Winter Talks
TALKS 2021/22
We are delighted to announce that we have a full series of talks lined up for the winter. Until the end of the year they will continue to be offered via Zoom but Covid and venue permitting we hope to hold some indoor meetings in 2022.
The first talk will take place via Zoom on:
Tuesday 5 October at 7.30 p.m. and is entitled:
Carbon and Rewilding
It will be presented by Neil Kitching and is particularly apt in the lead up to COP26 in Glasgow.
Neil is Energy and Water Specialist at Scottish Enterprise and will be speaking in a personal capacity.
He is a geographer, author and energy specialist and will present on the links between climate change and nature. In his book, Carbon Choices, he identifies the 10 building blocks that society needs to adopt to tackle the climate crises - such as sensible economics, taking a long term approach, innovation, education and the role of community. But most of these also apply to our nature and biodiversity crises. Neil will explore the links between carbon and nature and question our love affair with the typical highland scenery. Is rewilding the answer? Neil's talk will be illustrated with his photographs from Scotland and overseas and we hope will stimulate an interesting debate.
Zoom Link: TBA asap
Please note that some past talks can be viewed by going to:
https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/things-to-do/watch-wildlife-online/online-talks/
We usually (in CoViD-19 free times) meet in Stirling Indoor Bowling Club (SIBC) in Forth Street, Stirling, FK8 1UE. This is a large grey building with a big car park behind and to the side. It is the next building along from the Ten Pin Bowling Centre. The entrance is the same as for The Stirling Wood Centre, the Indoor Bowling Club being on your left. Talks usually start at 7.30pm with suggested donations of £3 (students/unemployed £1) including tea and biscuits.
Our talks are open to all, whether or not you are a member of the SWT or from our area. They are normally held on the first Tuesday of the month at 7.30 p.m.
Currently we deliver our talks via Zoom online meetings.
PAST TALKS 2020/21 SEASON
Tuesday 6 October 2020
Amphibians and Reptiles in Scotland
Chris Cathrine, Caledonian Conservation Ltd
Tuesday 3 November 2020
East Coast Sea Eagle Reintroduction
Owen Selly, RSPB's Conservation Officer - Loch Lomond, The Trossachs and Tayside
Tuesday 1 December 2020
Nature Friendly Farming at Argaty Red Kites
Tom Bowser, Head Ranger at Argaty Red Kites
Tuesday 5 January 2021
From Magic to Medicine: Scottish Vernacular Plant Medicine
Gregory Kenicer, Botanist at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Tuesday 2 February 2021
The Impact of Gardening on Wild Plant Populations
Roy Sexton, Past Chair, SWT Stirling and Clacks
7.30 p.m. on Tuesday 2 March
Bogs for Bugs - An introduction to bogs and the specialist invertebrates you find on them together with the conservation and restoration of peatlands around Falkirk.
Melissa Shaw, a member of our Committee and the Peatland Conservation Officer at Buglife - The Invertebrate Conservation Trust
PAST TALKS 2019/20 SEASON
Tuesday 1 October 2019
The Survival and Dispersal Strategies of Moths and Butterflies
Jo Davis, Butterfly Conservation, West Scotland Group
Tuesday 5 November 2019
Golf Course Ecology (a brief look at environmental management)
James Hutchinson, BIGGA (The Greenkeepers' Association)
followed by:
Sustainability in Golf (Our changing climate, resource efficiency and community engagement)
Carolyn Hedley, Scottish Golf
Tuesday 3 December 2019
Ancient Woodlands
Richard Thompson, Forestry and Land Scotland
NB: Questions, submitted in advance via our Contact Us page, would be welcome.
Tuesday 7 January 2020
The Work of the Scottish Raptor Group
Duncan Orr-Ewing, Head of Species and Land Management, RSPB, Scotland
Tuesday 4th February 2020
Our Catchment-wide Work on the Allan Water
Sandra Stewart, Project Officer for The Forth Rivers Trust Catchment-wide Work on the Allan Water
Tuesday 3 March 2020
The Secret Lives of Bats
Liz Ferrell, Scottish Officer, Bat Conservation Trust
Photograph: (C) Daniel Hargreaves/www.bats.org.uk
PAST TALKS 2018-2019 SEASON
What do birds get up to? Technology, tags and trackers
Ben Darvill (BTO)
Tuesday 2nd October 2018
Tag'n'Track: All you need to know about Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Hayley Douglas (Tag 'n' track development officer)
Tuesday 6th November 2018
The Flora of Central Scotland - 50 years of Change
Roy Sexton (SWT Stirling and Clacks) Combined meeting with Botanical Society of Scotland
Tuesday 4th December 2018
Perspectives in Marine Conservation
Linda Rosborough (Chair of SWT)
Tuesday 8th January 2019
Blood, Sweat and Deers
Lucy Webster (Wildlife DNA Unit at Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture)
Tuesday 5th February 2019
Sir John Murray and Sir Wyville Thomson: Sons of the Forth and Leaders of the Great Challenger Expedition
Roy Sexton, Chairman, SWT Stirling and Clacks
Tuesday 5th March 2019
Short AGM at 7.15 p.m. followed at 7.30 p.m.by
Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels
Mary-Anne Collis (Conservation Officer, SWT)
Tuesday 2nd April 2019