Field Notes: Springtime in the Glen

Following a dry spell, rainfall has kicked plant life into overdrive and Glen Nevis is starting to look luscious and green again, reports Nevis Conservation Officer Rob Cochrane.

Guess the weight

Attendees at the Fort William Mountain Festival had the chance to guess the weight of a path building stone – a whopping 80kg!

Engagement

Our Junior Ranger cohort took part in a mock deer stalking experience and learned about lardering and making venison burgers in a Hill to Grill experience in partnership with the Nature Scot team from Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve. Meanwhile, University of Highlands and Islands students experienced footpath building, and Engagement Collie Col did a stellar job of making friends!

Wildfire alert

Following recent wildfire damage on our neighbours’ property, the importance of fire safety has never been more important, especially as we head into the warmer months. Our Junior Ranger cohort learned about responsible fire-lighting practices, and we encourage everyone to be careful but the impact they leave on wild places.

Deer management

Deer management continued throughout the winter, including on some very chilly days! We are seeing signs that our approach is having an effect now, with pockets of naturally regenerating Scots pine developing alongside many native broad leaf tree species. We're especially excited to see the pine regenerating as it's very vulnerable to browsing by herbivores, so the fact it's starting to come back shows we're managing to get the deer numbers closer to a sustainable level in this area.