Tayside Biodiversity
Partnership
ANNUAL REPORTApril
2003 to March 2004
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What is Biodiversity?
Biodiversity encompasses the whole
variety of life; it is all living things from the tiny
garden ant to the giant redwood tree. You will find biodiversity
everywhere, in
window boxes and wild woods, roadsides and rain forests, snow
field and seashore.
Tayside Biodiversity Partnership Members
The broad aims of the Tayside Local
Biodiversity Action Plan.
To co-ordinate existing actions, as well as initiating and
co-ordinating new actions;
To conserve and enhance the region’s biodiversity, taking
into account both local and national priorities.
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CHAIRMAN’S
FOREWORD
A major step forward in the local biodiversity process was the
publication of the Action Plan in 2002. Since then all the
Partners have been busy implementing the 400 actions and, as
this Report shows, the first year of implementation has been
a particularly busy one.
The report that follows gives a brief overview of what the Partnership
has achieved in the past twelve months. A lot of discussion is
going on behind the scenes and many more projects, not mentioned
in this Report, are just getting underway. Although the real ’on
the ground’ work is in progress there is still much to
achieve in future years.
Merrill Smith
Chairman
Tayside Biodiversity Partnership |
FROM
RIO TO TAYSIDE—THE BACKGROUND TO WHERE
WE ARE NOW
In 1992 the UK Government signed the International Convention
on Biological Diversity at the Rio Earth Summit. There are now
UK Biodiversity Action Plans in place for the conservation and
promotion of 391 rarest species and 45 of the most threatened
habitats in Britain. The Scottish Biodiversity Forum oversees
those that occur in Scotland with the assistance of the Local
Biodiversity Partnerships - of which Tayside is one.
In 2002 the first tranche of the Tayside Local Biodiversity Action
Plan (TLBAP) was published, focussing on 18 Habitat Action Plans
that featured both national and local priorities. A further tranche
of Habitat and Species Action Plans will follow in the future.
Biodiversity conservation is an extremely dynamic process involving
a vast range of individuals and organisations all striving to
make a difference. Successful implementation of our chosen 400
actions is involving a working partnership of local communities,
industry, commerce and individuals. |
CO-ORDINATOR’S
INTRODUCTION TO THE BIODIVERSITY PROCESS IN TAYSIDE
The partnership of organisations responsible for writing and
then implementing the Tayside Local Biodiversity Action Plan
(TLBAP) includes the statutory bodies: Scottish Natural Heritage,
the Forestry Commission, Scottish Environment Protection Agency,
plus the three local authorities Angus, Dundee City, and Perth & Kinross.
In addition there are many non-governmental organisations such
as the National Trust for Scotland, Scottish Agricultural College
(SAC), the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG), National
Farmers’ Union Scotland (NFU Scotland), the Scottish Rural
Property and Business Association, the Royal Society for the
Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the Scottish Wildlife Trust.
Now we have reached the implementation stage the Lead Partners
for each of the actions are becoming very much part of the wider
Biodiversity Partnership. For instance, we are liaising with
the Deer Commission for Scotland, the various District Fisheries,
community groups, the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers,
land managers and numerous voluntary environmental organisations,
including the Broughty Ferry Environmental Group and the Alyth
Environmental Group.
Six Habitat sub-groups were put in place at the outset to assist
the Partnership’s Steering Group. The membership of these
groups is naturally changing as the preparation of the Action Plans
is replaced by the implementation of the actions. Some groups
are meeting less often, although smaller project sub-groups are
being set up to specifically oversee new projects. This is working
especially well with the Barn Owl Interest Group which includes
the NTS, SAC and FWAG. Other groups are meeting regularly and
some are using the “Building Better Biodiversity” series
of seminars to take their subject out to a wider audience.
An Education sub-group has exceeded all expectations as it is proving
to be an extremely useful networking tool reaching groups of people
who have hitherto not been engaged in the biodiversity process.
We are still at the very beginning of the action implementation
and the Partnership’s membership will continue to change
to accommodate the local biodiversity process. However as the Three
Year Review proved, much work behind the scenes from the year 2000
is now coming to fruition by the real action now being undertaken.
This report highlights just a few of the biodiversity actions recently
carried out by the wider partnership.
Catherine Lloyd
Tayside Biodiversity Co-ordinator |
MONITORING AND REPORTING
1st Tranche Feedback – 17 Lead Partners replied out of
38 in the first round of monitoring (October 2003) and 15 Lead
Partners replied out of 38 in the second round (March 2004).
The statistics below may not therefore be representative of the
Partnership as a whole.
Summary of progress on all 402 actions |
| Coasts and Estuaries
• Estuaries
•
Maritime Cliffs and Slopes
•
Sand Dunes
One project that would not have started without the
impetus of the Tayside Local Biodiversity Action Plan (TLBAP)
was the
Barry Buddon Tern Project. The project was launched early in
the year and one chick was ultimately found – the first
in decades. The project was a true partnership one involving
the DCC Rangers, Dundee College, MoD, Errol Brick, B&Q,
volunteers and a local school. Initially there were problems
with sourcing funding and finding sufficient volunteers to
take on tasks, but it is hoped a small group will be formed
to take the project forward in 2004.
The Angus Council Rangers
also led guided walks along Arbroath Cliff to raise awareness
of its biodiversity. A footpath leaflet
is now planned.
Work was carried out at Easthaven to create
a more favourable habitat for its current population of the
rare Greater Yellow
Rattle; the Dundee Conservation Volunteers took this forward.
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| Farmland
• Calcareous and Base-rich Grassland
•
Farm Buildings
•
Hedgerows and Treelines
•
Stone Dykes
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Wet Grassland
Butterfly Conservation, with the Angus Ranger
Service, started a Small Blue Butterfly Survey in 2003 to ascertain
if the species
is still present inland. It is found on the Angus coast, but
sightings of this tiny butterfly on farmland have not been
confirmed lately. Work will continue during 2004.
The three-year Tayside Barn Owl Survey was launched during
National Nestbox Week in 2003. This was in response to an action
in the Farm Buildings Habitat Action Plan to organise a survey
to determine which farm buildings are utilised by barn owls
and to also encourage landowners to retain or create suitable
foraging habitat close to farm buildings.
Pilot projects in
different areas are now well under way – Glen
Errochty (NTS), River Tay (SAC and Perth FWAG) and the Angus
Glens (Angus FWAG). So far there has been very positive feedback
from both the public and landowners with birds on their land.
A good number of sightings have been reported.
The local community
has been involved in the Glen Errochty project where experimental
work is underway to find if recycled
plastic soap barrels make suitable nestboxes. A number of nestboxes
have been provided for the project north of Perth in the Tay
Valley. The Angus Glens project is also involving a wide range
of people - with wood donated by a local sawmill, a wide variety
of volunteers making boxes and farmers with suitable habitats
providing sites for interior or external nestboxes. Individual
organisations have also been raising awareness of the project
with talks being given at several meetings.
Angus FWAG and the
Scottish Wildlife Trust held a very successful public walk
at Mains of Dun, Montrose (by permission of the
National Trust for Scotland) where wet grassland management
was highlighted.
Angus FWAG (with Angus Council sponsorship)
also ran a half day’s Contractors' Hedge Trimming Demonstration.
Seventeen people, including farmers, estate workers, hedge
cutting and
planting contractors and Local Authority staff, attended this.
A
separate ‘Hedge Day’ attracted a further 22
people and included farmers, contractors and a wide variety
of Local Authority staff. The event attracted interest from
Perthshire, Fife and Aberdeenshire. There was excellent press
coverage both before and after the two events and the North
Lanarkshire Biodiversity Officer who attended both days went
on to hold a very successful Hedge Day in his own area.
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| Upland
• Montane
• Upland Heath
Many Upland sub-group members took part in the NTS’ Ben
Lawers Open Day and Field Walk during the summer. It proved
an excellent networking event.
The Perthshire Tourist Board funded
23,000 “Where to
See Wildlife in Perthshire” posters to be inserted in
bedroom folders throughout Central Scotland (highlighting Perthshire’s
rich biodiversity to visitors in the Tayside, Trossachs, Grampian,
Central and Lothians areas). 130,000 copies of the ‘Explore
Perthshire 2004 (Nature and Wildlife Section)’ booklet
will also be distributed in the future.
Background research is
ongoing to resource funds to take actions forward. As many
of the issues listed in the TLBAP are Scotland-wide
ones, national links are being made to the Scottish Biodiversity
Forum’s Rural Land Use sub-group and the Scottish Moorland
Forum.
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Urban and Built Environment
•
Built and Developed Environment
•
Businesses with Land
•
Golf Courses
The Broughty Ferry Environmental Project’s
biodiversity mosaic was officially launched in the spring of
2003. It has
since received a special award certificate at a Civic Trust
Awards ceremony. A thousand postcards were produced for sale
and further mosaic workshops are now being planned.
All three
local authorities are taking into consideration the action to
incorporate the conservation and enhancement
of wildlife into the design, management and maintenance of
urban greenspace – Angus Council is taking this forward
with schools and community councils (including a community
woodland and orchard planted at Murroes). Grass cutting regimes
are being reviewed in both Angus and Perth and Kinross Council
areas. In Perth and Kinross school grounds enhancement (including
Longforgan and Abernyte Primary Schools) is forging ahead,
as is a ‘Green Graveyard Initiative’ with an ambitious
pilot project being planned in three urban burial grounds (the
historic Greyfriars and Kinnoull graveyards in Perth and the
Kirkgate in Kinross).
In Dundee a Red Squirrel ‘Biodiver-City’ Project
has been launched – together with a publicity video -
as part of a wider Dundee Red Squirrel Strategy. Local people
have been helping the Dundee Rangers in carrying out survey
work.
Angus Council’s pilot project – ‘The
Sheltered Housing Bird Table and Nestboxes Scheme’ has
been very successful – by the end of 2003 six housing
complexes had been involved and more are planned in future
years. Run
by the Ranger Service in conjunction with residents and staff
there is potential to involve scout groups and other youth
groups. Costs, covered by SNH and Angus Council, have amounted
to approximately £150 per unit.
The issue of invasive
plant species is one that will need major funding in the future;
it is becoming a significant problem
throughout much of the region. Two habitat sub-groups have
discussed possible ways forward and a pilot project is now
planned on the Dighty Burn (involving Angus and Dundee City
Councils as well as the local community). In the first phase
of the project a survey of the Giant Hogweed and Japanese Knotweed
along the riparian banks will be carried out. During 2003 local
people were involved in a project at Forfar Loch to help reduce
another invasive species, the Himalayan balsam. An awareness-raising
programme and control programme for invasive species will be
considered for the future.
The Tayside Local Patch Project (Wildlife on your Doorstep)
continued into its second year; the survey - to engage the
public in urban biodiversity recording - has resulted in over
200 survey forms being completed. All schools within Tayside
received a copy of the leaflet and University of the 3rd Age
members were keen to take part in the survey. Angus Rangers
at Crombie Country Park adapted the forms to create more interest
for schools and held a number of identification events for
teachers. The Angus Countryside Initiative also circulated
the leaflets in its discovery boxes.
To link with the Local
Patch Project, Broughty Ferry Environmental Project launched
its “Zoom” biodiversity survey
in the New Year with funding of £10,000 from Communities
Scotland. Based on the Dighty Burn, communities will be involved
in surveying their local patch and this will tie in with the
Invasive Plant Species survey.
Raising awareness of biodiversity
issues to industry is just beginning in Tayside. Liaison with
businesses is growing – a
meeting with Scottish & Southern Energy resulted in their
Employees Manual having a biodiversity section; this has been
circulated to 9,500 staff throughout Britain. A meeting with
Aggregate Industries ensured that a number of sand martin barrels
were erected at two quarries and a barn owl project set up
at a third quarry.
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| Water and Wetlands
• Mesotrophic Lochs
• Rivers and Burns
• Standing Open Water
‘Salmon in the Classroom’ - based on a past Dumfries
and Galloway initiative, secured private funding of £3,000
has enabled a similar project to be launched in Angus. This
will act as a pilot for SNH’s Scotland-wide LIFE project.
The Angus Ranger Service has been working with the Council’s
Education Department in taking the project forward in four
schools.
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| Woodland
• Native Pinewoods
•
Upland Oakwoods
The tourism industry is already raising awareness
of biodiversity to all its visitors, service providers, operatives
and staff
and more partnership working is now becoming commonplace. Project
ideas have been supplied to Perthshire Tourist Board staff
so that they can become involved in learning more about their
local biodiversity.
An upgrade of interpretation was undertaken
at the NTS’ Killiecrankie
Visitor Centre. The Linn of Tummel Wildlife Enhancement Project
will also be used as a case study site for the TLBAP. The ‘Perthshire
Big Tree Country’ continues to promote local heritage
trees and in 2003 attracted HLF support to protect and promote
the most important examples.
The Forestry Commission expended
some £120,000 on fence
removal in capercaillie 'hotspots' in Perth and Kinross. A
Black Grouse Adviser has now started working with the RSPB,
part-funded by SNH.
Forest Enterprise removed conifers from the
Laggan Oakwood (Comrie Woods) at a cost of £12,000.
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