by Anne MacLennan Salmon farming is unsustainable according to a report published last month. Aquaculture is the fastest food production system in the world. Farmed fish have outnumbered wild-caught fish since 2022. Seventy percent of salmon are now farmed, with...
Scottish Land Commission survey and route map
The Scottish Land Commission is seeking ideas on what a fully land reformed Scotland could look like, and what it would mean to you. There's a short online form with two main questions: 1. What changes would you like to see in how land is owned and used in Scotland...
Bracadale Beach Blitz
by Peggy Semler From 9 - 11 May, a successful collaborative effort took place to remove marine litter and debris from seven beaches around Loch Bracadale. Volunteers, along with partner organisations, focused on cleaning remote and inaccessible areas along the...
A new butterfly species for Skye
Members of Skye Naturalists' Network have found a new butterfly species for Skye – the Chequered Skipper – at Dalavil in Sleat, with the nearest known colonies at Morar on the mainland. (Photo by Martin Benson). They also found a number of rare or unusual species such...
Let it bloom June!
After No-Mow May comes Let it bloom June! Some tips on how to manage your lawn for nature all year round from Plant Life's Let it Bloom June campaign. Things don’t have to get messy and you can still be in control while maintaining a space for your local wildlife....
Want to work in Wildlife and Conservation Management?
SRUC (Scotland's Rural College) is offering a distance learning course in MSc Wildlife and Conservation Management. The flexible, online, three-year programme includes conservation management, rural land use planning, land use history and more. Applications are...
Does Skye need a Plastic Action group?
by Anne MacLennan Plastic is a problem and there is a lot of it about. Invented (as Bakelite) in 1907, production had reached 2.3m tons annually by 1950, 448 tons in 2015, and is set to at least double by mid-century. The plastic lifecycle aggravates climate change...
Skye Beach Cleans update for May
by Peggy Semler We have been slowly ramping up activities during April, with beach cleans at Harlosh (5th), survey and clean at Ostaig by Sleat Nature Group (6th), clean at Ullinish/Eabost (12th) and Uig (26th) – which means we have now removed in excess of 2.5 tonnes...
Jane Goodall’s Earth Day Message
Dr Jane Goodall is a primatologist, anthropologist and environmental advocate, known for her lifetime of study with wild chimpanzee societies. Her Earth Day message speaks of the harm we are doing to nature, why she nevertheless has hope for the future and how we can...
Bats on Skye
Bats are generally smaller than one thinks. Common Pipistrelle bat. Photo: Gilles San Martin Bats are the only true flying mammal, making up more than quarter of mammal species in the UK. All our native species are insect eaters, beautifully adapted to aerial...