Category: Wildlife reserves

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.  

Natural Connections – Help wildlife through a cold snap

, by Cumbernauld LL
Bee-utiful bumblebee © Katrina Martin Who else got a bit of a shock when Storm Doris rolled into town? Like many others I was caught in the traffic as the snow and ice brought the road network to a standstill.  It was great to see the spirit of Cumbernauld in action though as people helped out stuck motorists with a push or a shovel. Cold snaps like this can be a death sentence for wildlife.  A few days before Doris we were getting reports of bumblebee queens out looking for nesting sites. Read on to find out more about our bumblebees.....

Natural Connections – Wildlife Watch looking for budding naturalists

, by Cumbernauld LL
A few years ago now, when I first delivered the pine marten workshops to primary schools I was often asked if there was a club that children could attend to help them learn and reconnect with nature.  Teachers and parents were constantly telling me that there was a demand for this type of activity We tried a few attempts at getting Watch leaders and then venues and just as we thought we could launch the group something would happen that would knock us back down… but we don’t give up! 

Natural Connections – Dog mess spoils environment

, by Cumbernauld LL
The Cumbernauld Living Landscape’s Nature Ninjas were out in the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Cumbernauld Glen reserve last weekend.  As always we were so grateful for the hardy volunteers who turned out in the freezing cold to help us improve the habitat for Cumbernauld’s wildlife. We removed invasive dogwood, preparing the area for new planting – and uncovering some beautiful dog violets as we worked!  These lovely little plants are food for Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary butterflies and hopefully our work will help them to flourish. We had a brilliant afternoon and the volunteers did a power of work, back at the office however it was another type of dog we were thinking about as Tracy and I unloaded the vans and sorted the equipment.  Read on to find out what we discovered....

Natural Connections – Motorbikes drowning out the birdsong in Forest Wood

, by Cumbernauld LL
Damage sustained from high velocity vehicles limits our ability to carry out conservation work I love a walk in the woods at this time of year so at the weekend I headed out to the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Forest Wood reserve to see if I could spot the beautiful carved wooden pine martens the Trust has hidden among the trees.  The cold, still air carried sound wonderfully and my ears were tuned to the sounds of the birds singing, heralding the oncoming spring. Unfortunately however it wasn’t long before the sounds of the birds were drowned out by the sound of motorbikes.

Natural Connections – Track down the new carvings

, by Cumbernauld LL
Pine marten resting As part of a £50,000 WREN funded path access project in Cumbernauld.   Cumbernauld Greenspace Reserves Manager, Duncan has become a bit of a creative artist.  Duncan has chainsaw sculpted 7 life size pine marten heads and one full size body and placed them peeking out of tree cavities.  If you are wondering around Forest Wood keep an eye open for them and post your images to our Facebook page. Pine martens are nocturnal and incredibly shy creatures....

Natural Connections – Winter's tracks and trails

, by Cumbernauld LL
Pine marten tracks This time of year is perfect for adventuring outside when it is frosty or has been raining to explore the wildlife that explore our greenspaces while we are all tucked up in bed fast asleep. On snowy or frosty days you can see the remnants of deer tracks across grassy fields while on rainy days you can spot animal tracks in the mud.  Even better if it has been raining then with the temperature dropping the tracks are frozen waiting to be discovered.

Natural Connections – What’s in store for 2017?

, by Cumbernauld LL
With so much achieved last year it is hard at times to imagine even more accomplishments for 2017 but we are a restless bunch in the Cumbernauld office and we are always looking to improve people’s connections with nature and wildlife.  So what is in store for this year?  

Natural Connections – Tackling non-natives for a very special butterfly

, by Cumbernauld LL
​Small pearl bordered fritillary at St Maurice's Pond​ December’s Sunday volunteer session saw our team out at St Maurice’s pond to remove European larch and rhododendron. We were getting some funny looks from dog walkers and families using the circular walking route as they passed us by, it got me thinking…. The folks who were giving us funny looks might not understand why we were taking out perfectly good plants.

Natural Connections – Transforming your views into actions

, by Cumbernauld LL
Concept plan of Ravenswood LNR improvements Cumbernauld Living Landscape is currently conducting a community consultation regarding improvements to the entrance to North Lanarkshire Council’s beautiful, Ravenswood Local Nature Reserve. These improvements include a small outdoor classroom to encourage local primary and secondary schools usage and stewardship of the site. Redesigning the butterfly garden to provide a haven for pollinators and creating a space that local residents can enjoy.

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