Natural Heritage Service Newsletter City of Edinburgh Council Parks and Greenspace Spring 2014 Spring is the time for change and there have been beginning to flower in West Park producing a a few changes in the Natural Heritage Team. beautiful spread and a welcome feast for Sadly we say goodbye to two members of staff; butterflies and bees. Work has been carried out Lee Rankin, who joined the team in 2012 is by a volunteer group to improve drainage in the leaving, and Susan Falconer leaves after nearly south west corner – this is ongoing. 20 years working in the Pentland Hills Regional Park then as part of the Natural Heritage Service. Steps just above Haugh Park have been She will be sadly missed not just for the immense refurbished by the Trust for Conservation knowledge she has of both the Regional Park and Volunteers on the River Almond Walkway. nature conversation but for her helpful and positive manner – we’ll all miss her cheery smile. Below is a picture of Susan planting up juniper cuttings at the Inch nursery with members of the Friends of the Pentlands and Balerno Ramblers. We wish both Lee and Susan well in their future endeavours. Volunteers on River Almond You may have seen these waymarkers appear on Corstorphine Hill. They mark the John Muir Way which runs from Dunbar in the east to Helensburgh in the west. It includes part of the Water of Leith Walkway and Corstorphine Hill. Some of the team potting on the cuttings at Inch Nursery WEST NEIGHBOURHOOD Cammo Estate There was a spectacular show of snowdrops in Cammo Walled Garden this spring and now the wildflowers planted by the Friends of Cammo are As you walk around the hill listen for the Green joined in a Magical Woodland Walk led by woodpecker’s call, this is called a yaffle. You can Rowanbank. also see nuthatch, jay, great spotted woodpecker, treecreeper and hear the chiffchaff singing on the south side of the hill. EAST NEIGHBOURHOOD Craigmillar Castle Park A new geocache has arrived in Craigmillar Castle Park – Big Brownie Birthday! See if you can follow the clues and find the cache. http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC51240_ big-brownie-birthday. PENTLAND HILLS REGIONAL PARK Springtime is when we start various wildlife SOUTH NEIGHBOURHOOD surveys, here is a green hairstreak surveyed in April and May in the Regional Park. Hermitage of Braid We held an event to celebrate the Hermitage Community Walled Garden project on the 14 May; this included representatives from the many groups and volunteers who made the garden grow, as well as staff, colleagues and representatives from Heritage Lottery Fund and Forestry Commission Scotland. We are now working on a management plan to continue and develop this amazing garden. A new stile was built to improve pedestrian access at Dens Cleugh. Path upgrades and drainage works were carried out this spring around the Scout Bridge. Harlaw A large corporate group from Lloyds TSB, including Alzheimer Scotland improved many SOUTH WEST NEIGHBOURHOOD areas within the Regional Park, this included path It was good to see 7 cygnets successfully hatch at improvement through Harlaw and Redford woods; Easter Craiglockhart Hill LNR, especially after drain clearing at Green Cleuch and meadow the loss of both our swans last year. management at Bavelaw. There were all manner of strange creatures in The Green Team’s Forest School cut back Colinton and Craiglockart Dell as local families encroaching trees on the Harlaw – Black springs path. Upcoming Events Please contact us for further details and to book a place Date Event Monday 16th June and Monday 30th June Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary Survey Threipmuir Thursday 19th June Burdiehouse Bumblebee Survey Burdiehouse Burn Valley Park Friday 20th June Seashore Survey Joppa Monday 7th July Meadows Yard Wildflower Survey Monday 21st July Hillend Wildflower Meadow Survey Tuesday 22nd July Cammo Wildflower Survey Thursday 24th July – Saturday 26th July Pentland Walking Festival Thursday 24th July Teddy Bear Adventures, Harlaw Visitor Centre Thursday 24th July A Historical Hike Swanston Friday 25th July Carlops History Friday 25th July Waterworks Threipmuir Saturday 26th July The Ridge Flotterstone Love Parks Week 25th July – 3rd August Tuesday 29th July River Almond and Cammo Estate Walk Thursday 30th July Hermitage of Braid Wildflower Meadow Survey Monday 4th August Bavelaw Wildflower Meadow Survey Monday 11th August Burdiehouse Wildflower Survey Monday 18th August Craigmillar Wildflower Survey Friday 22nd August Craiglockhart Hill LNR Wildflower Survey Who to contact You will find us based at the Hermitage of Braid, drop in or give us a phone if you have any questions; 0131 529 2401 Jenny Hargreaves Acting Natural Heritage Service Manager Susan Dickson Senior Natural Heritage Officers - Interpretation and Communication Natural Heritage Officers Martin Duncan Cramond Foreshore & Ravelston Woods LNR; CEC Access Officer (50%) and woodland Victor Partridge River Almond, Hillend and Harperrig; Biodiversity and volunteering (PHRP) David Kyles Craiglockhart Hills and Corstorphine Hill LNR; Estate, landscape and conservation Paula Newton Bonaly, Harlaw and Meadows Yard LNR; Interpretation and communication Caroline Paterson Water of Leith Walkway, Colinton and Craiglockhart Dells; Scottish Outdoor Access Code and signage Velda Weir Flotterstone and Craigmillar; Recreation and community engagement Jessica Morgado Hermitage of Braid and Blackford Hill LNR; Volunteering (City) Gwen Stewart Administration Officer Mike Wyzgowski Estate Worker .