2019 Newsletter

Flowing to the Future THE FLOW

As with all projects, the Flows to the Future Project is coming to an end, but some of the things the project has been doing will carry on.

Hilary Wilson, our Learning Development Ofﬁcer, will be continuing to work COUNTRY with schools until the end of March 2020, funded by RSPB Scotland. As well as engaging pupils with the peatlands, she will be expanding her remit to cover the coasts and farmland landscapes of Sutherland and Caithness.

The Project has provided an advisory service on matters such as sustainable Pond dipping at the Flows Lookout, Forsinard grazing, deer management and peatland restoration. If you are interested in What makes the peatland restoration and there is a potential project you would like to discuss, you can contact Gearóid Murphy about the SNH Peatland Action scheme on 01463 725370/ [email protected] Flow Country Day and residential volunteering opportunities will still be available at RSPB Forsinard Flows for a variety of tasks Welcome to this final and activities, please ring Claire on 01641 571225. All welcome! newsletter of the Flows to the so special? Future Project, as the project Meanwhile, the Peatlands Partnership partners will be continuing with peatland restoration where needed, subject will shortly be ending after a to funding. They will also be looking at how further work can be funded to continue to spread the word and involve bHusye filvleo y!ears of activity more people in the Flow Country both locally and beyond. across the Flow Country. We’ve UNESCO World Heritage Volunteers at carried out lots of peatland Moine House viewpoint © John S Wright The Flow Country is a vast area of blanket bog A future World Heritage Site? restoration, done a programme which stretches across Caithness and of schools and community Sutherland, and is one of Scotland’s most events, built a field centre and The Flow Country World Heritage Site (WHS) Project is just emerging from important natural resources. But what makes it the Flows Lookout, as well as a very successful period of community consultation. We began with 15 so special? It is the biggest blanket bog in the putting in roadside information drop-in sessions across Caithness and Sutherland in May. It was absolutely world and the best of its kind, supporting points and much more. Find fantastic to meet so many people with a passion for The Flow Country and internationally important numbers of birds. out more in this newsletter and to gather a lot of very useful feedback. on our website. Looking for lizards at RSPB It is also special because of the peat. Peat is

Forsinard Flows r )

e We are hugely grateful to all made of up of dead plant remains that have In July we welcomed just short of 900 people to 3 big events in Lairg, Thurso & Inverness, featuring BBC presenters m p o a c p . Neil Oliver and Professor Iain Stewart alongside Bath City World Heritage Site Chairman Professor Barry Gilbertson. those individuals, community not fully broken down, meaning they retain carbon, locking it away in the s y l e d g

n groups, organisations, peat. Many peatlands have been growing undisturbed for thousands of years, a e i r m f

Over the next few months, we will submit a Technical Evaluation to the UK i businesses and contractors so although they cover just 3% of the world’s land area, they hold nearly 30% - y l l b a p Government, which will make the case for a Flow Country WHS. If successful, t who have worked with and of all the carbon stored on land. The Flow Country’s peat bogs alone store s n r e ( about 400 million tonnes – more than three times the amount in all of Britain’s m a full case will then be put to UNESCO. More info from: Joe Perry, Project y supported the project in any n a o H r

Co-ordinator Flow Country WHS. joe.perry@highland.gov.uk. i way. Thank you so much, woodlands. y v n d e n

without you it would not have n A

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t e t n i n have been as much fun! has declared a climate Thank You! i r o P p

It’s the end of the project, but emergency. Protecting

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v not the end of work in this and restoring the Flow

0 e 0 supported the project ﬁnancially. Each and every one has been important in i 2 Country peatlands is g special landscape. Keep 4

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l November 2019 F D 151 151 HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE events were held locally outreach visits to including walks, talks 35 schools and workshops, over Flows to the 4,000 attendees

SCHOOLS 4246 27 interactions with Future Project events were held Inspiring future generations school children across further aﬁeld including Caithness and COMMUNITIES in London, Edinburgh Sutherland 2014 - 2019 and Orkney

Learning about ‘The wonders of the “Well planned, organised Flow Country’ covering activities - children particularly volunt2eers7 we0re trained many different topics, loved the dragonﬂy making activity! and carried out conservation, linking to many parts Friendly and helpful staff make for a people engagement and of the curriculum 61 stress free experience for teachers!” ofﬁce work, contributing school visits to over 5500 days Forsinard Flows (Dunbeath School, Summer 2019) RSPB reserve 3 Lots of press I N T E R P R E TAT I O N museum and visitor coverage in local centre displays (Caithness and national newspapers, info1rmation & V I S I TO R Horizons, Strathnaver on STV, BBC, Radio 3, point at Museum and RSPB BBC Alba, Forsinain FA C I L I T I E S Forsinard Flows BBC Scotland, visitor centre) Radio 4

Lookout1 Tow er with 1 new1 website touring exhibition P E AT L A N D all-abilities boardwalk Forestry travelled to 13 UK £4.3 at RSPB Forsinard, open R E S TO R AT I O N furrows and carbon capture game venues, seen by free of charge at drains blocked over 1 over 150k million walki5ng routes spent with Caithness all times people signposted 4 1 digital model and Sutherland viewpoints with businesses 1h7ect4ares 7 information, seating and ﬁlm, all available parking: Cnoc Craggie, 1 on our website 837.4 new in1formation hectares of non-native Surveys carried out, Moine House (which also has booklet, available at tree removal on management guidance all-abilities walk), Crask hotels, tourist attractions deep peat prepared, and funding and Loch Rangag 2 and elsewhere across applications submitted for artists’ residencies, the area land managers across almost lots of visiting art students, 564 1 interactive installation in the hectares cleared Royal Botanic Garden of regenerating 75,000 Edinburgh with arthouse hectares (19%) of the non-native Cryptic: Below the Flow Country conifers Blanket