Wowee, are we DELIGHTED with our new interpretation board at Barrier 4 beach in Burray, Orkney. This popular beach is home to a vast array of wildlife, so knowing how we can enjoy this space while looking out for the birds, plants, bees (and more!) that live here is so important. To help visitors to Barrier 4 do just that, we’ve produced this fabulous sign!
Terning the Tide
For the last four years between April and July, the Species on the Edge ‘Terning the Tide’ project has displayed tern signs at important nest sites across Orkney, raising awareness and preventing disturbance of adult terns, nests, eggs and chicks. As our programme now nears its end, we’re delighted to provide a permanent sign at Barrier 4 beach – a special site for four of our nine Orkney ‘species on the edge’: little tern, Arctic tern, oysterplant and great yellow bumblebee – as well as other ground nesting birds such as ringed plover and oystercatcher.
A big thank you goes to everyone who contributed – our SotE Orkney team, local designer Kerry Cooper, Burray and Hope Primary Schools, little tern warden volunteer Nicki, and local artist and Species on the Edge volunteer Sarah. Thanks also goes to Orkney Islands Council for their support in getting the sign in place, and as always The National Lottery Heritage Fund and all National Lottery players for the funding to make our work possible.
“it’s nice to feel I’ve contributed creatively to the efforts to help protect this special local environment”
Let’s hear from some of the fabulous people who made this sign possible 👇
SotE Orkney People Engagement Officer, Sam, said: “Our new interpretation board encourages visitors to spend time listening, looking and taking moments to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature here. You can also read more about the birds, bees and plants that call this special site home and five practical ways we can all protect wildlife when we visit here.”
Designer Kerry Cooper, said: “I was delighted to be part of the Species on the Edge project, designing the interpretation board for Barrier No. 4. It’s such an important initiative, one that raises awareness about the wonderful wildlife around the area, so it’s nice to feel I’ve contributed creatively to the efforts to help protect this special local environment. I had such lovely material to work with in terms of the illustrations and images, so it was a real pleasure to be involved.”
Local resident Nicki Gwynn-Jones provided photographs for the board design after spending the summer of 2024 volunteering with Species on the Edge as a little tern warden at Barrier 4 beach. One of a dedicated team spending over 80 hours monitoring nesting terns, she shared wildlife knowledge with visitors and encouraged them to read and follow signage helped to prevent disturbance and protect the nesting tern colony.
Nicki said: “I was thrilled to be asked to contribute some photographs for the information board. It is always a huge privilege to be part of such an important wildlife conservation effort. Species On the Edge is such a great way to get involved with your local wildlife. I so enjoyed meeting the other volunteers – truly a wonderful and fascinating bunch of committed folk – and I loved speaking to members of the public, both locals and visitors, pointing out the many treasures to be found on the beach, and helping to educate them on the best way to be good wildlife stewards.“
You can read more about Nicki’s experience as a Species on the Edge Little tern Warden here: Summer in Orkney as a Little Tern Warden | Species On The Edge
Sarah Crowe is a Species on the Edge volunteer in Orkney. She helps with wildflower planting for pollinator projects and has contributed incredible hand drawings to the interpretation board.
Sarah said: “As a Landscape Ecologist who now illustrates the science I once researched, the opportunity to produce illustrations for the Barrier 4 interpretation board has been fantastic, both in helping to bring the importance of ‘green corridors’ and often overlooked wildflowers to a wider public audience and for my own professional development as an early career artist.”
