SNH Area News
Forth and Borders Correspondents: Neville Makan, Heather Kinnin, Andrew Panter
Caring developers
Great crested newts are a highly protected species and are known to favour the landscapes of central Scotland as a place to live. They can therefore frustrate some developers in this busy part of the country. I&H Brown are a company that
specialise in reclaiming brownfield land. So you might have expected them to be a bit vexed when they discovered a population of these special creatures using part of a site earmarked for regeneration near the community of Banknock, Falkirk. However, they instead grasped the challenge with both hands – literally! They installed over 1.5 kilometres
of fencing to manage newt movements during construction; designed the landscape plan to consider future newt travels and habitat needs; set aside over 10% of the area as a wildlife reserve; and involved local school children in creating suitable homes for newts. They even allowed their development manager, Tommy Devlin, to be trained and licensed to handle and relocate trapped newts within the site. Tommy (pictured) is delighted to
get ‘hands on’ with the great crested newts, despite a certain amount of ribbing from colleagues. He regularly checks the traps for newts, demonstrating that not all developers are afraid to show they care about our exceptional wildlife.
www.snh.gov.uk
Gigantic scorpion
Evidence of a giant six-legged water scorpion has been found on the Fife coast. There’s no need for alarm, however, as it’s not been there for some 330 million years – before the dinosaurs. Known as Hibbertopterus, this ancient animal would have been about two metres long and about a metre broad, and was related to modern-day scorpions and horseshoe crabs. We know it was there because it
left behind a unique fossil trackway (shown above) as it crawled over damp sand. The trackway, which is preserved in sandstone, consists of three rows of crescent shaped footprints on each side of a central groove. The groove was made by the tail of the animal as it dragged itself over the sand. This find is unique and internationally
important because the creature was gigantic. Sadly, the coastal site where the fossil was found is vulnerable to the forces of nature. To preserve this important evidence, Geoheritage Fife (with funding from SNH and the Geologists’ Association) have paid for the trackway to be moulded in silicone rubber. It’s hoped that replicas made from the moulding can be displayed in museums and universities.
Restoring the land
A recent conference in Peebles brought together land managers, environmentalists, academics and others to consider how to put restoring the environment at the heart of the Scottish Government’s emerging land use strategy. James Aronson from the Centre for
Functional and Evolutionary Ecology in France gave the opening presentation, describing his experience of projects in other countries and the factors that decide whether or not they are successful. Other speakers covered the scope for restoring areas for wildlife in Scotland – upland, woodlands, bogs, rivers and flood plains, as well as farm land – and highlighted examples of good practice. By the end, there was broad
agreement that we need to do more to promote restoring natural areas in Scotland. This will correct the damage caused by past human activity and also help to meet the future challenges and opportunities presented by climate change. Willie McGhee, director of the
Borders Forest Trust, summed up the day: “We must ensure that restoring the environment is at the forefront of any policy decisions. Getting it right is critical for both the land itself and for the people who work and live on it.”
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