The Nature of Scotland – Autumn 2011 – Issue 13

Welcome
Kristin Scott
Communications Unit Manager
Scottish Natural Heritage
The next time you see the graceful glide of a red kite as it searches the ground for
prey, spare a thought for the immense efforts that went into returning this bird to
the Scottish countryside. Once regarded as vermin, this magnificent raptor was
extinct in Scotland by 1870. However, just over a century later efforts got under
way to reintroduce them, and now their unmistakable forked tail and reddishbrown
body are once again a familiar sight across much of the country. In this
issue of The Nature of Scotland, we take a look back at the project to reintroduce
them and reflect on the crucial support that landowners, farmers, foresters and
gamekeepers provided.
Elsewhere in this edition, we visit the Clyde Valley and take a wander through
one of the dramatic gorge woodlands that make up the impressive national
nature reserve there. These are surviving remnants of the ancient woodlands that
once covered most of central lowland Scotland. With over two million people
living within 40 km (25 miles) of the reserve, it provides much of the Central Belt
population with easy access to an outstanding nature experience. Autumn is a
great time to visit, as this is when the leaves of the ash, oak and elm trees turn to
red and gold.
Using what nature has provided is also at the core of the ‘natural play’
approach that Grounds for Learning are pioneering in schools. The idea is that
children get more ‘into’ nature when they’re simply playing and exploring in natural
spaces and not being ‘taught about nature’. It’s an approach that’s popular in
other parts of Europe, and our article explores how urban primary schools in
Glasgow and North Lanarkshire have introduced a range of natural features for
adventurous play.
We take a look too at country sports in Scotland, which are thought to be
worth some £400 million a year to the economy. Large numbers of residents and
visitors alike are enthusiastic followers of Scotland’s country sports, and there
are a wide range of conservation benefits gained from active land management
directly related to shooting, stalking and angling. Indeed, it's worth bearing in
mind that conservation and sporting interests share many of the same goals –
both seek well managed habitats where wildlife can flourish. Our article provides
some fresh insight into this special relationship.
www.snh.gov.uk
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