Seashore scramble at Merkinch local nature reserve

People living in the Merkinch area of Inverness are being invited to come along to their local nature reserve next month to lend a hand and improve their local environment.  In a call for volunteers, organisers want to prise people free of their armchairs and get them involved in their local community by helping with their Community Service Volunteers Action Earth project – a Seashore Scramble.  

The Seashore Scramble takes place on Wednesday 9 July between 5pm. The Highland Seashore Biodiversity Project will have Seashore expert Mike Kendall to help find and identify the curious creatures on the shore. The Highland Council Countryside Rangers will be on hand to help as everyone taking part tries to find, identify and record as many living things on the shore as possible. This information will help event organisers work out how valuable the shoreline is to wildlife and people. All records will go to the Highland Seashore Project Highlands wide survey and then onto the National Database.  

The activity is part of a campaign called CSV Action Earth organised by Community Service Volunteers. As part of this year’s campaign, Scottish Natural Heritage will be supporting around 160 projects in Scotland through grant awards of up to £500, aimed at groups that will help support and encourage volunteer activity through practical environmental projects.  It is also being supported by the Highland Seashore Project in its aims to encourage local people to explore their coasts and take pride in them.   

Highland Council Countryside Ranger Katy Martin, who is co-ordinating the project, wants to see as many people as possible come along to help on Wednesday 9 July. She said:  “Everybody can get involved in their local outdoor spaces. By coming along and helping us discover and identify the shore wildlife we can help Merkinch Local Nature Reserve flourish. It’s great that we will have Mike Kendall, a Seashore expert to help us as the more we know about what lives on the shore, the better we can look after it for people and for wildlife."   

If you are keen to learn new skills, improve your local environment and have fun at the same time, call Katy Martin 01463 255291. Anyone able to come along is asked to meet up at the Old Ferry Ticket Office at 5pm

If you would like to register your own project or think you can come up with a good project idea, then please take part in the campaign.   Register at http://actionearth.csv.org.uk/ or call CSV Action Earth on 0131 222 9083.  Or if you want to know more about the Highland Seashore Project to get community involved and all its events, festivals and workshops please go to http://www.highlandseashore.org.uk/ or the projects Facebook page at Highland Seashore Biodiversity Project.  

ENDS