Category Archives: plants

Mapping our species-rich grasslands

According to UK charity Plantlife, Britain has lost 97% of its species-rich grassland in less than a century. Hundreds of plants, fungi and invertebrate species rely on these important habitats – which in turn support healthy populations of birds and … Continue reading

Posted in battleby, biodiversity, Cairngorms National Park, citizen science, Ecology, Flowers, Fungi, gardens, graduate placement, Habitat Map of Scotland, Land management, mapping, meadow, plants, SNH, Staff profile, Uncategorized, wild flowers, wild land, Young people | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bringing butterflies and bees back to Skolie Burn SSSI

Since starting a Community Woodland group, Ian Records’ life has changed completely – dropping leaflets, knocking on doors, writing up woodland management plans and doing flower surveys.  Here, he tells how a protected area can galvanise a local community to take action to improve their local area for people and wildlife. Continue reading

Posted in Access, bees, biodiversity, citizen science, Community engagement, conservation, Ecology, Flowers, Insects, Land management, meadow, Orchids, plants, Projects, Scotland's Protected Places, SNH, SSSI, Uncategorized, Volunteering, wild flowers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Foraging Fortnight – a celebration of Scotland’s wild food

Elderberries, brambles, crab apples, hazelnuts and chanterelles are just some of the delicious wild finds of early autumn.  The first Foraging Fortnight, supported mainly by EU LEADER funding, coincides with this season of abundance – it runs from 31st August … Continue reading

Posted in Festival, foraging, Fungi, mushrooms, Outdoor learning, plants, Rowan, SNH, Uncategorized, wild flowers, woodlands | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Beautiful but deadly – the plant with a dark side

Rhododendron may appear beautiful – but one type of this impressive looking plant is posing a deadly threat to Scotland’s rainforest plants and lichens. Rhododendron ponticum, a majestic shrub with its early summer explosions of bright pink blooms, is a … Continue reading

Posted in invasive non-native species, plants, Scottish Natural Heritage, SNH, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Graips of Sloth: the List of Winter Gardening Don’ts & Dos

This week, our gardener at our Battleby office, Jim Carruthers, shares some great tips on what to do – and NOT to do – to keep our gardens in good shape over winter.  Many are tempted to atone for the excesses … Continue reading

Posted in battleby, gardens, plants, Scottish Natural Heritage, SNH, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Connecting people and plants

SNH’s Iain Macdonald was just one of around 175 people with a passion for wild plants at an unofficially record-breaking meeting in Edinburgh recently… Not long ago I was sitting in a room surrounded by botanists, probably the single largest … Continue reading

Posted in biodiversity, conference, Flowers, plants, Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, science, SNH, Uncategorized, wild flowers | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A club where birdies are par for the course

In our guest blog today Billy McLachlin, course manager at Royal Troon Golf Club, tells us how they are working for wildlife on one of the world’s finest links courses. Royal Troon Golf Club is a site of international renown … Continue reading

Posted in bees, biodiversity, Birds, citizen science, coastal, Community engagement, conservation, Flowers, plants, SSSI, Uncategorized, wildlife management | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Snails and grasshoppers on the menu at EU wild LIFE conference

Spiders, bees, grasshoppers, snails and other creepy-crawlies are top of the bill at an International nature conference taking place in Scotland this week. Wildlife specialists and project managers from across the European Union (EU) are meeting in Stirling for a … Continue reading

Posted in bees, biodiversity, climate change, conference, Ecology, Flanders Moss NNR, Insects, Land management, peatland restoration, plants, Projects, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A trip to a wooded rock off the west of Scotland where the herbivores don’t go!

Kate Holl, SNH Woodland Adviser, recently visited a tiny island off the west coast of Scotland. The island has no herbivores such as deer, allowing the plantlife to grow wilder than anywhere else in Scotland! On a perfect summer’s morning … Continue reading

Posted in biodiversity, Flowers, plants, trees, wild flowers, wild land, woodlands | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

How should you manage giant rhubarb in your garden?

Have you got giant rhubarb in your garden? A European-wide ban on the sale of this invasive non-native plant comes into force today. If you already have the plant, also known as Gunnera tinctoria, in your garden you can keep … Continue reading

Posted in biodiversity, citizen science, Community engagement, conservation, Flowers, gardens, invasive non-native species, Land management, plants, Projects, Uncategorized, wild flowers, wildlife crime, wildlife management | Tagged , , | Leave a comment