Friday 20 May from 1000hrs to 1500hrs at Mull Head Visitor Centre
After two years of Covid restrictions on meeting up and gathering we are delighted to be hosting our first project public open day since trapping began back in August 2019. Everyone is welcome just to drop by at any time and experience hands on conservation and wildlife management with us – the world’s largest stoat eradication in a populated place.
We will be set up at the Mull Head visitor centre, thanks to the generosity of our partner Orkney Islands Council. So come rain or shine we will be open for business to anyone wanting to come along and find out more about us, what we do and how we are doing.
So far since the project began in earnest in 2019 we have removed close to 2,800 stoats from Orkney to help protect the native wildlive. Come along and meet the dog handling teams who are crucial to finding stoats especially now that the population has significantly reduced. There will be demonstrations of how the dog teams work showing just how they point out signs of stoats to their accredited handlers, whether because of fresh poo or scent.
The wildlife monitoring team will also be there to explain their work checking on Orkney’s birdlife population and there will be a chance to join in and look for the elusive Orkney vole. The trapping field team will be on hand to explain why they need to have those stoats spotted by you reported in as soon as possible. There will also be games and activities for all the family – with refreshments too.
This is also an extra special event as we join in with the rest of Europe to celebrate EULife's 30 years of success for the environment and climate action. Since its launch in 1992, LIFE has co-financed more than 5,500 environmental projects, including our own. As an EULife funded project we are proud to participate.
As it is over the Orkney Nature Festival weekend you could also take the opportunity for a nice walk along to the Gloop celebrating the magnificence of Orkney’s nature!
Dog Demos at 11:00hrs 12:30hrs and 14:00hrs.