Our last talk of the season 2018/2019 was on Tueday 2 April. The next season of our winter talks will begin Tuesday, 1st October 2019. We meet at our usual venue, Stirling Indoor Bowling Club, 2 Forth Street, Stirling, FK8 1UE.

You can follow this LINK to our full programme, together with details of our venue which is very easy to find (only around five minutes walk from Stirling Station).

GOOD NEWS from SWT Head Office

From 1 May beavers in Scotland will join species such as otters, bats and bottlenose dolphins as a European Protected Species in Scotland. This means that beavers will be able to spread naturally throughout the country and we can effectively welcome them home as a native Scottish species.

Local Species Champion: Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane constituency, supports the rare Sticky Catchfly (Silene viscaria), one of our local gems in the Ochil Hills.

To find out about (1) how to help to discover how much carbon storage has changed since the last Ice Age and (2) a FREE one day Plant ID course click: VOLUNTEER NEWS

For Scottish Wildlife Trust HQ's latest Newsletter please click: HQ NEWSLETTER

For our group's past and present Newsletters please click: NEW CHAIRMAN'S NEWSLETTER 2019

For Plantlife's latest Newsletter please click: PLANTLIFE

MOTH GROUP: Please follow this LINK to find out more.

CASHEL FOREST BIO-BLITZ 2019

Please participate in another “Bio-Blitz” at Cashel Forest, a ‘Millennium Forest’ new native woodland on the east shore of Loch Lomond.

Date: Saturday 17 August 2019

There is baseline biological records data available from the late 1990’s when the sheep stock was removed and the native woodland planting started. There has been no grazing since (other than deer); the woodland is now well established. Crags and open moorland still exist; streams, gorge woodland and SSSI Oak woodland all feature.

Location: The entrance to the Cashel Forest Car Park is at NS 397 938 (OS Landranger Sheet 56: Loch Lomond and Inveraray Area); Cashel Centre is at NS 400 940 (Post Code: G63 0AW).

Directions: Take the B837 from Drymen to Balmaha. Cashel lies 2.5 miles north of Balmaha, on the north east side of the minor road from Balmaha to the road end at Rowardennan.

There is ample on-site car-parking, including for mini-buses if you wish to bring a group of members. There is a large open fronted Dutch barn, and work/display tables can be provided.

The event is organised on a ‘self-help self-funding’ basis – Bring your own lunch – Provide your own transport (although I will be able to arrange some lift-sharing once it is clear who will be attending).

There are café’s and shops in Drymen, and café’s at Balmaha. There is a toilet in the Cashel Visitor Centre – and a larger toilet block at the National Park Milarrochy Bay Car-park, half way between Balmaha and Cashel.

Please confirm that you will be attending, which organisation you are affiliated to and your particular interest.

On behalf of the directors of the RSFS Forest Trust and the managers at Cashel Forest, all welcome.