Land Report 2011-12
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ImprovIng habItats, encouragIng wIldlIfe Land Report 2011-12 www.johnmuirtrust.org The John Muir Trust is a Scottish charitable company limited by guarantee (charity no SC002061 company no SC81620). Registered office: Suite 1, South Inch Business Centre, Shore Road, Perth PH2 8BW Photo: Keith BrameKeith Photo: Contents 4 Ben Nevis Encouraging signs of recovery 6 Glenlude Preparing to re-wild 8 Li and Coire Dhorrcail Health of habitats improves 10 Quinag Supporting important species 12 Sandwood A mixed picture 14 East Schiehallion A popular Munro route heals 16 Skye properties – Sconser, Strathaird and Torrin A more natural landscape 18 Partnerships Better together Reports compiled by: Liz Auty Edited by: Susan Wright, Nicky McClure Design: Inkcap Design Photography: Keith Brame, Don O’Driscoll, Chris Goodman, Fran Lockhart, Sandy Maxwell, Lester Standen, Rory Syme, Susan Wright, Karen Purvis and Nicola Tyrrell Cover picture: Quinag in summer, Keith Brame ©2012 John Muir Trust 2 | Land Report 2011–12 Photo © Keith BrameKeith © Photo Welcome The John Muir Trust owns and looks after around 24,500 planting trees and cleaning up our hills and coastline hectares (60,500 acres) of some of the finest wild areas was invaluable. in the UK including Ben Nevis, Schiehallion, Sandwood Last year also saw many people completing a John Muir Bay, part of the Cuillin on Skye, Quinag in Assynt and Li Award on our properties, taking part in a range of activities and Coire Dhorrcail on the remote Knoydart peninsula. including camping at Sandwood, kayaking at Torrin, This report is designed to highlight the work we do on the clearing drains and silt traps on the Steall meadows path land we manage. The nature of that work – conserving at Nevis and tree planting at Schiehallion’s neighbouring and enhancing habitats and biodiversity for the benefit estate, Dun Coillich. They were just a sample of the of landscape, wildlife and people – is guided by our Wild hundreds of thousands of visitors engaging with and Land Management Standards which you can read online enjoying John Muir Trust land every year. at www.wildlandmanagement.org.uk. The Trust strives to engage as much as possible with Our land management is long-term work that will the communities that live close to its land to deliver be for future generations to gauge success. However, joint projects where possible. Our new Conservation we’re pleased to be delivering positive results across our Fund, designed to support local groups and people properties already. Regenerating tree seedlings at Ben with sustainable and conservation-minded projects, Nevis, and Li and Coire Dhorrcail on Knoydart, are an last year supported the building of a new stalking indication of habitat recovery, while flourishing water pony enclosure on Knoydart and solar panels on Elgol voles at Quinag and eagles on Skye suggest that wild land community centre on Skye. species are benefitting too. It’s not all good news, of course. To everyone who helped and supported us in 2011, Reversing centuries of ecological damage is a difficult a big thank you. Here’s to another year of taking positive business and inevitably constrained by the actions steps towards our vision for wild land. of others. We owe great thanks to our supporters who enable us to do the work that we do, and to our dedicated volunteers who make so much of our work possible. Last year, our conservation work parties were more popular than ever and Trust volunteers put in over 700 days of hard work throughout the year. Their help maintaining paths, Mike Daniels, Head of Land and Science Our wild land vision The John Muir Trust would like to see the majority of the UK’s wild land supporting natural habitats and species. We envision a diverse landscape of natural tree lines, sustainable numbers of grazing animals, rich flora and abundant wildlife. We see the wide open spaces, stunning views, fresh air and clean water that are so important to people’s well-being, being valued and protected. This is our vision of wild land management. www.wildlandmanagement.org.uk Photo © LesterStanden © Photo www.johnmuirtrust.org | 3 ben nevIs Encouraging part in Three Peaks Challenge events, helped our volunteers carry the bags down to the car park. signs of recovery The waste included the rather unusual find of almost 4kg of brand The sky’s the limit when working on the UK’s highest new 4-inch galvanised nails still in peak says conservation officer Sarah Lewis their original packet. We also found a tent and sleeping gear abandoned in the observatory ruins. We’ve been donning banana A lifetime would not be Encouraging signs costumes and talking to walkers long enough to thoroughly Our monitoring in 2011 showed some going up the hill about the effect know Ben Nevis, its glens encouraging signs. We checked and that organic litter can have on the and passes, and its limitless measured 63 tree seedlings and found environment. Banana skins are a pockets of tucked away wildness. their height had increased by 10cm particular problem and can take A powerful and intriguing place, it on average – a great positive result. years to degrade in the upland offers opportunities for action and This amount of growth is what should environment. There has been a great adventure as well as enchanting spots be achieved where grazing is having response so far to the costumes. of absolute solitude. little impact. However, with an overall Hopefully they’ll make our important Unfortunately, centuries of over- height average of 49cm, they still have message stick in people’s minds. grazing by sheep and deer have some way to go before they reach caused the decline and disappearance tree height. Community involvement of a host of habitats and associated Since 2008, the percentage of We began working with some new wildlife in the Nevis area. On top plots where red deer dung has been groups in the Lochaber area in 2011, of this, around 100,000 people visit recorded has reduced from 57 per encouraging them to get involved Britain’s highest mountain each year cent to 25 per cent. This is a good in the John Muir Award. These and this inevitably has an impact. indication that our deer control included Lochaber Outdoor Learning As well as maintaining footpaths, measures are working. Over the same Partnership and a collective of south removing cairns and collecting litter period, we have seen a small (but not Lochaber schools. We are also part from the summit, we work to control statistically significant) increase in of the local Institute of Outdoor deer numbers so that a range of heather height from a mean of 12cm Learning group, looking at how the habitats, including native woodland, to 14cm. We hope these trends will Award can be integrated further in can regenerate. continue through our management. the area. After a few years of really poor In 2011, West Highland College weather in July, the mountain ringlet used the John Muir Award as part butterflies had a better season. The of its HNC in Adventure Tourism Facts & figures adults only fly for about two weeks and Outdoor Pursuits course. in early July and last year we saw 21 Students spent two days discovering The John Muir Trust looks butterflies in the five transects that we the estate as part of their Explorer after 1,761 hectares (4,300 monitor. Award. George Watson’s College acres) within the Ben Nevis We also survey 12 plots to look pupils made their annual spring and Glencoe National Scenic at the health of juniper plants every pilgrimage from Edinburgh. Their Area three years. This year we found that help clearing the drains and silt traps Around 100,000 people visit the height and area of the plants had on the Steall meadows path is part Ben Nevis each year increased slightly, but there was no of the conservation element of their n The average height increase evidence of seed set or any seedlings Discovery Award. of tree seedlings last year in the plots. was 10cm Litter and bananas 21 mountain ringlet Four volunteer work parties helped us butterflies were observed collect rubbish and demolish cairns Staff and volunteers cleared throughout the year on Ben Nevis 20 bin bags of litter from the in 2011. We cleared 20 bin bags of summit rubbish from the summit, plus ten Sarah is currently working towards 10 carrier bags of banana carrier bags full of banana skins that her Level 2 Deer Stalking Certificate skins were collected went into our composter. Members and began stalking on the Nevis of the public, including some taking estate last year. 4 | Land Report 2011–12 “Each season on the mountain presents a stimulating look at nature, full of menace, boldness and change.” Sarah Lewis, Conservation Officer Photo © Keith BrameKeith © Photo Ben Nevis in pictures Wildlife spotting Going bananas Wild Writing No 4 gully marker CARE International Last year’s Banana competition The Trust opened a donated three camera Awareness Campaign The Trust’s Wild Writing consultation on the future traps to capture images encouraged people to competition drew close of No 4 gully marker and of wildlife on Nevis. take their litter off the to 400 poetic entries Coire Leis abseil post on Deer and foxes have mountain and dispose of it inspired by wild places the summit of the Ben. been pictured so far but in a new dedicated organic from primary schools The post was vandalised perhaps red squirrels and waste bin at the Glen across the Lochaber and had to be replaced wild cats will follow in Nevis visitor centre.