Six free things to do with kids in the Easter hols – that also help protect Scotland’s nature and beauty spots
SCOTLAND is a brilliant place to enjoy the beauty of nature.
And to help protect the future of our wonderful wildlife and rolling landscape, Scots are being asked to give up a little of their time.
April marks National Citizen Science Month when members of the public work together with boffins to conduct research.
Whether folk have five minutes or five hours to spare, there are loads of activities, from litter picks to animal hunts, going on. And the best part is they are free - ideal for the Easter hols.
Charities, such as the Marine Conservation Society, use the data collected to make recommendations and decisions that work towards a cleaner, better-protected and healthier Scotland.
Hannah Bester, Volunteer Experience Manager at the society, far right, said, “Anyone can be a citizen scientist. A little time goes a long way, so people can have a big impact without a big commitment.
“Our data has provided evidence that has created real-life change, from carrier bag charges to designating Marine Protected Areas, the vital work of our volunteers really does help to protect our seas”.
Here are six ways you can be a citizen scientist in Scotland.
BIG BEACH CLEAN UP
SCOTS can join a beach clean survey this April and record all the litter items they find on a 100m stretch of sand.
Every lolly stick, lost toy or piece of plastic picked up by volunteers helps the Marine Conservation Society track litter back to source and inform policy changes to better protect UK seas.
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The charity’s annual report found that in 2023, volunteers removed over 480,000 litter items from our beaches.
The society runs beach cleans all year round or you can get involved by organising your own. Find out more about how to get involved with a beach clean HERE.
GET A GOOD REP
CHARITY Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC) is looking for animal fans to get searching in their gardens.
Our outdoor spaces can provide important habitats for reptiles and amphibians - such as frogs, newts and snakes - and the organisation wants to gather information that informs its vital conservation work.
They ask those taking part to spend a few minutes carefully looking in their garden, especially places like ponds, compost heaps and near rock and log piles. Then they fill in a form noting what they see. Surveys can be carried out once or many times.
The charity maps creature sightings and reports back on what people are finding. Find out more at rc-trust.org/garden-dragon-watch
UNDER THE SEA
KEEN divers and snorkelers can do their bit for the marine environment by collecting information about habitats, plants and animals that they see under the water.
Seasearch gathers information from all around Britain, tracking the health of sea environments to understand the distribution of marine ecosystems.
It also lets them know what’s special about different areas, what’s going on that may be affecting them and make informed decisions about protection measures.
And for those who want to stay dry, they can conduct a survey at their nearest rockpool instead.
Find out more about Seasearch at.mcsuk.org/what-you-can-do/volunteering/seasearch-diving
BEAUTY SPOTS
THE National Trust for Scotland looks after some of the country’s most spectacular properties - but it also cares for natural beauty spots too.
And there are loads of volunteering opportunities with the organisation which fall under the citizen science category.
At the moment, for example, the Trust is looking for people to help out at Corrieshalloch Gorge, a hidden gem nestled in the hills around Loch Broom, in Wester Ross. It’s the smallest of Scotland’s National Nature Reserves.
The hands-on role sees volunteers carrying out wildlife surveys and monitoring, managing animal habitats and helping control invasive species.
Find out what opportunities are available at nts.org.uk/support-us/get-involved
PLANT THE IDEAS
IT’S not all about wildlife - plants and flowers also need to be looked after by budding citizen scientists.
The Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland organises the Garden Wildflower Huntm, which first launched in spring 2020.
The organisation asks people to share records of plants found outside the garden gate as well as wildflowers - even pesky weeds - that grow in gardens, on your balconies and even in planters by the front door. And they have a handy identifier so you know what to look out for.
Since it was launched more than 1,700 species of plants have been identified throughout the country. Log onto gardenwildflowerhunt.org/ to find out more.
JOIN THE HIGH-FLYERS
FOR fans of birds, ornithology groups across the UK have clubbed together to create BirdTrack.
The app lets twitchers store a record of the winged creatures they spot as well as seeing what fellow bird-watchers have noted and where. Trackers can also send sightings of sick and dead birds to help track avian flu.
National and regional summaries updated every night throughout the year.
And the hope is experts will be able to see what migration movements are going on and the distributions of birds throughout the country.
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Tracking also helps support species conservation at local, regional, national and international levels.
Log onto bto.org/our-science/projects/birdtrack for more details.
