Summer 2009 - Scottish Natural Heritage

SNH Area News
Western Isles
Correspondents: Tracey Begg, Roddy MacMinn, Mark MacDonald
Great yellow stronghold
A group of enthusiastic local
volunteers has been mobilised across
the Western Isles to monitor the
bumblebee population this summer.
Offers of support have been
particularly strong from Uist and
Barra, where a total of 10 committed
volunteers will take part in a
programme of training and monitoring.
The great yellow bumblebee has
suffered huge declines over the past
50 years, largely due to changes
in how we farm nowadays. It’s now
Britain’s rarest bumblebee. Some of
the strongest remaining populations
are found on the machair of the
Western Isles.
Bumblebee training days will be
held outdoors, beginning in June,
supported by SNH staff and funding.
Each volunteer will then monitor a
fi xed patch in key machair areas,
providing coverage across the
islands. The aim will be to collect
long-term information from the same
sites annually. This will provide data
that will improve our knowledge of
great yellow bumblebee distribution
and their population trends across the
Western Isles. For more information,
contact Tracey Begg on 01870 620
238.
Future of Monachs
The fi ve low-lying Monach Isles, known
locally as ‘Heisgeir’, lie just off the west
coast of North Uist. They were made
a national nature reserve in 1966 and
are home to Europe’s most important
grey seal colony. They also hold notable
seabird populations, as well as machair
and dune habitats.
SNH are currently reviewing
the reserve management and we’re
planning to consult the public this
summer about how the reserve should
look in the future. We’ll be presenting
our vision for the next 25 years and
asking the local community (and other
interested groups) for their own ideas
and comments.
We’re particularly keen to hear from
people with knowledge and experience
of the islands, as well as those who’d
like to become involved in the running
of the reserve. We hope to retain the
special character of the islands, while
improving the opportunities for locals
and visitors to experience and learn
about the Monachs themselves.
We’ll shortly be publishing our
proposals and the story of the reserve.
These will be sent out to community
representatives and other interest
groups. If you’d like to fi nd out more,
please contact Roddy MacMinn on
01851 705 258.
Greener transport
An environmental project in Stornoway
is aiming to use cleaner technology
transport to support community
services.
Staran are a community interest
company who offer a garden care and
support service. They provide work
placement and volunteer opportunities
for older men. Those taken on are
either long-term unemployed or have
signifi cant barriers in the way of them
fi nding work.
Staran undertake work for the
elderly and disabled, community
groups, public benefi t activities
and environmental amenity works
in community areas. SNH recently
gave them a grant to help buy two
new vehicles for the project. One
was a small electric mega-van for
environmental handyman work. The
other was a tipper pick-up, so that
larger teams could carry and remove
larger volumes of material.
SNH also recently provided funding
for Third Sector Hebrides (TSH) to
develop an old bakery in Stornoway.
The SNH grant will help create a
greenspace garden area, which adults
with additional needs – on placement
with TSH – can help to look after.
This area will help to create a mood of
well-being and positive mental health.
Representatives of Staran, TSH and
SNH are shown above with the new
vehicles.
www.snh.org.uk 43