The National Trust for Scotland team at St Abb’s Head is celebrating a record-breaking number of different species recorded at the National Nature Reserve, that will help them build an accurate account of the biodiversity at this special coastal landscape.
The Bioblitz events in August were delivered by the conservation charity’s team of rangers at the nature reserve, near Eyemouth, in the Scottish Borders, in partnership with the Berwickshire Marine Reserve. The team engaged with 53 members of the public to assist with species monitoring and carry out land-based surveys where they helped record more varieties of different flora and fauna than ever before, with 326 species documented in one day, August 2, improving upon the previous record of 298 from 2018.
A dive of the coastal marine environment near St Abb’s Head harbor at two sites, Anemone Gullies and Peanut Wreck Boilers, was rescheduled to August 23 due to bad weather conditions on the day of the Bioblitz event. Data gathered during the dives by staff from the Berwickshire Marine Reserve, the Trust and a visiting scientist from Traversing European Coastlines (TREC) project, complemented the previous land-based surveys, helping to boost the total number of species recorded to 349.
The public were able to record their findings using a specialist app to photograph the different species of plants, insects, mammals and seabirds that reside at the coastal headland and marine reserves. The event was designed to get members of the public excited about their local wildlife and the important work of both charities. The National Trust for Scotland, the country’s largest conservation charity, cares for and shares St Abb’s Head National Nature Reserve, providing access to its nature, beauty and heritage for everyone.
Jordanna Kitching, National Trust for Scotland engagement ranger at St Abb’s Head, said: “We’re delighted with the outcome from our Bioblitz event in August and subsequent dives of the coastal environment around the reserve. The bumper number of species recorded including minke whale, Atlantic wolffish, peregrine falcon and great skua, shows the diversity and scale of the wildlife that call this special landscape home and demonstrates the importance of our work here. This information will help us to compile a comprehensive set of data on the various species, informing how we best care for and protect their habitats. It will also help us to create a baseline set of data to allow us to compare future data to potentially identify indicators of change to the species found here.”
Jordanna, whose role is made possible thanks to the Love Our Nature project, supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, expressed her gratitude to visitors and members who contributed to the success of the species monitoring event. The Love our Nature project is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, who have now raised more than £1 billion for thousands of charities and local good causes. This includes a total of over £2.5m for the National Trust for Scotland to support its work to enrich and protect Scotland’s landscapes and wildlife, since 2014.
“We’re incredibly thankful to the members of the public who joined our species monitoring efforts, who, despite the wet weather conditions, helped us to beat the last count carried out in 2018. We’re also grateful for the continued generosity of our members and supporters, who help us to continue our vital work to protect Scotland’s nature and heritage, now and for future generations to enjoy.”
Alongside the species monitoring, there was a host of events taking place throughout the day at the Bioblitz event including a guided bird and wildlife walk, whale and dolphin watching using telescopes from the area by the lighthouse, a guided bug hunt, and a rock-pooling session in St Abb's Harbour.
Berwickshire Marine Reserve who worked in partnership with the Trust to deliver the Bioblitz events, is Scotland's only voluntary marine reserve and was set up in 1984 by the local community to care for this unique ocean environment.
Lauren Nieuwenhuys, Berwickshire Marine Reserve Project Officer, said: “We had a fantastic day working with NTS on the Bioblitz event—it's really highlighted how special this part of the world is and how important the work of both reserves is. It's great to see so many members of the public getting involved and showing an interest too. We’re thankful to Simpsons McCreath Trust for their support in funding the boat for the marine survey activity and we’re already looking forward to Bioblitz 2024.”
Events like St Abb’s Head’s Bioblitz supports the National Trust for Scotland’s mission to provide access to nature, beauty and heritage for everyone, outlined in its 10-year strategy, launched in 2022. This work supports its conservation and engagement goals to enrich Scotland’s protected heritage, enable nature to flourish and provide inspiring heritage visitor experiences.
Further information about St Abb’s Head National Nature Reserve can be found on the National Trust for Scotland website.
