Category: Species and habitats

Night-time Window on Wildlife

, by Paul Barclay
Have you ever walked through some woodland and wondered what creatures might live there that we can’t see?  That use their superb senses and camouflage to hide from human eyes and come out only when no-one is around. Ever looked out into the garden, or the street and wondered what wildlife visits in the night?  Maybe you’ve heard the scream of a fox, the hoot of an owl or the snuffling of a badger. One way to find out is to throw a light switch or head out with a torch, but by doing so you might frighten off the animals you’d like to see, or at the very least change their behaviour hugely. 

Here Be Dragons

, by Cumbernauld LL
Last week was National Dragonfly Week and it’s the perfect time of year to go looking for these amazing insects. Dragonflies – and their close relatives damselflies – are incredible creatures. The ancestors of our modern dragonflies evolved before dinosaurs walked the Earth, some 300 million years ago. However, they were much bigger then, with wingspans of up to two feet! 

Natural Connections – Schools Out!

, by Cumbernauld LL
  School’s out for summer! Even the best student looks forward to July and the start of the long summer break. It always seemed to flash past as a child, but I suspect for parents, who have to think up ways of keeping the kids amused, it took a little longer. This summer Cumbernauld Living Landscape will be doing our best to help out families looking for fun events. Every Wednesday throughout July we’ll be out in the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Cumbernauld Glen reserve with a selection of nature based games, tasks and activities. 

Natural Connections – Cause for Concern

, by Cumbernauld LL
Wood Pigeon, Columba palumbus Recently I was stopped while leading a volunteer team in Ravenswood Local Nature Reserve about a report that a local resident had made to the police. One evening within the past month someone had been seen shooting wood pigeons on the reserve. The incident was reported to police and the resident was asked if he was knew if the landowner had granted permission. 

Natural connections – Wildlife comes alive in the sun

, by Cumbernauld LL
Previous pond dipping session held during a guided walk Summer is here! It’s time to unpack the sunshine, get the deckchairs out and relax in Cumbernauld’s Mediterranean-climate. Or, as is more often the case, get out the waterproofs and scuba gear and have a soggy barbeque! We have enjoyed a good spell of warm dry weather over the last few weeks and the town’s green spaces have burst into life as a result. It’s been a great boost for invertebrates and we’ve had some great sightings of bumblebees and butterflies. 

Natural Connections – The dangers of garden escapes

, by Cumbernauld LL
New Zealand flat worm - Invasive non-native species The Cumbernauld Living Landscape team have been hard at work recently working with volunteers to make improvements to Ravenswood Local Nature Reserve.  Part of this job has involved digging up some of the garden escape plants that have found their way onto the site and replacing them with native wildflowers. We had hoped that some of the plants we removed could have been donated to volunteers and local charities, however while we were digging we made a very unpleasant discovery - New Zealand Flatworms.

Natural Connections – Community makes a difference

, by Cumbernauld LL
Community and The Conservation Volunteers getting stuck in Sometimes projects can take a few years to plan.  Planning for our current project at Ravenswood Local Nature Reserve began way back in 2014 and was the original basis of The Conservation Volunteer Community Engagement trainee-ship post.  However things happen, groups disband, ideas sometimes get put on hold and other priorities come to the fore, but these ideas are never quashed.

Natural Connections – Woodlands, a delicate balance

, by Cumbernauld LL
From little acorns...... A couple of weeks ago I was writing about the necessities of cutting down trees and the many reasons for doing so.  This week I am going to look a bit deeper into the structure of a woodland and why it is vitally important to have a range of trees at different ages as part of the healthy woodlands being planned in Cumbernauld Living Landscape.  

Natural Connections – Looking after our woodlands

, by Cumbernauld LL
Oak leaves © Katrina Martin For most people conservation is about planting trees or creating wildflower meadows and they would be mostly correct. But looking after the health of our woodlands and greenspaces also means that every now and then we cut down and remove trees.  Vandalism, fire, disease, non-native trees, structural safety and storm damage are the main reasons for the removal of a tree.  

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