A PIONEERING conservation scheme near Moffat has won a top national award.
The South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project has been named Scottish Project of The Year in the 2022 National Lottery Awards after beating off competition from more than 1300 organisations to reach the public voting stage.
The project aims to address the previously low population of golden eagles in Dumfries and Galloway, and through a series of ground-breaking golden eagle translocations which started with three breading pairs in 2018, the initiative has brought the total population to 39, the highest number recorded in 300 years.
Earlier this year, the project reached a new milestone as six more chicks were relocated to southern Scotland. They were transported from the Scottish Highlands in September to a secret location near Moffat.
Delighted to be voted by the public as The National Lottery Scotland Project of the Year, chair of the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project Board Michael Clarke said: “Public support is vital in our work to protect golden eagles in the south of Scotland, so we are absolutely thrilled that they have voted for The South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project to win.
“From taking the local population of golden eagles to the highest number recorded here since the early 19th century and building a growing appreciation of the importance of golden eagles to sustainable rural conservation management, to creating the UK’s first Golden Eagle Town and Festival in Moffat and opening the first mainland Eagle Information Point in Philiphaugh, the work of the project team really is exemplary. And we’re incredibly grateful to the players of the National Lottery and all our funders for making all of this possible.”
Project manager Cat Barlow added: “It is such an honour to win this prestigious award.”
