Saturday 22 August 10am – 1pm
A major project to restore farmland and plantation near Alyth to a natural, uncultivated state is inviting local people to help count insects, spiders and worms on the land.
The Bamff Estate is planning a rewilding project that will transform 166 hectares (410 acres) of farmland and plantations into stunning wildlife habitat.
Estate owners Paul and Louise Ramsay hope that their “citizens? science” project will measure the difference rewilding can make to the bugs and worms that are at the heart of the natural ecosystem.
They are inviting anyone interested to gather at Bamff, three miles northwest of Alyth, on Saturday morning, 22 August, to catch, record, count and then release as many bugs and worms as they can find in different areas and habitats of the estate.
Louise Ramsay said: ?We know we have lots of beautiful butterflies, dragonflies and ladybirds to as well as spiders, beetles, shield bugs and wriggling worms on the estate, but we don?t have enough information on the numbers of species or individuals. Doing a count like this gives us a baseline from which to measure progress over time.
?People taking part in our Bug and Worm Hunt will be making a really valuable contribution to understanding how a rewilding project like ours can help sustain and nurture Scotland?s natural environment.”
The event organisers say that if the weather is dry they will concentrate on bugs, and if it is raining they will concentrate on worms.
The Hunt will take place completely outdoors so will be easy to socially distance. A local ecologist, Alan Ross, will give training and maps and butterfly nets will be provided.
For more details and to register for the event, go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/big-bamff-bug-and-worm-hunt-tickets-116090099613
To find out more about the Bamff Rewilding project, go to: https://bamff.land
(ends)