SUMMER 2019 / ISSUE 20

The newsletter of the Tweed Forum Cover image: Winner of the Beautiful photo competition (sponsored by Ahlstrom Munksjo), Gillian Watson’s image of the Tweed in autumn o NEWS

Tweed Forum Carbon Club

e are delighted to announce the launch of the W Tweed Forum Carbon Club. The Club offers the chance, as an individual, family or small business, to offset your carbon footprint by creating new native woodland in the Tweed catchment. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and by making a donation you’ll help to create wonderful new woodlands that will enhance the biodiversity, water quality and beauty of the local area and allow you to offset the carbon dioxide you use in your everyday life. Either by monthly subscription or a one-off donation you can help fight climate change and create beautiful native woodlands for future generations to enjoy. www.tweedforum.org/ tweed-forum-carbon-club/

Tweed Forum Director, Luke Comins (left), and Chairman, James Hepburne Scott (right), celebrating the launch of the Tweed Forum Carbon Club

Tweed Matters 1 o NEWS ‘Helping it Happen’ Award winners

Tweed Forum and Philiphaugh Estate improve water quality and create better were the proud winners of the habitats for wildlife. Funding for the ‘Enhancing our Environment’ prize at project was obtained from a variety of last year’s Helping it Happen Awards. sources including Peatland Action and the The awards, organised by Scottish Land Scottish Rural Development Programme and Estates, recognised our collaborative (SRDP). Carbon finance was also secured restoration of peatland at Dryhope Farm, from NEX Group plc (via Forest Carbon). in the St Mary’s Loch catchment. 161 This is the first project to be part-funded hectares (ha) of blanket bog were restored by corporate social responsibility through at the site, using a mixture of ditch the IUCN Peatland Code. blocking and peat hag re- profiling. The restoration work should help to buffer flash flooding events which can negatively impact fish breeding success, as well as helping to increase carbon storage,

Tweed Forum senior staff Derek Robeson, 2nd from left, and Hugh Chalmers, 3rd from left, accepting the ‘Helping it Happen’ award Nominations for the 2019 Tweed River Champion Do you know someone who has an enhancement of the River Tweed and the outstanding commitment to improving natural, built and cultural heritage of its the Tweed or the landscapes surroundings. D FO it flows through? If so, why EE RU The deadline for nominations not nominate them for W M is September 2019; for more the Tweed Forum River T details visit:

Champion Award. We are R www.tweedforum.org/

I D looking for an individual, V river-champion

R from the E A or North , R C W See back page to find from any walk of life with H A out who won the 2018 an outstanding commitment A N MPIO River Champion award u to the protection and

2 Tweed Matters o NEWS

STAFF UPDATE A warm welcome to Joe Taylforth who joined the Tweed Forum team in August 2018 to head up our GIS/mapping programme. With a keen interest in natural flood management, ecosystem services and river restoration, Joe has also been helping deliver several Tweed Forum projects, most notably the River Till Restoration Strategy.

What attracted you to Tweed Forum? During my GIS MSc dissertation I read a lot of materials relating to Tweed Forum, particularly the Land Use Strategy, and the Eddleston Water Project. The catchment-wide approach and range of projects really appealed to me.

What do you like about the job so far? I can think of many things, but if I had to choose it would be the variety within the role. I feel very fortunate to be able to combine mapping and data analysis with practical river restoration project work. I also value the opportunity to increase my skills and knowledge (there is an incredible amount of experience under one roof here) as well as the general working environment. It’s great to be living here in the beautiful Scottish Borders and working with such a collaborative team.

Can you explain to us what GIS is exactly? GIS stands for Geographical Information Systems. Essentially, it’s a computer-based tool that analyses, stores, manipulates and visualises geographic information, usually in a map. It’s a powerful tool which can be used for something as simple as mapping out where Tweed Forum have planted 600,000 trees over the last 20 years or as complex as a multi- layer decision-making tool to help decide where natural flood management measures would be best placed.

Tell us about your other roles here at Tweed Forum Well I’m not always desk-based! A fair proportion of my time is spent on river restoration projects, for example in the River Till catchment in Northumberland where we’re working with farmers and landowners to find sustainable solutions that benefit both the river system and people.

And when you’re not at Tweed Forum? Cycling, rock climbing, camping, drumming, exploring , or cooking in the kitchen!

Tweed Matters 3 4 Tweed Matters o FALLAGO

Tweed Forum is coordinating this important Fund on behalf of Roxburghe Estates and EDF Renewables Fallago Environment Fund

The Fund is marking its fifth Eagle Information Centre at Philiphaugh anniversary with a £1 million Estate; and the Border Union Agricultural milestone and has now supported Society’s annual Schools Countryside Day. a total of 58 projects, amounting The latest edition of the Fund newsletter is to £1,054,102. In the most recent now available online at the Forum website. rounds, the Fund has committed support towards improvements to the A-listed Gala Fairydean Rovers Football APPLY NOW! Stand; the Will H Ogilvie Anniversary The next round of Fallago Environment Commemoration, celebrating 150 Fund applications is open until 12 noon years of the Border Poet; a community on the 1st September 2019 (and the archaeological investigation of following round of applications due by 12 the Ancrum Mantel Walls site; noon on the 1st March 2020). The aim improvements to Burnfoot Community of the Fund is to enhance the quality of Gardens; restoration of the Union Chain life for local communities, and visitors Bridge; provision of instruments to to the Borders, through investment Hawick Brass Band; the Historic Heart in the protection, enhancement and of the Lammermuirs project, which will appreciation of the natural, built and protect and promote the archaeological cultural heritage of the Scottish Borders heritage of this important area; a new environment. Village Heritage Centre in Yetholm; creation of an Energy Advice Centre Apply online at www.tweedforum.org/ in the Selkirk Conservation Area; Kelso fallago. (Detailed application guidance notes are also available online.) High School’s River Tweed Pride of Kelso project; creation of a new Golden

Celebrating the £1 million milestone with some of the Fund’s Management Committee: (left to right) Luke Comins, Leanne Watson, Duke of Roxburghe, Debbie Playfair and George Farr Tweed Matters 5 o LAND USE STRATEGY - SCOTTISH BORDERS PILOT

We continue to fly the flag for the pioneering approach that the Scottish Government initiated nearly 5 years ago Keeping the flame alive

Progress on the second phase of intervention will deliver the most Scotland’s Land Use Strategy (2016– benefits) was one of the outputs of Phase 2021) remains frustratingly slow, 1 and is now used routinely in most however, Tweed Forum continues to Tweed Forum projects. Tweed Forum has champion its important contribution in hosted several encouraging meetings supporting decisions about land use. In with senior Scottish Government staff, our efforts to keep the Land Use Strategy but Brexit has paralysed all progress.

Upland land use is increasingly under the spotlight, with land managers considering alternatives to farming and now prepared to host other ecosystem services such as woodland and flood reduction measures

(LUS) to the fore, Tweed Forum is actively Of course the irony is that the LUS, promoting the principles behind it: in many ways, offers the solution - an enhancing nature-based services and the enlightened way forward for post Brexit delivery of multiple benefits. agri-environment policy in terms of Opportunity mapping (where a map targeting and incentivising different land combining multiple datasets shows uses; and getting the right measures, in clearly where a given land management the right place, at the right scale.

6 Tweed Matters o RIVERWORKS

Implementation of this long-term strategy is well underway

The River Glen in flood and switching to a new channel (avulsing)

River Till Restoration Strategy

The River Till Restoration Strategy, and sustainable solution that gives the now in its seventh year, is continuing river more scope to move more freely. to improve the condition of rivers in On the River Breamish, consultants the Till catchment. On the River Glen, cbec eco-engineering have designed a newly awarded Water Environment sustainable (‘green bank’) riverbank Grant will fund works to reconnect protection to safeguard a riverside the river with its floodplain and create road from erosion during high flows. new habitat. The Glen is a high-energy We intend to use two of these designs, gravel bed system with extensive flood both of which will be monitored over embankments and, in large flood events, time to contribute to the much-needed the river has a history of avulsions evidence base. Downstream, transverse (i.e., switching to a newly created hedges were planted on the floodplain channel), which impacts infrastructure in winter 2018 to slow the flow of and farmland. Tweed Forum and floodwaters. The hedges should protect partners at the agricultural land and minimise bank and Natural are working with erosion when floodwaters re-enter the specialist consultancy AquaUoS and channel. And, finally, Haugh Head ford local landowners to find an integrated on the Wooler Water continues to u

Tweed Matters 7 o RIVERWORKS

u represent one of the major fish of an inset floodplain upstream to reduce barriers in the Tweed catchment. the river’s erosive power; and a new The solution currently being explored footbridge and gravel ford, thus allowing includes the removal of the ford; access to migratory fish. regrading of the reach and the creation

Newly planted transverse hedges (left) should “slow the flow” across the floodplain, and reduce riverbank erosion where the waters come back into the main channel (right)

“Kingfisher” by John Girrity, runner-up in the Beautiful River Tweed photo competition.

8 Tweed Matters o HABITATS AND SPECIES

Tweed Forum are helping to deliver Scottish Natural Heritage’s Peatland Action programme by carrying out peatland restoration in the Scottish Borders Peatland Action In early 2018, Tweed Forum and Forest re-vegetate large areas of peat pans as Enterprise (now Forestry and Land well as re-profiling 2800 m of eroding Scotland) worked in partnership to peat hags. Gullied areas were also blocked restore 10 ha of eroding blanket bog with mineral soil bunds and a visit to on the summit of Peel Fell, adjacent to the site, a year later, showed the re- the Kielder Forest region. This was a badly vegetated areas have started to establish eroded site, with large areas of exposed and the bunds are helping to retain water peat and deep gullies, and we decided on the site, a vital stage in sustainable to use brash-spreading techniques to peatland restoration. u

Peel Fell peatland restoration: before (above); on completion of the restoration works: mineral soil bunds to hold water on the site pictured (overleaf); and 1 year after: the site is much wetter with standing water visible (overleaf inset)

Tweed Matters 9 o HABITATS AND SPECIES

Peatland Action (cont.)

u Moving into the summer of We also coordinated the re-wetting of 2018, Tweed Forum surveyed a three lowland raised bogs on the Rosebery further 650 ha of peatland on the Estate in Midlothian earlier this year. The Wemyss and March Estate, near project, which included 12,500 m of ditch St. Mary’s Loch. Having previously blocking and re-profiling, was successfully worked with the estate on blanket bog completed in late February. 3600 m of restoration works at Winterhope Moss peat hag re-profiling has also been carried in 2017, we hope to submit another out at a Borders Forest Trust site in the funding application to Peatland Gameshope Valley and we are currently Action, on behalf of the estate, for working on a second application, on behalf further extensive restoration works at of Borders Forest Trust, for more hag re- Winterhope and Chapelhope. profiling works further up the valley.

10 Tweed Matters o HABITATS AND SPECIES

BORDERS TREE PLANTING GRANT SCHEME This scheme offers funding for small-scale tree planting in the Scottish Borders

The arrival of Ash dieback disease in the UK WHO CAN APPLY? prompted a group of local organisations The project is open to individuals and to come together to promote the planting organisations who may wish to consider of landscape trees. This first phase of the hedgerow tree planting, parkland tree Borders Tree Planting Grant Scheme, which planting, orchard planting and small ran from 2015–2018, was so successful native woodland planting (less than 0.25 that a second phase was initiated (2018– ha), that will enhance the landscape and 2021). At the end of its fourth year, the biodiversity of the Borders and make a scheme is still proving popular and the positive contribution to public amenity. total number of successful schemes now sits at 173, with 24,479 trees planted. Two APPLICATION FORMS & field-based staff from Tweed Forum and FURTHER INFORMATION one from Borders Forest Trust continue The application process is online and to make dedicated site visits to advise on forms can be downloaded from the tree species and assess site suitability for Tweed Forum and Borders Forest Trust tree planting. The scheme is supported websites at www.tweedforum.org and financially by Woodland Trust Scotland, www.bordersforesttrust.org. Tweed Scottish Forestry, Quixwood (NTR plc) and Forum and Borders Forest Trust staff can Scottish Borders Council. give guidance and assist in the planting design and species choice.

Mature ash trees could become a landscape tree of the past

Tweed Matters 11 o HABITATS AND SPECIES

This project aims to create and manage wetland habitat for wading birds Borders Wading Bird Initiative

Using biodiversity offset monies that, over the summer, more farms secured by Scottish Borders Council, will come forward to participate in this the Borders Wading Bird Initiative aims important initiative. to create and manage 20 ha of wetland habitat for wading birds. With the offset Colin Strang Steel who farms at monies arising from NTR plc’s Quixwood Threepwood near Blainslie, is Wind Farm, Tweed Forum will be raising passionate about wading birds. Over awareness and encouraging habitat recent years Colin has put in several management within the target area - a 20 shallow ponds and scrapes, at his own km zone around the wind farm, situated in expense and with Tweed Forum’s design the Lammermuir Hills. expertise, to help wading birds. Colin The target bird species will be recently remarked ‘I spent a lot of time curlew, snipe, lapwing, oystercatcher last summer down at the ponds which and redshank; and eligible conservation Tweed Forum helped design. The highlight works will include a mix of wader scrape was being able to watch well over 100 creation, annual soft rush cutting and lapwing there. One day, I put up 12 snipe seasonal grazing management. Since the and 3 teal beside one of the ponds and launch of the initiative in early 2018 there it has been gratifying to see the return has been a steady number of interested of lapwing and oystercatcher this spring. farmers making contact but, unfortunately, The scrapes and ponds have been a huge not all within the right zone. However, one success and I am very grateful for all farm is now signed up and we are hopeful Tweed Forum’s advice and design work.’

Shallow ponds designed to attract wading birds, such as lapwing and snipe, at Threepwood

12 Tweed Matters o HABITATS AND SPECIES

Improving the management of protected wetland areas in the Scottish Borders Borders Wetland Pilot Project Last year, Tweed Forum was awarded for each cluster, to gain an understanding a Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) of site condition, relationship with the contract to undertake the Borders surrounding land, current management Wetlands Pilot Project, which aims to approach and also which pressures these explore options for an integrated approach (semi) natural ecosystems are facing. to protected wetland areas and wider Information on what kind of wetland countryside management. The project is management land managers are prepared looking at options for more sustainable to undertake has also been collected. site management, in partnership with land Discussions currently revolve around managers and others, so we can improve priorities and opportunities for wetland

Fen habitat, typical of the wetlands found in the area around Hawick the delivery of ecosystem services and management and whether letting some make better use of SNH resources and wetlands undergo ecological succession, agri-environment payments. Three or managing others to favour certain separate wetland cluster sites - one to the features, is appropriate. Hopefully, this east of Selkirk, one to the north of Hawick project will help create a platform around and one to the south of Hawick, have which to have future discussions about been the focus of our work. wetland management, at both the farm To date, we have collected a significant and catchment scale. amount of existing wetland information

Tweed Matters 13 o HABITATS AND SPECIES

The newly planted native woodland at Avenel Hill, Glendearg Farm Woodland creation on the Leader and Gala

Tweed Forum has been working with The result will be an improved farm Scottish Forestry to try to increase layout, with large areas of connected native woodland on the Leader Water woodland habitat; capturing carbon and and catchments. One of eventually providing shelter. Rainfall the farms which has taken the idea run-off will also be slowed down which of native woodland fully on board should reduce flood risk and buffer flash is Glendearg Farm, near . flooding on the River Tweed. Access has We have worked with the owner to also been improved, with special horse design a 48 ha Forestry Grant Scheme gates installed and existing tracks left application consisting of a series unplanted. Around 75,000 trees have been of wide strips of native woodland, planted, including oak, hazel, birch, rowan, connected to a large, bare hill top willow, alder, aspen and bird cherry. Parts (probably felled over 100 years ago for of the planting are adjacent to the Avenel the war effort). Hill SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) woodland, so wildlife should be quick to take up residence in the new woodlands.

14 Tweed Matters o HABITATS AND SPECIES

LADHOPE RECREATION GROUND

Tweed Forum has been working with the local people out into the countryside, as Galashiels Common Good fund to plant well as, perhaps, bringing more people to native woodland on their land at Ladhope, the town. Funding for the works has come with over 13 ha of new woodland planted from the Penmansheil Compensatory on the old top nine holes of Galashiels Golf Replanting Grant, administered by Scottish Course. The design is a result of extensive Borders Council. The new deer fences local consultation, with particular input are essential to protect young trees from from horse riders to ensure that gates roe deer, without the need for intrusive, through the deer fences are horse-friendly. plastic individual tree protection tubes. The area may also be part of a wider multi- The fence will be removed when the trees use trail initiative (pedestrians, cyclists are established and are safe from deer, hare and horseriders), which aims to get more and rabbits.

Tweed Matters 15 o HABITATS AND SPECIES

Tweed Forum is working with Borders Forest Trust to deliver the Woodland Trust-funded Borders Treescapes Project Borders TREE PLANTING TO KEEP RIVERS COOL Treescapes As part of the Borders Treescapes Project, Tweed Forum is being supported by the Woodland Trust to help tackle an effect Project of the most pressing problem of our time - climate change. Climate change The Scottish Borders has been identified can cause vulnerable and exposed as one of the Woodland Trust’s Treescape tributaries to overheat to the extent areas - an area where wildlife and people that fish die, with salmonids particularly will benefit from strategic, sustainable sensitive to these manmade increases in planting of new native woods and trees. temperature. On the Oxnam, Bowmont, Working in partnership with Borders Forest Glensax, Kale and Trust, we will be using integrated land and catchments, Tweed Forum will identify water management to reduce flooding holdings which are most at risk from and improve water quality. The increase in excessive summer river temperatures. native trees will also create a healthy and This provisional list of Tweed attractive, wildlife-rich landscape. subcatchments has been identified by Tweed Foundation, in partnership with Marine Science Scotland, who have been monitoring water temperatures around the Tweed catchment since 2011. Tweed Forum aims to plant a minimum of 50 ha in targeted riparian zones identified as most at risk from overheating. We have already selected a 17 ha site and hope to plant thousands of native trees to shade the river.

16 Tweed Matters o HABITATS AND SPECIES

Our long-term control of Giant Hogweed and Japanese Knotweed continues Tweed Invasives Project

We are now entering our 17th year The now extinct stand of Skunk Cabbage at Dawyck Botanic Gardens of catchment-wide control of Giant Hogweed and Japanese Knotweed Secondly, and not so positively, is the and the results of this multi-decadal astonishing persistence of the plants’ project are extraordinary. Firstly, and seeds and rhizomes, and the fact that we most importantly, the main stem of have found large stands of both species the Tweed has been transformed from ‘off the radar’ on some of the Tweed a heavily infested corridor into a state tributaries. Himalayan Balsam is also where it is now very rare to see either of becoming a real concern and, whilst we these non-native invasive plants in situ. have never had the resources to tackle However, we are increasingly aware of this almost ubiquitous non-native species, the need to guard against complacency we have been experimenting with a and to highlight that behind this “new bio-control that will hopefully reduce its normal” lies the vigilance and dedicated range. This ‘rust fungus’ was initially only efforts of all the people involved in the licensed for release in the English part of project – staff, contractors, farmers, the catchment, but it has now become landowners, ghillies, anglers, community possible to trial its release in Scotland and volunteers. It’s vital that support for we have applied for funding accordingly. the project remains strong if we are to American Skunk Cabbage has only safeguard the gains made over the last been discovered within the catchment 16 years. relatively recently, but rapid action has Tweed Matters 17 o HABITATS AND SPECIES

enabled us to contain it before spreading any further. A very large stand at Dawyck Botanic Gardens, despite being a noted Spring visitor attraction, was recognised by the management for the danger it posed and removed from the Gardens. In its place is an information board detailing the reasons for removing the plants and the need to remain vigilant against non-native invasive species.

Please keep reporting sightings to us at [email protected] Please include a photo and a grid reference, if possible. Flowering American Skunk Cabbage

Brian Turnbull’s wonderful aerial view of the Junction Pool (by Kelso) won runner-up in our Beautiful River Tweed photo competition

18 Tweed Matters o FLOOD MANAGEMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

Funded by Scottish Government, Interreg and SEPA, this project aims to restore natural habitats and reduce flood risk in and Eddleston village Eddleston Water Project

The flood storage pond at Kidston Mill. The pond is around 0.5 ha in area, and has around 50 cm of freeboard to allow for temporary water storage when the river upstream spills into it during heavy rainfall events.

Whilst large-scale investment in hydrology, ecology and morphology of practical works has come to an the Eddleston*. end, we are still managing to create This work is being supported via the further native tree planting, leaky Interreg-funded ‘Building with Nature’ pond creation and peat restoration (BwN) project, and whilst we are still in the headwaters of the Eddleston awaiting a really significant rainfall catchment using alternative funding event to ‘test’ the measures fully, there sources. However, the chief focus of the are still some conclusions we can draw. project is now on assessing the effects Significantly, the log jams on the Middle of all these practical measures on the Burn appear to delay flood peaks by over

* Assessment work is being carried out by Dundee University (hydrology), SEPA and APEM Ltd (invertebrate ecology), Forth Rivers Trust (fish ecology) and cbec eco-engineering (morphology) Tweed Matters 19 o FLOOD MANAGEMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

an hour and whilst the re-meandering measures have had little effect on Scottish Flood Forum members visiting the Eddleston Water Restoration Project in late 2018. The Forum have flood reduction, they have enhanced established a network of community resilience groups and habitat diversity, to a great extent, in also provide advice and training about how to protect your terms of pools and riffles. This has had home from flooding. a knock-on impact in the number and diversity of aquatic invertebrates and work is ongoing to see if this will have implications for fish populations. The BwN project has involved a good deal of coordination with our European partners, with Forum staff attending visits to Norway (see boxed section) and Flanders, as well as hosting a corresponding visit by the partnership to

the Eddleston catchment. The Eddleston Water Project continues to provide a hugely important education and awareness-raising resource and we have hosted visitors from SRUC (Elmwood College, Edinburgh University), SAC, the Environment Agency, the HydroNation programme, the Scottish Flood Forum, Bangor and Glasgow universities, and the Edinburgh Green Team.

Young volunteers from the Edinburgh Green Team were out in force in February, planting over 300 trees and discussing natural flood management in the Eddleston catchment

20 Tweed Matters o FLOOD MANAGEMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

BUILDING WITH NATURE IN NORWAY Tweed Forum took part in a scheduled visit to Norway last year as part of the BwN Interreg-funded project. In one site visit, streams that had been ‘restored’ as a means to prevent landslips were the focus. On the stream pictured below, in the Stjordal catchment (an important salmon river), the watercourse has been artificially raised where it was threatening to erode into sensitive clay deposits. The bed material (and 3200 pearl mussels) were then removed and the river corridor reinforced with rock for a length of 1300 m. The stream was then ‘reassembled’ on top of it with the original bed material. Two years on, the stream is recovering incredibly well and salmonid populations have increased.

Tweed Matters 21 o FLOOD MANAGEMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

This project will be creating woodland and wetland habitat in the upper Teviot and Ale catchments, respectively

New wildlife pond at Pinnacle Farm Teviot Woods and Ale Wetlands As part of the Langhope Rig Wind create habitat linkages, improve water Farm development, a biodiversity quality and help reduce surface water (compensatory) offset scheme was flow rates by planting new woodland. secured by Scottish Borders Council, Facilitated by Scottish Forestry’s via the developer SSE Renewables. Forestry Co-operation fund, over 45 Tweed Forum is working with the Council ha of riparian woodland was planted to increase native and riparian woodland across 5 separate land holdings. It is planting in the upper Teviot catchment hoped that, over the coming year, more using funds from the scheme. The aim farmers will explore the potential for of the Teviot Woods project is to help native and riparian woodland planting land managers use natural processes to opportunities. Running alongside the Teviot Woods project is a programme to facilitate pond and wetland creation within the Ale catchment. Open water is such an important habitat for wildlife that even relatively small farm ponds and scrapes can make a huge difference to amphibian species such as frogs, toads and newts. The aim of the project is to create at least eight wildlife ponds and, as of spring 2019, seven ponds have been completed and wildlife is already moving in and taking advantage of Riparian woodland planting in the Upper Teviot these new additions to the landscape.

22 Tweed Matters o FLOOD MANAGEMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE Project: Phase 1 Options Appraisal

Tweed Forum is working with SEPA be possible to restore the watercourse and the community of Biggar to assess to fence out livestock upstream of the restoration options on the Biggar town, and there is real potential for Water. A consultants’ options report re-meandering downstream. This would was considered at a meeting of Biggar make the river more natural, improve Community Councillors, South wildlife habitats and could be combined Council Staff and local residents in with improved access. Upstream works

A typically straightened section of the Biggar Water

November 2018 with the report showing could also reduce the risk of flooding that there was considerable scope to through the town. The next stage is improve the condition of the Biggar to have a closer look at the options, Water, both upstream and downstream including funding opportunities, and to of the town. Within the town itself, there consider the plan with a wider group at are few opportunities to improve the a public meeting. Plans are underway to watercourse as it is constrained between arrange this in the coming months. walls and buildings. However, it may

Tweed Matters 23 o TOURISM AND RECREATION

Mark Cockburn, CEO FishPal (left), and Luke Comins, Director, Tweed Forum (right) at the Tweed Forum nets generous FishPal/Tweed anglers’ donation

With the help of the online booking agent FishPal, the Tweed angling community have donated almost supporting the work of Tweed Forum. £2000 to Tweed Forum. Anglers The funding will help us continue to who arrange to fish through FishPal develop projects to protect and enhance can make a donation to one of its the Tweed catchment, many of which chosen charities and we would like are focused on improving the spawning to say a huge thanks to both FishPal and nursery streams of the Tweed which and the angling community for form the production powerhouse of the freshwater fishery.

24 Tweed Matters o OTHER NEWS Spreading the word – A national role in promoting Natural Flood Management

A key element of Tweed Forum’s Tweed Forum staff were very active over outreach programme is our educational the last year, hosting or giving talks at work. Over the last 12 months, for over 70 different events, including: example, over 200 students from various • presentations at conferences higher education establishments have • demonstrating our NFM catchment visited the Tweed catchment and the models at shows and education students have benefitted from learning events

SRUC students on a Forum-led field trip about the catchment-based approach to • hosting site visits for a variety of land management planning. Our natural policy and special-interest groups flood management and ‘sandbox’ models • school trips also remain a popular draw at various • international knowledge exchange agricultural shows. The Border Union and • organising community meetings, the Royal Highland shows, in particular, workshops and other stakeholder are invaluable in providing a high-profile events on a variety of subjects forum for sharing our NFM knowledge from riverworks to wider land use with both large and small-scale land management managers.

Tweed Matters 25 o OTHER NEWS Schools poster competition

St Boswells Primary School were the proud winners of our annual poster competition, announced at the 2018 Schools Countryside Day. The winning poster did a fantastic job of illustrating our theme of “Plastic Litter in our Rivers and Seas” at the educational event organised by the Border Union Agricultural Society for Primary 5 schoolchildren throughout the region. EDF Renewables kindly donated the winning prize of a £200 voucher.

2018 poster competition winners, Primary School

26 Tweed Matters o TWEED FORUM

Confluence Consulting is the external • Native woodland planting applications trading arm of Tweed Forum, providing and design plans: we can offer advice, a wide range of ecological and project design the woodlands, draw up the plan management services to both private and complete the forms and public-sector clients. Tweed Forum is • Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA): at the forefront of Integrated Catchment Ecology Section Management (ICM) and, over the years, • Surveys: otter, badger, water vole, we have built up a track record of working breeding birds, river corridor, invasive with land managers to achieve practical plants (Giant Hogweed/ Japanese works that deliver multiple benefits. Knotweed), Phase I Habitat All proceeds from the consultancy go • GIS mapping services towards the running of the charitable • Pond design and wetland management objectives of Tweed Forum - enhancing • Wildflower grassland and hedgerow the river and its catchment. Individually management tailored services are offered at highly • Invasive plant species (Giant Hogweed/ competitive rates and cover a wide range Japanese Knotweed) control of environmental services including: • Environmental project management • Agri-environment scheme applications: (including fundraising and project the entire process from initial on-farm development) visit through to completed application • Environmental education and training programmes

Tweed Matters 27 o TWEED FORUM Tweed Forum Funding

Due to the complexity and number of - Forest Carbon project funders we are unable to list all - Interreg Region Building with the contributing bodies in the relevant Nature European Regional Development Fund sections of the newsletter. However, the - Natural England following have contributed to Tweed - Northumberland National Park Authority Forum, and associated projects, over the - Northumbrian Water Limited last year: - River Tweed Commission - Roxburghe Estates - Ahlstrom Munksjo - Scottish Borders Council - British Geological Survey - Scottish Environment Protection Agency - Catchment Partnership Action Fund - Scottish Forestry - Clark Woodlands Trust - The Scottish Government - Dundee University - Scottish Natural Heritage - EDF Renewables - The Water Environment Fund - Environment Agency - The Woodland Trust - FishPal - Tweed Foundation and a large number of farmers and landowners

New Office

We will be moving office, just the down the road to Old Melrose, later in the summer. Our new address will be: The Dairy Steading, Old Melrose, Melrose TD6 9DF Telephone number remains the same – 01896 849723

28 Tweed Matters Tweed Forum Trustees and Staff

Tweed Forum is guided and supported by a board of trustees who give their time, knowledge and experience freely, and we are extremely grateful for their input. James Hepburne Scott (Chair) Simon Henderson Norman Howitt Jim Hume Andrew Brough Debbie Playfair Prof. Chris Spray

TWEED FORUM STAFF ARE: Luke Comins, Director ...... [email protected] Janet Landells, Finance/Office Manager ...... [email protected] Nicola Bissett, Project Officer ...... [email protected] Hugh Chalmers, Collaborative Action Coordinator ...... [email protected] Rachel Coyle, Project Officer ...... [email protected] Emily Iles, Project Officer ...... [email protected] Derek Robeson, Senior Project Officer ...... [email protected] Joe Taylforth, Project Officer ...... [email protected]

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If you would like to receive this newletter in digital format, please add your email address to our database: www.tweedforum.org/newsletter Tweed Forum River Champion Award The winner of our 2018 Tweed Forum Superintendent. Eric has an unrivalled River Champion Award, Eric Hastings knowledge of the Tweed and its (69), is a recently-retired river guardian tributaries the Till, Whiteadder, Teviot, (water bailiff) who has dedicated his life Ettrick and Yarrow. to protecting the River Tweed. Eric has Quite rightly, the story was picked worked on the river for 41 years, carrying up by all the local press, some national out tasks that range from apprehending press, TV and even made it into an poachers to carrying out fish monitoring American magazine dedicated to surveys and dealing with pollution charting Scottish life! Eric makes a fine incidents, invasive plant species, illegal addition to the worthy recipients of engineering works and obstructions in this award, which is given to someone the water. who has made an outstanding His career at the River Tweed contribution to the protection and Commission saw him develop an enhancement of the River Tweed and encyclopaedic knowledge of the river and the natural, built and cultural heritage rise to the rank of Chief Inspector and of its surroundings.

James Hepburne Scott, Tweed Forum Chairman (left), and Eric Hastings (right)

Tweed Forum, South Court, Drygrange Steading, Melrose, TD6 9DJ T 01896 849723 E [email protected] www.tweedforum.org

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