a small plant pot on a doorstep or balcony could help provide butterflies and moths with an important foodplant or nectar.

Whether you live in a city or village, everyone can contribute to support our vital pollinating insects, and have butterflies and moths in your garden day and night.

Alan Titchmarsh, who is Vice-president of wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation, says: “By providing a pit stop for pollinators, you will be doing your bit for the insects that allow us to survive.

“Without them, we are gone. Plants aren’t pollinated and crops don’t grow. We need pollinators and we need to look after the planet for them.

“A really good pit stop for pollinators will have open flowers, which are needed for adult butterflies and moths to feed on, and also some plants on which butterflies and moths can lay their eggs, and for caterpillars to feed on. Something as simple as a bunch of nettles in a sunny corner is one good way to provide this.”

Sarah Hancocks, Marketing Projects Manager of Vivara, official partner of the Pit Stops for Pollinators campaign, said: “Back gardens can provide essential pit stops for insects. Whatever space you have, make it inviting to wildlife whilst enjoying doing your bit to help nature thrive on your doorstep.

“We’ve developed a range of new wildlife borders designed to help you give a corner of your green space back to wildlife, and even have one specifically to encourage butterflies. It includes an array of butterfly-friendly plants including Black-Eyed Susan, Lavender Hidcote, White Coneflower, Garden Catmint, Verbena bonariensis and White Dwarf Buddleja.”

What to plant for an insect-friendly garden:

Nasturtiums provide a foodplant for the caterpillars of both the Large and Small White butterfly.

Pot Marigold will provide nectar for adult butterflies

Buddleia is known as the ‘butterfly bush’ for a reason! The long purple or white flower heads are very attractive nectar sources for butterflies like Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell.

Verbena bonariensis is an excellent alternative if you don’t have space for a large Buddleia. It sends up tough, thin stems topped with masses of purple flowers that are a magnet for insects. It also seeds itself, so you will see it popping up in new places around your garden year after year.

Lavender ‘Hidcote’ is regarded as one of the best lavenders for the British climate. Butterflies and moths with shorter tongues can access the nectar inside its small flowers. A good plant for pots in sunny places as it prefers dry conditions.

Ox-eye Daisy is the UK’s largest-flowered native daisy with beautiful white petals and a yellow centre that is very inviting to butterflies. It will enthusiastically self-seed.

Viburnum davidii is a great shrub for a variety of situations in the garden. It can be grown in full sun or in partial shade. The white, shallow flowers come out in May and will be visited by smaller butterflies and moths, as well as short-tongued bees and hoverflies.

Field Scabious is a herbaceous perennial with blue-violet flowers that attract a large number of pollinators. Likes full sun but tolerates partial shade.

Honeysuckle is a plant that will twine through a tree but needs some support to grow up a fence. This native climber is an attractive and sweet-scented night-time source of nectar through the summer months for Privet and Elephant Hawk-moths. It is also a foodplant for Early Grey and Twenty-plume moth caterpillars.

For more of Alan’s top tips for creating a pit stop for pollinators, you can download a free guide, at www.butterfly-conservation.org.

Scots encouraged to flock to their gardens for National Nestbox Week

It’s National Nestbox Week (14 – 21 February) and Barratt Developments Scotland is encouraging the nation to get involved with bird conservation from their very own gardens.

Garden birds need a safe place to raise their chicks, and it’s both fun and easy for residents to open up their gardens and give them a home for the season. Britain is in need of more nestboxes to help support bird populations, and National Nestbox Week aims to raise awareness of how quick and easy it is to play an important part.

To coincide with the week, Barratt has created an online nestbox quiz for homeowners to learn more about their feathered friends and how to make their own gardens wildlife-friendly for nature’s neighbours. Those taking the quiz are in with a chance of winning up to £100 in RSPB vouchers.

It comes as part of Barratt Developments Scotland’s, which includes Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes, commitment to supporting wildlife on developments and celebrating its national partnership with the RSPB.

Each entrant to the quiz will be able to learn more about a range of birds as they’re asked to match common species to the homes that suit their needs.

Estelle Sykes, Sales Director at Barratt Development Scotland, said: “We always try to give nature a home at our developments, creating new habitats as part of our long-term partnership with the RSPB.

“Alongside National Nestbox Week, hopefully this quiz can help get all generations involved in learning more about wildlife and nature.”

National Nestbox Week is organised by the British Trust for Ornithology and aims to encourage more people to help the birds by putting up nestboxes.

Anyone wishing to take part in the housebuilder’s digital bird quiz has until Monday 28 February 2022 to enter the prize draw.

With six prizes up for grabs in the form of RSPB vouchers, homeowners can make their garden inviting for birds, in addition to other wildlife such as hedgehogs, bees and butterflies.

To take part in the quiz, please visit: https://birdhousequiz.co.uk/.

When looking to place a nestbox in a garden, it’s important to find a sheltered, shady location, preferably facing north through east to south-east to avoid prevailing winds and strong direct sunlight. Nestboxes also need to be kept out of reach of cats and other predators.

There are many ways that residents in the country can help the birds in their garden, such as providing a regular supply of clean water by using a bird bath, providing nestboxes and putting the right bird seed out including flaked maize and sunflower hearts.

For more information about Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes, visit the website at www.barratthomes.co.uk or www.dwh.co.uk.

Edinburgh film-makers shortlisted in FilmG Gaelic Short Film Competition

Filmmakers taking part in this year’s prestigious Gaelic short film competition FilmG 2022 have been inspired by nature, environmental issues and the great outdoors – with many of the shortlisted films exploring these topics.

Many films followed this year’s competition theme Lorg, which means search, find or trace, it could even be interpreted as footsteps, with some shortlisted films exploring the outdoors, getting closer to nature and appreciating and protecting the environment.

Nominees have now been confirmed across 17 categories and all the shortlisted films are available to watch on the FilmG website.

The competition received 91 entries this year, which covered various different stories and current events, and the judges had a tough job whittling down the entries over multiple days.

On the environmental theme, eponymous Uilleam Uaine (Green William) is in Staffin to help the pupils to make the right choices for the environment, in a film of the same name which was written and produced by pupils at Staffin Primary School on the Isle of Skye. It has been shortlisted as the Best Production (Under 12).

And a film by pupils at Sgoil Bhagh a’ Chaisteil on the Isle of Barra called ‘Cosgais A Churaim’, (The Cost of Caring) which looks into the effects of disposable face masks on our environment, has been nominated for Best Documentary.

Dihaoinean airson Teachd (Fridays of the Future) tells the story of a scientist who wants to save the world with a potion she has invented to create an Eco Superhero. However, the wrong people keep drinking it!

Made by pupils at Craighill Primary School in Tain, this film has also been shortlisted as the Best Production (Under 12).

Gaelic Medium pupils at Oban High School have been nominated for ‘GOP 26’, which is about an environmental conference GOP26 taking place in Glasgow with leaders from all over the world making speeches, but one of the speakers mysteriously goes missing. The film was shortlisted for the quality of the spoken Gaelic throughout.

Several films explore the great outdoors including a film about hillwalking and scrambling as a way to get a new perspective on the world from beyond the cold, dark glens and high above the clouds.

Called ‘Thar Nan Sgòth – Beinn Eighe’ (Above the Clouds – Beinn Eighe) this film, made by Anndra Cuimeanach from Gairloch, has been nominated for Best Documentary and Best Young Filmmaker in the Youth Category (12-17).

Also in the Youth Category a film by Emma Rose Passmore from Harris called ‘Falaichte Ann an Roghdal’ (Hidden in Rodal) which looks at the secret history of Roghdal in Harris, has been nominated for Best Documentary and Best Young Filmmaker.

In the Open category a short documentary called ‘A’ Mhuir’ (The Sea) about wild swimming and the students at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in the Isle of Skye who take part in the sport, has been nominated for Best Film, Film Duthchais, Best Performance (Somhairle MacIain), Best Student Film and Best Director (Anna Garvin).

‘Am Buaile Dubh’ by Eòghan Stiùbhart from Inverness, which takes a look around Am Buaile Dubh on the outskirts of Inverness, has been nominated for Best Film, Film Duthchais (which translates as best heritage or community film), Best Performance (Eòghan Stiùbhart), Best Director and Best Script.

While a spoof of outdoor programmes called ‘Rachamaid’ by Ross Young from Inverurie has been shortlisted for Best Performance (Ross Young) and Best Student Film.

And ‘Eilean Lois’ (Lois’s Island) by Somhairle MacIain from Glasgow, which follows him and his girlfriend, Lois, as they cycled the Hebridean Way in the summer and he teaches her to speak Gaelic on the trip, has been shortlisted for Best Student Film.

This is just a few of an array of fantastic films by talented filmmakers, schools and community groups from across Scotland that have made it to the shortlists for the FilmG 2022 Short Film Competition.

Karen Elder, a journalist for An Là is a Scottish Gaelic-language news programme broadcast on the Gaelic-language channel, BBC ALBA, was one of the judges this year.She said: “It was a privilege to once again be a part of the judging panel for FilmG. There was a wide variety of films entered, from strong documentaries to comedy. It was no small task.”

You can watch shortlisted films on the FilmG website. FilmG is the Gaelic short film competition, funded by MG ALBA and delivered by Cànan Graphics Studio on the Isle of Skye.

The winners of this year’s prestigious Gaelic Short Film Competition FilmG will be revealed on BBC ALBA from 9pm on Friday, February 25 via a new, specially created, awards programme broadcast from Stornoway.

The show will be hosted by FilmG and BBC ALBA stalwarts Fiona MacKenzie and Niall Iain MacDonald.

For more information, www.filmg.co.uk

Shortlists:

Youth (Under 12) Category

Filmmaker	Location	Film	Category	Link to Film	Description
Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghleann Dail (Glendale Primary School)	Glasgow	Deiseil neo aindeiseil?	Best Film (Under 12)	https://youtu.be/JXLuSzXW0lk	Things go wrong when a group of pupils try and play a game of hide and seek instead of learning about it. Where did Penelope go?!
Bun-sgoil Achadh na Creige (Rockfield Primary School)	Oban	Lorden Bino agus Ned	Best Film (Under 12)	https://youtu.be/axhZ-LBu_yw	Lorden, Bino and Ned have told the dinner ladies at Rockfield Primary School that their food is not good enough and they will make school dinners better.
Sgoil Staffainn (Staffin Primary School)	Isle of Skye	Tearlach san Eilean	Best Film (Under 12)	https://youtu.be/eWOxlGeXD5E	Prince Charles visits Staffin
Bun-sgoil Dun Bheagan (Dunvegan Primary School)	Isle of Skye	Air Chall ‘s Air Lorg	Best Film (Under 12)	https://youtu.be/J_eMMxhCzrc	Will one young girl’s conscience help her do the right thing?
Bun-sgoil Thaigh A’ Chladaich (Sandbank Primary School)	Dunoon	Coignear Air Chall	Best Production (Under 12)	https://youtu.be/U2xnw4qEA5U	Five Children go to Kilmun on Halloween. Did they get away safely? They met a strange family – the Adams Family!
Sgoil Staffainn (Staffin Primary School)	Isle of Skye	Uilleam Uaine	Best Production (Under 12)	https://youtu.be/s4wPduOWU04	Uilleam Uaine is in Staffin to help the pupils make the right choices for the environment
Bun-sgoil Cnoc na Creige (Craighill Primary School)	Tain	Dihaoinean airson Teachd	Best Production (Under 12)	https://youtu.be/MDHwFPaTmVM	A Scientist wants to save the world with a potion she has invented – to create an Eco Superhero. However, the wrong people keep drinking it!
Bun-sgoil Ghlinn Urchadain (Glenurquhart Primary School)	Drumnadrochit	An Iuchair Draoidheil	Best Production (Under 12)	https://youtu.be/iQm8t4qOMGM	A student finds a magic key and brings it into class

Youth (12-17) Category

Filmmaker	Location	Film	Category	Link to film	Description
Parker Dawes	Ardnamurchan	Spies-R-Us	Best Film (Fluent), Best Production, Best Young Filmmaker, Best Performance (Parker Dawes)	https://youtu.be/yRN6I9rNduo	Seumas McGuffin, the best spy in the world and friend Iain stole a secret file from the most secure facility in Scotland. Here’s what happened.
Àrd-sgoil an Òbain (Oban High School)	Oban	GOP 26	Best Film (Fluent)	https://youtu.be/CtVGNy2PsSg	GOP26 is taking place in Glasgow and world leaders are making speeches. But one of the speakers has gone missing!
Àrd-sgoil Ghearrloch (Gairloch High School)	Gairloch	An Sithiche Mu Dheireadh	Best Film (Fluent)	https://youtu.be/zt9k4zzFTfg	The Gille Dubh, has lived in the Gairloch area for centuries.But after the laird had hunted him, he was not seen again … until he appeared in our own day
Finlay agus Calum Morrison	Glasgow	An Taigh-Òsta	Best Film (Fluent), Best Performance (Finlay Morrison)	https://youtu.be/ziIP9d-EUg4	Iain and Donald McRamsay explore the goings-on in the fictional village of “Ochanish”. There are some interesting characters staying there!
Àrd-sgoil Ile (Islay High School)	Islay	Easga Bhuidhe na Feidh	Best Film (Learners)	https://youtu.be/oARMiRNVzyQ	Is Easga Bhuidhe na Feidh as fearful as legend suggests? A group of Islay teenagers try to find out.
Acadamaidh Pheairt (Perth Academy)	Perth	An Amaladh a Chèile	Best Film (Learners)	https://youtu.be/2QHIWzyBXOQ	A small group of pupils leaves a classroom and see a poster offering a reward for the capture of an escaped llama.
Àrd-sgoil Tobar Mhoire (Tobermory High School)	Mull	Seumas Snasail	Best Film (Learners)	https://youtu.be/3gS9zxAlx7I	A young girl goes to extreme lengths to meet her idol. Is meeting your heroes ever a good idea?
Acadamaidh Allt a’ Mhuilinn (Millburn Academy)	Inverness	Flòraidh	Best Film (Learners)	https://youtu.be/h12m98PjC54	Can you ever be sure who you’re talking to when you meet someone online?
Àrd-sgoil Phort Rìgh (Portree High School)	Isle of Skye	Cuidhteas	Best Production, Best Performance (Iseabail MacRae)	https://youtu.be/rcEFfex-0v4	Three respectable wives in the Victorian Era plan a way to find independence from their husbands
Àrd-sgoil Loch Abar (Lochaber High School)	Fort William	Gàidsear Chreutairean	Best Production, Best Performance (Calum Stewart)	https://youtu.be/nZmPTyQF8IY	When there’s something strange in your school, who will you phone? Gàidsear Chrutairean (Creature Catcher)!
Àrd-sgoil Aird nam Murchan (Ardnamurchan High School)	Ardnamurchan	Beatha Iain Lom	Best Production	https://youtu.be/Rfq93GwOv_s	From birth to death- scenes from the life of one of Scotland’s best known poets.
Anndra Cuimeanach	Gairloch	Thar Nan Sgòth – Beinn Eighe	Best Documentary, Best Young Filmmaker	https://youtu.be/RScxxJ-3WGE	Sometimes we have to leave the cold, dark glens and climb high above each cloud. There we get a new perspective on the world.
Emma Rose Passmore	Harris	Falaichte Ann an Roghdal	Best Documentary, Best Young Filmmaker	https://youtu.be/ejf_w648ZVY	A look around the secret history of Roghdal in Harris
Keri NicIain	Inverness	Latha na Deuchainn	Best Young Filmmaker	https://youtu.be/bnzta6WQjLI	It’s exam day for the Gaelic pupils. This film picks up on the different types of student (and teachers) that you encounter during exams!
Sgoil Bhagh a’ Chaisteil	Isle of Barra	Cosgais A Churaim	Best Documentary	https://youtu.be/_0MUTOpstAQ	A look into the effects of disposable face masks on our environment.
Àrd-sgoil MhicNeacail (Nicolson Institute)	Isle of Lewis	Ceannairc	Best Documentary	https://youtu.be/hzLk-AyZRJQ	Twenty years after the 9/11 attacks, Nicolson Institute S3 students take a look back at history.
Sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu	Glagsow	Fo Bhruid	Best Performance (Shreya Saul)	https://youtu.be/J99RYIxIQlY	A group of friends have to follow a number of clues to find out what has happened to their missing friend.
Sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu	Glasgow	Murt Matamataig	Best Performance (Eylana McCormack)	https://youtu.be/GB_UQI3E7PE	When the maths teacher is murdered, it is up to the class to figure out who amongst them is the murderer.

Open Category

Filmmaker	Location	Film	Shortlisted for
Alina Brust	Edinburgh	An Taigh Solais	Best Film, Best Student Film, Best Director (Alina Brust)	https://youtu.be/EYN7y0ih9vY	A shepherd and her sheep are trapped in a strange lighthouse.
Innes MacLeod	Isle of Lewis	Cudaig	Best Film, Film Duthchais, Best Director (Innes MacLeod)	https://youtu.be/BNe8wEbmbIs	Cudaig’s life as a Coastguard volunteer.
Cursa TBh Sabhal Mòr Ostaig	Isle of Skye	A’ Mhuir	Best Film, Film Duthchais, Best Performance (Somhairle MacIain), Best Student Film, Best Director (Anna Garvin)	https://youtu.be/0VAitEe_uVE	A short documentary about wild swimming and the students at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig who take part in the sport.
Eòghan Stiùbhart	Inverness	Am Buaile Dubh	Best Film, Film Duthchais, Best Performance (Eòghan Stiùbhart), Best Director, Best Script	https://youtu.be/yeKqd4ak_0k	A look around Am Buaile Dubh on the outskirts of Inverness
Ross Young	Inverurie	Rachamaid	Best Performance (Ross Young), Best Student Film	https://youtu.be/oxjOk9mSy6I	A spoof of outdoor programmes.
Somhairle MacIain	Glasgow	Eilean Lois	Best Student Film	https://youtu.be/JLQZtS7A9QU	In the summer me and my girlfriend, Lois, cycled the Hebridean Way. Lois does not speak Gaelic but I try to teach her some on our trip
Comunn na Gaidhlig	Nationwide	Lorgan Caluim Cille	Film Duthchais	https://youtu.be/aJkvxxkSOlA	It is the 1,500th anniversary of the birth of St Columba. The Comunn na Gàidhlig team works throughout Scotland and seven of our Iomairtean Cànain (language initiatives) looked for local links with Colmcille
Marcas Mac An Tuairneir	Edinburgh	Crò-naomh	Best Performance (Marcas Mac An Tuairneir)	https://youtu.be/bfDLBEPTG3I	A film-poem by Marcas Mac an Tuairneir with the poem’Crò-naomh’ (‘Sacred Heart’)
Robbie MacLeod	Edinburgh	Lorgan	Best Performance (Robbie MacLeod), Best Script	https://youtu.be/iqY422knVeg	A film poem examining the things that go out of view, and the traces they leave behind them.
Clas Gàidhlig Chamelon	Falkirk	Làrach eucoir anns a’ Ghearasdan	Best Performance (Julia Gull), Best Script	https://youtu.be/R8xJpTJtuxo	A crime was committed in Fort William and the neighbours are shocked. A police officer narrows down the suspects to four people and interviews them.
Cheryl Heggie School of Dance + Sìne na Screen	Inverness	Thòisich e le Sreothart!	Best Script	https://youtu.be/IQ4yRWtaqbY	It started with a sneeze! The entries for the Highland dancers scatter everywhere and they end up in the wrong competitions at the Highland games

Cool runnings: unravelling the winter movements of basking sharks

New research has revealed that basking sharks overwintering in tropical waters off Africa experience cooler temperatures than those remaining in the Uk and Ireland.

The research, published in Environmental Biology of Fishes, provides evidence to challenge previous assumptions that their disappearance from Irish coastal waters was linked to their search for warmer waters.

The research team equipped four basking sharks with pop-off archival satellite tags off Malin Head, County Donegal to record water temperature, depth and location over a six-month period.

Basking sharks are a regular visitor to Ireland’s shores in summer months. It has been widely believed that basking sharks prefer the warmer waters and that their seasonal disappearance is linked to falling water temperatures.

Through the tracking devices, the research team discovered that two of the sharks travelled vast distances to the subtropical and tropical waters off Africa whilst the others remained in Irish coastal waters throughout the winter.

The sharks off the coast of Africa experienced colder temperatures on a daily basis than the sharks that resided in Ireland, suggesting that they didn’t move south simply in search of warmer conditions.

The cooler temperatures experienced off Africa resulted from the sharks diving each day to depths of up to 600m, most likely in search of prey.

Dr Emmett Johnston, Lead Author from the School of Biological Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast, said: “Our findings challenge the idea of temperature as the main reason for winter dispersal from Ireland.

“Likewise, further evidence of individual basking sharks occupying Irish coastal waters year-round has significant implications for national and European conservation efforts. Now we know that basking sharks are foraging at these depths, it shows that these habitats should be considered alongside coastal hotspots in future conservation efforts.”

Dr Jonathan Houghton, Co-author from Queen’s, added: “This study tempts us to think about basking sharks as an oceanic species that aggregates in coastal hotspots for several months of the year (most likely for reproduction), rather than a coastal species that reluctantly heads out into the ocean when decreasing water temperatures force them to.”

Co-author, Dr Paul Mensink from Western University, added: “Our findings highlight the need to understand the role of deep, offshore foraging habitats for a species so commonly sighted just a few metres from our shores.”

The international team will continue to monitor basking sharks as part of the EUSeaMonitor project to help inform and develop a collective conservation strategy for wide ranging species that have inhabited our waters for millennia.

Photographs: E. Johnston