Police in Badenoch are appealing for any information from members of the public as they investigate the suspected poisoning of birds of prey in the area following the discovery of two dead buzzards at the weekend. A member of the public, who was shooting at an estate in the Badenoch area, found a dead buzzard and alerted the police. A search of the area resulted in the later discovery of a second dead bird. Tests will be carried out on both birds to establish the exact cause of death and whether or not they were poisoned. Police are urging anyone…

A Stirling-based bumblebee conservation project has been voted the UK’s best environment project by the National Lottery Awards. The Bumblebee Conservation Trust, beat hundreds of projects to win. The project works to raise awareness of the importance of bumblebee conservation to the countryside and crops. The Trust is supported by Kate Humble and is based at Stirling University. It works with land managers, farmers and members of the public across the UK to try and halt the decline in bumblebee numbers. Charity director Dr Ben Darvill told the BBC, “The awards have given us a great opportunity to highlight this…

Volunteer archaeologists are invited to set aside time on Saturday 11 September to join a team of experts as they investigate a recent archaeological find. Uncovered by the Forestry Commission Scotland’s North Highland team when they were preparing ground for tree planting, the site at Craggie, in Glen Oykel, in Sutherland, was identified as an ironworking site by members of the North of Scotland Archaeology Society (NOSAS). Commission archaeologist, Matt Ritchie, said, “It was a few lumps of unusual metal slag that tipped off the Society members and they quite properly notified us about their find. “It’s really quite an…

Scotland’s first butterfly reserve is reporting a significant increase in butterfly numbers this summer, and it could all be down to the interventions of Highland cattle. Set up by Forestry Commission Scotland in partnership with Butterfly Conservation and Forest Research in 2003, the Allt Mhuic nature reserve, on the north Shore of Loch Arkaig, aims to support several species of butterfly, particularly the nationally important Chequered Skipper, that only occurs in the UK within a 25 mile radius of Fort William. As part of this project the Commission pioneered large scale habitat and species management through the use of a…

Entries are now open for the 2010 Earth Vision nature writing contest. Entries can be short fiction, creative non-fiction, poetic prose, or poetry. The nature writing contest is held to support the cause of writing on the subject of nature and deep ecology and although based in America it is open to anyone writing in English. Last year’s winner was Ann Palmer, a UK based author and teacher of creative writing. Entries should be on a theme of nature, deep ecology, spiritual ecology, or any work that has some element of nature woven into it. Submissions can be published or…