Love wild flowers? Events for 2016 Join Plantlife for as little as £3 a month and support our vital conservation work

Find out more and join at www.plantlife.org.uk/support_us or call 01722 342730 Be inspired by Scotland’s wild flowers and plants Earlsferry, ©Seona Anderson/Plantlife

We are Plantlife Wild flowers and plants play a fundamental role for wildlife, and their colour and Welcome... character light up our landscapes. But without our help and partnership work, this priceless natural heritage is in danger of being lost. ... to a packed 2016 of Plantlife is the charity that speaks up for Scotland’s wild flowers, plants and fungi. fascinating events for all ages From the open spaces of our nature reserves to the corridors of Holyrood, we’re and skills. As always, we’re here to raise their profile, celebrate their beauty and protect their future. looking forward to meeting you Join us in enjoying the very best that nature has to offer all – familiar faces and new Scotland’s countryside supporters alike – and what Save it with flowers better place than Chatelherault, where we’ll be holding our biennial Members’ and Friends’ Day in October. There, you can www.plantlife.org.uk/scotland meet the team, find out what we’ve been up to and what you Plantlife Scotland Balallan House, Allan Park, Stirling, FK8 2QG could do too (see page 8). Tel: 01786 478509/479382 Email: [email protected] Last March, we launched the new National Plant Monitoring Scheme Patron: The Duke of Rothesay (NPMS) to measure how our native plants Follow us on Facebook – Plantlife Scotland and their habitats are faring across the If you’d like to donate to Plantlife, Twitter @PlantlifeScot UK. Thank you to all those volunteers become a member or support us in who took part last year and to everyone other ways, go to www.plantlife.org.uk/ Sign up for our monthly Scotland Enewsletter – go to www.plantlife.org.uk else, please get involved! In 2016, we’re support_us to find out more. And go to and click the Keep Updated button at the top of the page. looking particularly for people willing to pages 4–9 to find out more about our Don’t forget to select the Scotland Enews option on the sign-up page visit the more remote parts of Scotland, 2016 walks and events, and page 11 for in order to receive details about activities in Scotland. so if you’d like to get involved, sign up to other ways you can get involved. We look the survey (see page 9). forward to seeing you in 2016! www.plantlife.org.uk Plantlife is a charitable company limited by guarantee, Company No.3166339. Registered in England and Wales, In October, we launched our new Celtic Best wishes Charity No.1059559. Registered in Scotland, Charity No. SCO38951. rainforest project. We’re helping outdoor Plantlife, 14 Rollestone Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP1 1DX education centres, schools and local Tel: 01722 342730 communities to learn more about our ©Plantlife, March 2016 internationally important rainforests, ISBN: 978-1-910212-27-1 which grow in very few other places in the Cover photograph: Yellow iris (Iris pseudoacorus) at Loch Lomond ©Malcolm Hamilton world. Come with us to meet the ghillie Printed by Acanthus Press, Somerset dhu, a forest sprite who lives in the Celtic Deborah Long Design: rjpdesign.co.uk rainforests and protects them fiercely Head of Plantlife (see page 10). Scotland

2 Plantlife Scotland Events 2016 Plantlife Scotland Events 2016 3 BSBI workshop: day workshop. We are Identifying wild grateful for the support of How to book flower families Cairngorms National Park Please book all walks Events 2016 Saturday 4 June, Authority and and workshops in 10am–4.30pm Charitable Trust. Details, advance. Unless BSBI workshop: Reserve, Tayvallich, Park, Roslin, Midlothian Abriachan Woodland page 9. otherwise stated, Identifying wild Argyll Find out how you can Centre, Loch Ness email scotland@ flower families Join Plantlife Scotland, take part in this wild Details as for the Saturday National Plant plantlife.org.uk Saturday 7 May, Kilmartin House Museum plant survey, the National 7 May workshop. Monitoring Scheme. Alternatively 10am–4.30pm and Scottish Natural Plant Monitoring Scheme Free introductory phone 01786 478509 Glencoe NTS Visitor Heritage on a free walk (NPMS), at this free one-day National Plant training day for more details or to Centre as we discover the world- workshop. Details, page 9. Monitoring Scheme. Sunday 5 June, book a place.

Learn how to identify wild renowned bryophyte (moss Photograph ©Abbotsford Trust Free introductory 10am–3.30pm flowers by studying the and liverwort) flora of this training day Abernethy Nethybridge Events are open to families they belong to. Led internationally important Saturday 4 June, Outdoor Centre, everyone and are by Dr Faith Anstey of BSBI. Atlantic woodland. We’ll 10am–3.30pm Nethybridge, free of charge, unless Fee £25 (£17 students) look at this overlooked Glen Tanar, Aboyne, Inverness-shire otherwise stated, but covers training materials, group of plants and learn Aberdeenshire Find out how you can donations to Plantlife including a pocket guide to why they occur in such Find out how you can take part in this wild are welcome. If you wild flower families. Each abundance here, and we’ll take part in this wild plant survey, the National have any special workshop is followed by introduce you to some of plant survey, the National Plant Monitoring Scheme requirements, please an optional free half-day the species that only occur Plant Monitoring Scheme (NPMS), at this free one-day mention these when field meeting. For more in these west coast woods. (NPMS), at this free one- workshop. Details, page 9. booking. Children

information or to book a Walk led by Stan Phillips, Photograph ©Deborah Long/Plantlife under 16 should place, contact Liz Lavery SNH Operations Officer. National Plant be accompanied by on 01577 840645 or email Monitoring Gardening an adult. [email protected]. BSBI workshop: Scheme. Scotland 2016 Shows: Admission co.uk Identifying wild Free introductory Friday 3–Sunday charges apply, except flower families training day 5 June, to show volunteers. Mosses and Saturday 21 May, Saturday 28 May, Ingliston, Edinburgh liverworts in the 10am–4.30pm 10am–3.30pm Come to meet us at Celtic rainforest Logiekirk Hall, Stirling Abbotsford, Melrose, the biggest gardening Sunday 15 May, 2–4 pm Details as for the Saturday Roxburghshire show in Scotland, in Taynish National Nature 7 May workshop. Find out how you the Living Garden can take part in this zone, where you can learn about wildlife gardening, National Plant wild plant survey, see the One Planet Picnic Gardens, and join in daily Monitoring Scheme. the National Plant workshops or the Wildlife Gardening Question Time in the Free introductory Monitoring Scheme RHS theatre. Tickets from £14 – more information at training day (NPMS), at this free www.gardeningscotland.com If you’d like to help out Sunday 22 May, one-day workshop. on the Plantlife stand (free entry to the show for the day), 10am–3.30pm Details, page 9. contact us to find out more. Roslin Glen Country

4 Plantlife Scotland Events 2016 Plantlife Scotland Events 2016 5 Events 2016 Events 2016 Kindrogan FSC ©Kindrogan Field Studies Council Lesser butterfly-orchid ©Deborah Long/Plantlife Farming for wild flowers Visit a wildlife-rich farm in Dumfriesshire Saturday 2 July, 2–4pm Williamwood Farm, near Lockerbie, Dumfries & Galloway Celebrate National Meadows Day with a free visit to Williamwood Farm in Dumfriesshire. Here, flower-rich grasslands, woodlands and a small loch are managed for biodiversity as part of a 300-acre working farm run by Michael and Shirley Clarke, Scottish winners of the RSPB Nature of Farming award 2013. National Plant Monitoring Scheme. Free introductory training day Wild plants on Ben Vrackie Sunday 12 June, 10am–3.30pm Saturday 9 July, 10am–4pm Kindrogan Field Studies Centre, Enochdhu, Ben Vrackie, near Pitlochry, Perthshire Blairgowrie, Perthshire Join Plantlife and local botanist Martin Robinson on this Wild flowers Find out how you can take part in this wild plant survey, One-flowered wintergreen free walk to explore the diversity of mountain plants on (Moneses uniflora) around Loch Leven the National Plant Monitoring Scheme (NPMS), at ©Andrew Gagg/Plantlife the lower slopes of Ben Vrackie. Look out for the native Saturday 11 June, this free one-day workshop. We are grateful for the currant Ribes alpinum; brown bog-rush (Schoenus 10am–4pm support of the FSC’s Tomorrow’s Biodiversity Project. Native pinewood ferrugineus), moved here from Loch Tummel when Loch Leven National Details, page 9. wild flowers in the dam was created but now thriving and spreading; Nature Reserve, Sutherland and a full range of moorland species, including lesser Wild flower walk The Royal Highland Saturday 25 June, twayblade, the clubmoss Lycopodium annotinum, The shores of Loch Leven at Edinburgh Zoo Show 2016 10am–4pm the horsetail Equisetum pratense and the sedge Carex host a wealth of plant Tues 14 June, 2–4.30pm Thursday 23– Balblair Wood, Loch diandra (growing at its highest British altitude). life, including many that Edinburgh Friday 24 June Fleet NNR/SWT Note: The walk requires a good level of general fitness. are locally, nationally or Discover the zoo’s wild Ingliston, Edinburgh Reserve, near Golspie, internationally rare, such flower habitats. Cost £7.50 Plantlife will be at the Sutherland Schiehallion ©Liz Auty/John Muir Trust as early marsh-orchid, (includes entry to the zoo Royal Highland Show in Balblair Wood by Loch Plants and habitats of lesser butterfly-orchid, before and after the walk). the RSPB marquee. Tickets Fleet is a mixture Schiehallion holy-grass and Salix Contact Plantlife to book from £19 – more info at of surviving and Guided Plantlife and John Muir viminalis (the willow a place, but pay entry fee www.royalhighlandshow.org regenerated native Trust walk for hill walkers used for cricket bats!). on the day. Led by Davie If you’d like to help pine woodland. Join Saturday 6 August, 10am–6pm, This free walk is led by Black of Plantlife Scotland. out on the Plantlife Reserve project officer Schiehallion, Perthshire local botanist Liz Lavery, stand (free Glen Campbell and local A walk for experienced hill walkers, who would like to who will also be at the BSBI workshop: entry to the botanist Brian Ballinger find out more about the wild plants on the hills. An SNH Burleigh Day at Identifying wild show for the on a free walk to explore introduction to some of the more common upland Loch Leven on Sunday flower families day), contact the plants that thrive in plants and the habitats they grow in. This free walk is 12 June, where you can Saturday 18 June, us to find out this habitat, including led by Davie Black (Plantlife) and Dr Liz Auty (JMT), and find out more about 9.30am–4pm more. twinflower, one-flowered accompanied by a qualified mountain leader. Plantlife and the flowers Dundee Botanic Gardens wintergreen and Note: A good level of hill fitness is required; the walk will of Loch Leven. Details as for the Saturday creeping lady’s-tresses. cover 10km and involve 730 metres of ascent. 7 May workshop.

6 Plantlife Scotland Events 2016 Plantlife Scotland Events 2016 7 Events 2016 Events 2016 Chatelherault photograph ©South Lanarkshire Leisure & Culture; parsley-leaved pasqueflower ©Jim Jermyn Photograph ©Malcolm Hamilton Dundee Flower & Food Festival 2016 2016 Plantlife Scotland Fri 2–Sun 4 September Members’ and Friends’ Day Camperdown Country Saturday 29 October, Chatelherault Country Park, Park, Dundee near Hamilton, South Lanarkshire Plantlife makes a return visit to Dundee for the Join us at Chatelherault Flower & Food Festival. Country Park for our 2016 Tickets from £9 – more info Members’ and Friends’ Conservation of at www.dundeeflower Day. We’re delighted to Celtic rainforest andfoodfestival.com Come welcome horticultural lichens to visit us while you’re at the consultant and Show Saturday 12 show or why not help out Manager of Gardening Scotland Jim Jermyn as our November, on the stand for a couple guest speaker. Jim will be speaking on Northern Italy 10.30am–3.30pm of hours in exchange for a and the Dolomites – a Gardener’s Paradise. During Glen Creran (FCS), free day pass to the show? the morning, there’ll be Creagan, near Appin, Contact us to find out more. updates about Plantlife’s Argyll

Wood blewit and false chanterelle ©Jill Williams/Plantlife work in Scotland and Learn about recent elsewhere, a chance to research on the National Plant Monitoring Scheme catch up with fellow important lichens that This is a UK-wide volunteer survey now in its second members and friends, live in the Atlantic year. The NPMS is a partnership of the BSBI, the and to ask us about the woodlands of Glen Biological Records Centre (within the Centre for Ecology work we do. After lunch in Creran. This free guided & Hydrology), JNCC and Plantlife. It aims to collect data the Duke of Hamilton’s banqueting suite, there’ll walk gives you the to provide an annual indication of changes in plant Fungi drop-in days be a choice of indoor and outdoor workshops/talks: chance to see the abundance and diversity. The survey is easy to do and Saturday 8 & Sunday l Historical walk around Chatelherault Country Park. work being carried out fun to take part in – anyone interested in nature who can 9 October, 1–4pm l Lichen workshop looking at the rich lichen there and allows you a identify plants, or who is keen to learn, can get involved. John Hope Gateway communities around the Country Park. Led by Sally closer look at the lichen Volunteers receive a survey pack including identification at the Royal Botanic Eaton (lichenologist and co-presenter of the 2013 species in the forest. The book, map, survey sheet and guidance notes. Garden Edinburgh Channel 4 series Wild Things). day will focus on one Discover the mysterious l Illustrated talk: Medicinal Plants in Nepal. Deborah area of ancient rainforest Free one-day survey workshops world of fungi and Long, Head of Plantlife Scotland, talks about her 2014 and one ex-plantation Plantlife Scotland are running free one-day introductory celebrate UK Fungus sabbatical with the Ethnobotanical Society of Nepal, site under restoration, NPMS workshops at venues around Scotland in 2016 – Day with Plantlife accompanied by a stunning slide show from her trip. with a 5km drive see specific dates in the events listing for details. You Scotland and the British l Printmaking workshop. Take inspiration from the between the two. Led by don’t have to be taking part in the NPMS in order to Mycological Society. natural world and design your own lino-cut prints to lichenologist Sally Eaton attend – come along to find out what the survey entails, There are activities for make greetings cards. Led by artist Liz Crombie. – no previous knowledge including the chance to set up practice survey plots. children and adults, and Cost for the day is £20 including lunch, teas and coffees is needed. fungi walks around the (£25 for non-members). For more info or to book a Find out more about taking part in the NPMS, at grounds of the Botanic place, go to www.plantlife.org.uk/shop, email scotland@ www.npms.org.uk, where you can also download PDF Gardens. Entry free. plantlife.org.uk or call 01786 478509. versions of all the survey booklets.

8 Plantlife Scotland Events 2016 Plantlife Scotland Events 2016 9 Secrets of the Get involved Celtic rainforest Photograph ©Jill Williams/Plantlife There are lots of vulnerable plants. We The Celtic rainforests on Scotland’s Atlantic coast ways you can help use simple techniques are not only green, magical places steeped in us save our precious to monitor the plants and their habitats, but folklore, they’re also internationally important for wild plants... the diversity of mosses, liverworts and lichens that botanical expertise is not festoon the trees and boulders necessary – we’ll provide Help at a show you with any training Tree lungwort, deceptive by habitat fragmentation Forestry Commission Why not join us on the you need. Contact davie. featherwort, yellow and the impact of Scotland, John Muir Plantlife stand and take [email protected] specklebelly, slender invasive rhododendron. Trust, National Trust for advantage of free entry to find out more or visit mouse-tail and octopus Worldwide, these Scotland, and supported to a show? You don’t the Plantlife Scotland suckers... The names temperate rainforests are by Heritage Lottery have to be an expert – webpages – go to of these plants are just even rarer than tropical Fund and Scottish our volunteers chat to experience is required Things to do/Volunteer/ as enchanting as the rainforests, so it is critical Natural Heritage. We are visitors, tell them about – we’ll provide the Flora Guardians. forests themselves! to ensure a future for this increasing awareness and Plantlife and help with presentation and can Many of these species habitat and its species conservation efforts for activities. Events in even match you up with Fundraise are restricted in their by reconnecting habitat this habitat, by engaging 2016 include Gardening a group to talk to. It’s There are many ways distribution, with the fragments, increasing with local communities Scotland, the Highland a great way to inspire you can fundraise for Atlantic woodlands species populations and and land managers; and Show, the Dundee people, and learn some Plantlife: use ‘Everyclick’ forming an important raising awareness of their creating opportunities Flower & Food Festival, fascinating facts about or ‘Give as you Live’ to stronghold for them. international importance. to learn about, monitor, and fungi drop-in days our wild plants and fungi. raise money each time manage and – crucially – at the Royal Botanic you shop online or browse Today, these rainforests The ‘Secrets of the Celtic enjoy and value this rare Garden Edinburgh. Count wild flowers the internet; send flowers and the species within rainforest’ is a Plantlife and bewitching habitat Help us monitor wild with charityflowers.co.uk; them remain largely Scotland project, working for generations to come. Publicise Plantlife... plants across the UK. or ask your local library or unknown and forgotten, with Ardroy Outdoor ...at your local event. We need to know how garden centre to display and are now threatened Education Centre Trust, Discover the wonders of We will supply a free they’re faring and you our leaflets. For these and Tileworks Trail, Argyll ©Bill Baillie the Celtic rainforest by Plantlife Roadshow can help by taking part other fundraising ideas, joining us on one of our Toolkit. Tailor-made to in the National Plant go to www.plantlife.org. rainforest walks. Visit our your event, it includes Monitoring Scheme. uk/support_us and click webpage to find out where a tablecloth, leaflets, Details, page 9. on Fundraise. you can enjoy your own posters and stickers. rainforest exploration: Become a Flora Why not find out www.plantlife.org.uk/ Give a talk Guardian more? secrets-of-the-celtic- Would you like to give Our conservation scotland@plantlife. rainforest a talk about Plantlife’s volunteers keep a org.uk work? No previous watchful eye on 01786 478509

10 Plantlife Scotland Events 2016 Plantlife Scotland Events 2016 11