| Safeguarding local habitats and species |
1 December 2003 |
| Do you feel inspired to help preserve and regenerate some of the semi-natural broadleaved woodland in your local area? Do you feel there are actions you could help with to save salty lagoons with their rare stoneworts, seagrasses and colourful seaweeds together with burrowing sea anemones and rare sea cucumbers? Perhaps ways to protect and manage the endangered Great Yellow Bumblebee captures your imagination. Lead by the Comhairle, the Western Isles Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) Steering Group is inviting communities of the Western Isles to attend evening workshops in December where local biodiversity action plans concerning these issues will be presented and discussed. Three local plans have been developed and need your input:
Community ideas and local knowledge are invaluable to making
local action plans work. Everyone is encouraged to attend and
to contribute their ideas and support for actions to deliver these
plans. Workshops are to be held on Barra on Monday 15th December at Castlebay Secondary School at 7.00pm, on Benbecula on Tuesday 16th December at Nunton Steadings at 7.00pm and in Stornoway on Wednesday 17th December at the County Hotel at 7.00pm. A consultancy which specialises in community based workshops will facilitate the evening. Specialists were called in to draft the 3 plans and they have identified a number of potential actions that would help to deliver the plans. Many of the identified actions rely on initiatives at an individual or community level. The local specialist on Great Yellow Bumblebees, Bill Neill, said “Traditional management of machair helps to maintain the current population of the Great Yellow Bumblebee. If opportunities are taken to retain the wonderful expanse of summer flowers and support traditional and organic crofting this would help considerably in supporting and enhancing the species.” Other actions require co-operation between local specialists, government, organisations and communities. Forester Jon Hollingdale said “There is great potential to encourage natural regeneration of semi-native woodlands, to protect and expand both the area of trees and the habitat they provide for a wide range of other species." All of the key actions require motivation and further ideas to make them happen. Marine biologist Sue Scott said: “The coastal salty lagoons are rare and undervalued habitats vulnerable to the impacts of road building and pollution from run-off and other sources. Some lagoon habitats with their seagrasses, tassleweed and stoneworts are very beautiful and could feature in wildlife tourism initiatives.” The list of actions are not yet complete and community comments and ideas are required which could help to modify the list of currents actions to make each more effective. It is hoped that entirely new actions will also be discussed and developed. If you would like further details on the workshop evenings, the LBAPs and biodiversity issues generally in the Western Isles please visit the Western Isles Biodiversity website at http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/biodiversity/index.htm. Ends Nigel Scott Tel: 01851 709389 (Work) |
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