Species on the Edge North Coast officers: Sarah Bird (Plantlife) – Senior Project Officer, Louise Senior (Plantlife), People Engagement Officer
It has been a fabulous year for our plants – with many thousands of purple oxytropis and Scottish primroses seen on the cliffs and cliff-top meadows. Shoreline surveys by staff and volunteers found oysterplants growing on several beaches in Caithness. Small blue butterflies have been spotted at all the known sites, and great yellow bumblebees were still being found even in September. The only one of our target species here in the North Coast that we’ve not seen this year is the leaf beetle, which hasn’t yet been recorded in the region, but we have set up a ‘Rare Beetle Hunt’ and people are looking for it.
We have made super links with communities and connected with many existing community groups, establishing exciting partnerships and seeking to ensure significant and sustainable outcomes for the project. The North Coast project now has a growing team of enthusiastic volunteers helping with habitat management for small blue butterflies and great yellow bumblebees, and growing our special plants. Plantlife Artist in Residence Iris Hill spent a fantastic week with us in June. Her watercolour workshops focused lots of creative energy inspired by our priority species – the results are truly stunning!
This summer, we organised a Conservation Summer School in partnership with Dunnet Community Forest. Young people attending gained a John Muir Award, and credits for Saltire and Leadership awards. Participants learned essential outdoor and fieldcraft skills, assisted with practical habitat management and surveys for our priority species; they had great fun too!
We also flew the Species on the Edge flag at events across our region, from our launch at Dunnet Forest in May to Caithness Show, Durness Highland Gathering and many others. We spread the word about the project, getting our faces and the project known and recognised.
