Failte Gu Alba (Welcome to Scotland)
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Froglife’s newsletter - amphibians, reptiles & nature news e Issue 19 autumn/winter 2019 froglif Failte gu Alba (Welcome to Scotland) froglife Photo: Forsinard Flows by Craig Mackay Plus...Sir John Lister-Kaye : Natterjack Conservation : Species Champions Photo: Craig Mackay contents ‘From the CEO’: Kathy Wormald on the 3. Latest Developments Garden Wildlife Health (GWH) is a 4. John Lister-Kaye collaborative project between the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), Deepening and widening Froglife’s impact 6. in Scotland the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Froglife and the Royal 7. Species Champions Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) which aims to monitor the Fresh eyes, new perspectives: a personal 8. view of 2 year’s worth of change health of, and identify disease threats to, British wildlife. Green Pathways in Scotland 10. Visit www.gardenwildlifehealth.org 12. Nattering about Natterjacks to find out more Gartcosh’s great crested newts: 14. Scotland’s first translocation 16. Gartcosh Tunnel Monitoring Ten years of amphibian habitat work in The Froglife Board 18. Scotland Chair of Trustees: Inez Smith Adders in Scotland: their study and Vice Chair of Trustees: Prof. Roger Downie 20. conservation Trustees: Frank Clark, Richard Donoyou, Dr. Phil Wheeler, Gordon MacLellan, Dr. Silviu Petrovan There were always tadpoles... 22. Patrons: Kate Bradbury, Mike Dilger & Jules Howard 24. Miriam Ross CEO: Kathy Wormald 26. Come Forth for Wildlife contact us Species Champions: standing up for Froglife 28. Scotland’s wildlife 1 Loxley, Werrington Peterborough PE4 5BW 31. Wildlife in Winter fe Phone: 01733 602102 ogli 32. Frogalogue Email: [email protected] fr Design by Dr Victoria Larcombe Facebook “f” Logo CMYK / .eps Facebook “f” Logo CMYK / .eps www.froglife.org froglife @froglifers froglifers +froglife froglife Froglife is the campaign title for The Froglife Trust. Registered Charity Number 1093372 (in England & Wales) & SC041854 (in Scotland); Registered Company Number 438714 (in England & Wales). The views expressed in Natterchat are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of Froglife. To advertise in or to sponsor an edition of Natterchat please contact Kathy Wormald at [email protected]. Help us find dragons... Grab your phone, get your wellies, and go out dragon hunting this spring to help us map amphibians and reptiles. The new version of our free Dragon Finder smartphone app will help you to identify all the different amphibians and reptiles you might spot in the UK. You can also use it to record your sightings, adding to our Living Atlas of where the animals can be found. 2 Dear the wildlife tunnel monitoring that the Biodiversity Challenge Fund, supporters, we are doing at Gartcosh Nature alongside many other co-funders for Reserve. Fortunately, thanks to our Come Forth for Wildlife project, We have automated analysis, our staff do not we know that our work in Scotland devoted this have to analyse all 360,800 images will go from strength to strength. edition of our taken by each of the six cameras. Come Forth for Wildlife is a 4 year newsletter We also report on the excellent work project working along the Forth to Scotland. that our Glasgow Green Pathways Valley. More information on page 26. This has been for Life project is doing working with prompted by the fact that despite We will also be continuing with our people living with dementia. Scotland being renowned for its existing work including Glasgow number of species - approximately In addition to covering the ‘on the Green Pathways which has expanded 90,000 animal, plant and microbe ground’ physical work that Froglife is and is now also working with people species, alongside a complex mosaic doing we also report on the valuable living with dementia. More on page of habitats making up a rich and work of Scottish Environment LINK 10. varied landscape, it receives far less and how we contribute towards As always we must thank everyone funding, to protect its biodiversity, policies and legislation in Scotland. who has helped us to achieve than the rest of the UK. Scotland is We are very pleased to welcome so much. Without the financial home to internationally important Deborah Long back to the sector support of grant makers, friends habitats many of which are protected as the new Chair of Scottish and corporate supporters we would areas, as well as many protected Environment LINK and include her of course not have been able to species, and as such it should be blog on returning to the sector after improve those 253 wildlife sites or receiving much more funding to help a two year break. involve so many people. We also protect these. Chris McInerny has written an thank our volunteers for all the In this newsletter we are highlighting excellent article on the adders assistance that you give us, your the valuable work that Froglife has at Loch Lomond and it is very input is invaluable. been doing in Scotland. Over the reassuring to read that they are past ten years we have improved 253 faring well despite the high level of Kathy Wormald, CEO wildlife sites not only for amphibians human interference in the area . and reptiles but for a wide range of Thanks to a substantial grant from other species that share the same National Heritage Lottery Fund and habitat requirements. We report on Photo: www.mbwphotography.com 3 Sir John Lister-Kaye On Scottish Conservation An award-winning fact the 80,000 square kilometers of cooler climes conservationist, naturalist farmland, moorland and forest that that they can be and writer, John Lister-Kaye is comprise this country are home to found breeding also the founder and director an astonishing 90,000 species. In at an impressive of Aigas field centre in the conservation terms, Scotland is a 1,120m high Scottish Highlands. John has real hotspot. Some of Britain’s most on Ben Macdui in the Cairngorm held prominent positions in the endangered species exist only here. mountains! It is also home to RSPB, Scottish Natural Heritage, Despite several reintroductions the nationally important populations of The Scottish Wildlife Trust and great forest gouse, Capercaillie, is common toads and adders – both of other conservation bodies and is down to the last 1,000 birds all of which are declining rapidly elsewhere now running a Scottish wildcat which are in the Scottish Highlands. in the UK. At Aigas we are lucky to breeding programme at Aigas. Pine martens and red squirrels have have a healthy population of adders been pushed to the edge of their on sunny moorland edges, as well as I have run a field studies’ centre natural ranges with 75% of the UK’s ponds teeming with palmate newts in the northern central Highlands reds residing in Scotland. And The and common toads. for 45 years. Our core work is Scottish wildcat, now teetering on the environmental education for In spite of this impressive array of brink of extinction, is confined to tiny Highland schools, reaching some species, wildlife in Scotland is under patches of habitat in the North - if 7,000 a year, and adult programmes threat. Centuries of exploitation any true wildcats remain at all. Our on a wide range of natural history and persecution have left many wildcat breeding programme at Aigas subjects. We chose the Highlands species in a vulnerable position. The is helping to protect this charismatic because of its breadth of biodiversity. intensification of agriculture and cat. We watch and monitor wildlife all the forestry, as well as the development time and we have witnessed many Scotland isn’t just a stronghold and expansion of towns and cities is changes, some positive, some deeply for these large iconic species – fragmenting vital habitats. Climate disappointing. amphibians and reptiles thrive here too. Despite the colder climate, It should come as no surprise that Scotland has healthy populations Scotland is so incredibly biodiverse. A of Great crested newts, palmate complex mosaic of habitats form the newts, slow worms, common lizards rich and varied Scottish landscapes and even natterjack toads. Common admired across the world today. In frogs have adapted so well to these 4 Photo: Craig Mackay change is also beginning to take its toll. Driving changes in distributions and population sizes, the more variable and extreme weather is reducing the resilience of many species in the face of other threats such as invasive non-native species. But there is hope for Scottish conservation. Many organizations are working hard to reverse these human-induced declines and restore internationally important habitats. Only around 8% of the UK population lives in Scotland, leaving vast swathes of land, particularly upland, uninhabited. With better management and conservation input based on sound science, this land Photo: Michelle Branson could once again be a haven for Image above: Brora, one of our Scottish wildcats in the Aigas breeding nature. programme. I was dismayed but unsurprised to hear the results of the recent report on environmental grant allocations in the UK. The paper showed that Scotland receives only 5% of all the UK’s charitable trust funding for environmental causes, despite making up 32% of the our land mass. Just imagine the progress that could be made if this money was allocated more fairly. The world is changing very rapidly, not just as a result of climate change. There is a palpable grassroots movement to do better – much better. Organizations such as Extinction Rebellion, Climate Action and inspired young people such as Greta Thunberg are at last being listened to. It is incumbent upon Photo: Michelle Branson us all to come together, NGOs, government agencies and the general Image below: a froglet release at ‘John’s pond’ on the Aigas estate.