A NEW multi-species conservation programme is hard at work along the Solway Coast.
Species on the Edge is a partnership programme of NatureScot and seven conservation charities, all dedicated to improving the fortunes of 37 priority species found along Scotland’s coast and islands.
The Species on the Edge Solway team are working with local communities to safeguard a range of species including: natterjack toad, Greenland white-fronted goose, red-billed chough, northern brown argus butterfly, tadpole shrimp, as well as terns, bats, and farmland waders.
Project activities locally include species monitoring, habitat restoration, education and outreach events, volunteering opportunities, and training workshops.
Project officer from RSPB Scotland Jack Barton has already been busy meeting with landowners and conducting field surveys along the Solway coast.
He said: “Agriculture is a major industry in Dumfries and Galloway and the Solway coast has a diverse pastoral landscape. As is the case across Scotland, the farmed landscape is undergoing constant change as farming practices evolve to become more efficient and to meet new economic demands. These changes can pose a threat to species such as curlew and lapwing, which have both declined catastrophically in recent decades.
“Species on the Edge offers an exciting chance to work with local land managers and communities to support local biodiversity.”
n For more information about Species on the Edge and how to get involved, visit www.speciesontheedge.co.uk.
