A SOUTH of Scotland MSP has been named nature champion of the year.
Colin Smyth is already the Scottish Parliament’s Nature Champion for the Badger and has now been announced as the 2024 MSP Nature Champion of the Year .
He received his award on Friday when he joined Scottish Badgers Secretary Dr Elspeth Stirling and programme manager Elaine Rainey in Dumfries to check on badger road death hotspots in the town.
Mr Smyth said: “Scottish Badgers and their volunteers work tirelessly across the country, monitoring badger levels and looking at ways of ensuring badgers can live in harmony with the rest of countryside without facing threats from appalling practises such as badger baiting, the destruction of setts and an increasing level of road kills.
“It is fantastic that as part of my role as nature champion, I am able to get out and meet with groups like this who are doing amazing conservation work and raising awareness of issues facing our native creatures like the badger. People can have strong views on badgers, not always positive, but my role is to work with groups to make sure that the approach taken to any species is based on evidence not myths.
“We all need to become nature champions if we’re to ensure that some of the amazing creatures and places that we love are still around for our children and grandchildren.”
Elaine Rainey added: “We are delighted to see Colin’s achievements recognised with this award. We are extremely grateful for the support he has shown to our cause over the years and for his skilled input into the legislative changes affecting badgers.”
