Wild Technology Walk

Nothing beats seeing wildlife with our own eyes. Spotting birds, plants and animals while we’re out and about is fascinating, but how many times have you thought, “I’ll look that up later and find out what it was,” and forgotten to get around to it? These days there is a lot of accessible and easy to use technology that can help us to identify and record what we’ve seen, and even send our sightings to organisations that will help to conserve our wildlife.

The Highland Council is offering people the chance to join their Rangers to find out about easy to use technology that can help with wildlife watching and recording this winter.

The event at Balnain on Saturday 7 November from 10am until 12 noon will involve a gentle woodland walk, returning to Balnain Hall to view things more closely using technology and share our experience of using different apps and devices.

Ranger Saranne Bish, who will be leading the walk, is a real advocate of how handy some of this new technology has been in her work and when spotting wildlife in her own time. She said: “I use apps on my phone all the time to help me to identify things, even when I’m out walking my dog and come across something I haven’t seen before. It’s really great to be able to send in e.g. the location of invasive species, like giant hogweed, straight away, and to know that the information is going to an organisation where it will be used. We can all really make a difference and have fun with some of this technology, and it’s not too technical, I promise!”

Participants are asked to come along to the Balnain Community Hall NH 446302 on Saturday 7th November at 10am. If you have any devices with wildlife apps, digital cameras or sound recorders that you are happy to show other people, please bring them along. The event costs £4 for adults, £3 concession and £11.00 for a family. For further information please contact Saranne on 01479 873914 or saranne.bish@highland.gov.uk .