CONSERVATION & ECOLOGY


It would be the


introduction of Red Squirrel feeding stations and dray boxes. Creating these was


”


achievable by help from the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project, and spare wood!


feel that, after four years, is starting to bear fruits. Next time it would be easier, just due to experiences and learning the capabilities of the grass, especially in early spring when you need to cut and remove again.


RR: Thinning out the rough to encourage wildflowers is all about persistence. By cutting and collecting through these areas you are removing nutrients that historically would have been removed by wild animals grazing. This helps reduce grass vigour and, along with scarification, opens up areas of the soil for new flowering species to take hold. The nutrients in these areas has built up like a bank, so it may be some years before you see results.


CC: The loss of Rescue, as a selective herbicide to remove competitive coarse grasses and leave fine fescues, was a serious blow for rough management and creating the space for wildflowers to flourish. But Operation Pollinator wildflower establishment trials at STRI have shown


Red squirrel on bird feeder


Richard is doing everything right in cutting and removing vegetation and deep scarification before over seeding; having sufficient bare soil before sowing looks harsh, but is crucial to get seed established. With ongoing management, it’s important to take care to avoid fertiliser spread or run off onto the wildflower rough areas. That will help supress competitive grass growth, as well as ensure more efficient use of the nutrients where they are wanted and less environmental loss - which makes economic and sustainability sense.


PC: Which areas have personally given you the greatest satisfaction, and why?


RM: Increases in solitary bee, butterfly and hover flies are great to see and a real indication that we are doing the right things for habitat creation. Also, red squirrel numbers are a real delight for us as we got about our work, and for the players on the course. Both projects are equally satisfying, as we’re feeling a real buzz around the


increases in biodiversity. We only have a small team, Paul McKay and Steven Shaw, along with myself, so it has been great for them to engage with the projects - it allows them to learn and enhance their own environments as well as the courses.


RR: The number of different invertebrate species is a real sign of good quality habitat. Invertebrates tend to have very specialised needs, so a wide variety of them suggests a diverse habitat. I always recommend to get local experts involved to perform species counts at the start and at regular intervals during a project. This can provide data to show off with at the next general meeting!


PC: Has the ecological work resulted in any surprising finds for you?


RM: For sure, we had no idea of the existence of slow worms on the course. And, because of changes to our course maintenance, we have been able to grow natural heather again - from seed banks within the soil profiles.


Rowan Rumball STRI 104 PC April/May 2020


Barn owl box built in the course workshop


Red squirrel boxes being erected


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