BSBI Scotland News 2011

The three year project to conserve four of Scotland’s rare plants in the Cairngorms National Park is off to a promising start. Twinflower (Linnaea borealis), intermediate wintergreen (Pyrola media), small cow-wheat (Melampyrum sylvaticum) and lesser butterfly orchid (Platanthera bifolia) are the focus of the project which aims to establish the current distribution and status of the four species and raise awareness of the conservation issues that they face. The project will promote conservation work in liaison with land managers.
Volunteers are currently being recruited to help record and monitor the target plants at sites throughout the Cairngorms National Park. Activities include searching for the plants at historical records and in areas potentially suitable habitat and conducting simple baseline monitoring at selected sites.

The BSBI is looking for a new volunteer Website Manager to maintain the BSBI’s Scottish website. The main task will be to seek regular content from a variety of sources and upload it to the website as well as general website administration.

The BSBI are looking for a volunteer publicity officer to develop and implement a simple publicity plan for the BSBI in Scotland. The plan will include publicising the benefit of BSBI membership to expand the Scottish active membership. This is crucial to the success of the BSBI in Scotland, particularly with the ambitious aims set out in the BSBI recording plan.It will also publicise the BSBI’s activities, such as project fieldwork, field and indoor meetings with a view to engaging more people.

We are looking for three keen, fit and reasonably proficient botanists to work as Vice-county Recorders in Scotland. One for Peebles (v.c.78) to replace David McCosh, who has indicated that he would like to retire. Two to work jointly with the Vice-county Recorders in Stirling (v.c.86) and West Sutherland (v.c.108) respectively. The recorders in these counties, Edna Stewart and Pat Evans have both requested help.

Notes of interest should be sent to the BSBI Scottish Officer - Jim McIntosh by 7th March 2011.

An additional one day BSBI Field Meeting has been arranged to explore and record a variety of habitats in the Guardbridge area of Fife, on Sunday the 19^th June 2011. Unfortunately details of this meeting missed the deadline for the BSBI Yearbook. For further details click here.

Phytophthora is causing increasing concern in Scotland. Phytophthora ramorum (so called Sudden Oak Death) or P. kernoviae have previously been found in Scotland on Rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum), Blaeberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) and Japanese Larch (Larix kaempferi). In the south-west of England over 70 Japanese Larch plantations have been affected. More recently Phytophthora lateralis has been found on Lawson’s Cypress in Greenock and in Balloch Park, West Dunbartonshire. These pathogens have potential to cause significant landscape, economic and conservation damage to gardens, woodlands and heathland. A particular concern for the botanists is that they might inadvertently cause the spread of the pathogen from one area to another. An excellent article was published in BSS News and is now available on the BSS website here. Forest Research has just published a short presentation about Phytophthora here. Further information is also available on the Forestry Commision website

Angus Hannah is the new Scottish Officer replacing Jim McIntosh who has just begun a one year sabbatical. Angus is a highly respected BSBI recorder and one of our leading contractors. He will continue the SNH grant aided work to support Scottish Recorders and monitor rare plant populations. He will be based on Bute and mail and e-mail will be redirected to him. He can be contacted directly by e-mailing BSBI Scottish Officer. For more about the Scottish Officer click here.

Meanwhile Jim is to undertake a plant survey of Tristan da Cunha during his sabbatical and you can follow his progress on his blog.

A new website has just gone live at: http://mapmate.bsbi.org.uk to support BSBI users of MapMate. It was produced by leading UK MapMate expert, Martin Harvey, under contract to the BSBI thanks to funding from Scottish Natural Heritage. It contains 20 short MapMate training videos, each about 8 minutes long, covering a variety of topics including setting up, data entry, analysis, syncing and mapping. The videos are a great way to learn – and much easier than reading the manual! Another five are planned this winter.

We are looking for a volunteer to assist Pat Evans, vc recorder in West Sutherland (vc 108). This is a very large vice-county with extensive remote areas, and a certain level of fitness would be necessary. In consequence, some areas of the vice-county are relatively little recorded, and the opportunity exists to make a really useful contribution while working alongside an experienced recorder. Some familiarity with computers, and a willingness to learn more, is highly desirable, and training and support will be given when needed. Although it is obviously necessary to spend time in the vice-county each year there is no requirement to be resident there. A basic level of botanical competence is assumed, but again help is available from the incumbent recorder and the referee system. A cautious and critical attitude is more important than encyclopaedic knowledge. Interested parties are recommended to consult the Flora of Assynt (Evans, Evans and Rothero, 2002) for detailed information on part of the vice-county.

The Scottish Nature Photography Awards, a photographic competition celebrating nature, wildlife and landscape photography in Scotland, has this year introduced a Scottish Botanical category for images of Scottish native plants and flowers in their natural habitat.

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) is sponsoring the opportunity for the winner of the Scottish Botanical category to enjoy a tour of the Garden in the company of supervisor, Tony Garn. The winner will also receive a 600mm x 400mm bespoke artwork piece reproduced from the winning image onto one of a variety of materials available e.g. glass, metal, wood or Perspex (sponsored by Samaron), a copy of the book “Scottish Wild Flowers” by Michael Scott (sponsored by Birlinn) and an individual engraved glass award (sponsored by Envue).

2nd & 3rd place runners-up will receive a Prize Certificate and a copy of the book “Scottish Wild Flowers” by Michael Scott. All the the winning images will be featured in a touring exhibition in 2012 and winning and shortlisted images will be featured in the Portfolio Yearbook 2011 (Sponsored by Envue Ltd).

The 2011 Scottish Nature Photography Awards also has categories for Scottish Wildlife, Scottish Landscape, Natural Abstract and Environmental images, as well as Student and Junior categories. Entries close on 30 November 2011.

Full details of how to enter, the judging panel, prizes, Touring Exhibition and Portfolio Yearbook are on the website at:

http://www.scottishnaturephotographyawards.com

Vacancies for joint-recorders have arisen in three highland vice-counties, Wester Ross, West Sutherland and Caithness. These are all large vice-counties with extensive remote areas, and a certain level of fitness will be necessary. In consequence, some areas have been relatively little recorded, and the opportunity exists to make a really useful contribution while working alongside an experienced recorder. Some familiarity with computers, and a willingness to learn more, is highly desirable, and training and support will be given when needed. Although it is obviously necessary to spend time in the vice-county each year there is no requirement to be resident there. A basic level of botanical competence is assumed, but again help is available from the incumbent recorder and the referee system. A cautious and critical attitude is more important than encyclopaedic knowledge.

In West Sutherland (vc108) we are looking for a volunteer to assist the very experienced vc recorder, Pat Evans. Interested parties are recommended to consult the Flora of Assynt (Evans, Evans and Rothero, 2002) for detailed information on that part of the vice-county. That parish has been very well botanised, but remaining areas much less so. The vice county includes much of the north coast (east to Melvich) as well as the whole north western corner of the country with the Durness limestone exposures.

Wester Ross is another large tract of mostly mountainous and coastal terrain, often difficult of access, in which relatively little recording has been done for a number of years. It includes Glenshiel and Kintail, Lochcarron, Applecross and Torridon, Loch Maree, Gruinard, Loch Broom and Coigach, and has at least a share in 57 Munros, along with many interesting areas of lower ground. There is great scope for an energetic field worker to make a really useful contribution. The current recorder, Duncan Donald, is relatively newly in post, and has indicated that he would appreciate assistance.

Caithness is a very varied county with wonderful coastal cliffs and dunes and great expanses of peat bogs (flow country), as well as extensive agricultural land. This vacancy arises as a result of the ill health of the present recorder Ken Butler, who has been a stalwart in the post for many years. Ken has agreed to remain as joint recorder to assist the new incumbent by passing on some of his accumulated wisdom and experience. The post is particularly suited to someone who would appreciate the guidance of a skilled botanist as well as the opportunity to get to know an interesting and unique corner of Scotland.

Note of interest in any of these posts to Angus Hannah, BSBI Scottish Officer by 14 November 2011.

2011 News Archive