Events on Skye

Isle of Skye Flag

As part of a project on wader conservation clusters, we’ve been working on Skye over the last few weeks. It’s really important to understand how farmers and crofters can work together to protect wading birds, and “clusters” are a great way to deliver change across an entire landscape.

Alongside work in Lanarkshire and Angus, initial work towards a Skye “cluster” has been focussed on speaking to a range of crofters, conservationists and bird watchers to get a sense of what they need to set up and run a collaborative project on the island. Every location is different, and the various regions of Scotland pose different challenges and opportunities for wader conservation. On Skye, there was an appetite for more information about wading birds - and a real sense that the current wader situation is unclear. While many crofters and farmers are clear that birds like curlews and lapwings have declined over the last few decades, there is no definitive sense of what birds are left and where they can be found.

Teaming up with BTO Scotland’s Farm Wader Calendar, Working for Waders is supporting three wader ID training events which will take place on the third and fourth of April - links to book a place at these events can be found below. These events will shine a light upon important and declining wader species, helping crofters, birders and land managers to take part in a survey of the island… work which will inform future conservation effort there.

If you want to know how to tell the difference between a curlew, a snipe and a redshank, come along and get involved - it’s a great opportunity to find out more about Working for Waders and learn about our work to protect these important birds!

Broadford Village Hall - Monday 3rd April - 17:30 - 19:00

Uig Community Hall - Tuesday 4th April - 11:30 - 13:00

Minginish Community Hall - Tuesday 4th April - 16:30 - 18:00