Posts for June, 2022

Join this behind the scenes tour to learn more about the gorgeous Invereshie and Inshriach National Nature Reserve and help with some practical woodland management.

Led by NatureScot, we will explore this special reserve – a mixture of pine plantation and naturally regenerating Caledonian forest, nestled under the stunning Cairngorm plateau.

We’ll learn how to manage woodlands, including the importance of deadwood to the forest ecosystem and discover how the Cairngorms Connect scientists monitor the health of the forest, with the help of some special insects.

After hearing about a variety of conservation techniques that are used to manage woodlands, you will be able to have a go yourself at a technique called ringbarking*

Friday 8th July
1pm-3:30pm
Meet at the Allt Ruadh car park – about 1.5miles past Lagganlia (grid ref: NH85260123)
This event is free but spaces are limited, so booking is essential!

There will be some walking on steep and uneven terrain, so suitable footwear and clothing is required.

*All tools and equipment required for the ringbarking will be provided. Under-18s must be accompanied by an adult.

The way we each experience places can be vastly different – our unique emotions, knowledge, memories and company can all alter how we connect to the land. What and who we’re in company with shapes our connections to a landscape. In this workshop, we’ll be looking at our relationship with a place over time.

No previous writing experience is necessary; over 16s* and all abilities very welcome.
*under-18s must be accompanied by an adult.

These workshops are free, but places are limited. Please sign up to reserve a space.

Location: Loch Insh Outdoor Centre, Ptarmigan Building

Monday 4th July 6pm-8pm

For any questions please contact Elizabeth directly on ekr.waxwing@gmail.com

If you live locally and would like to attend but need help getting to the event please get in touch and we can arrange a lift to and from the event.


Elizabeth Reeder and Amanda Thomson (writer), together with Robbie Synge (choreographer and filmmaker) are Artists in Residence with Cairngorms Connect through the Endangered Landscapes Artists Residency programme.

Come on a tour, behind the scenes, in our collections store in Am Fasgadh. See over 10,000 objects illustrating a unique Highland way of life, brought to life by our store tour guides. Please book ahead to avoid disappointment on 01349 781650 or in person at the museum.

The way we each experience places can be vastly different – our unique emotions, knowledge, memories and company can all alter how we connect to the land. What and who we’re in company with shapes our connections to a landscape. In this workshop, we’ll be looking at our relationship with a place over time.

No previous writing experience is necessary; over 16s* and all abilities very welcome.
*under-18s must be accompanied by an adult.

These workshops are free, but places are limited. Please sign up to reserve a space.

Location: RSPB Loch Garten Nature Centre.

Tuesday 5th July 6pm-8pm A writing workshop with Amanda Thomson and Elizabeth Reeder

For any questions please contact Elizabeth directly on ekr.waxwing@gmail.com

If you live locally and would like to attend but need help getting to the event please get in touch and we can arrange a lift to and from the event.


Elizabeth Reeder and Amanda Thomson (writer), together with Robbie Synge (choreographer and filmmaker) are Artists in Residence with Cairngorms Connect through the Endangered Landscapes Artists Residency programme.

We will go all the way through the project from project design, fabric selection, customising our pattern, cutting fabric & construction.

We will be making a pair of the Waves & Wild Four Seasons Joggers and Emi T-Shirt which are a great comfy combination. They both have lots of different options including different lengths, sleeves and pockets. We will be working with stretch fabric so will be learning to use different machine stitches and possibly trying out the overlocker machines.

Click on the button to see example dungarees (taken from the Waves & Wild Website).
Basic sewing skills are needed (i.e. knowing how to use a sewing machine and sew a straight seam).

Ages 10+

We will go all the way through the project from project design, fabric selection, customising our pattern, cutting fabric & construction.

We will be making a pair of the Waves & Wild Hey Days Dungarees – a fantastic garment for any age or style! This pattern has lots of customisable options meaning you can really create your own unique dungarees.

Click on the button to see example dungarees (taken from the Waves & Wild Website).
Basic sewing skills are needed (i.e. knowing how to use a sewing machine and sew a straight seam).

Ages 10+

Each block will have a different theme & every day we will be creating something new!

All activities will introduce basic craft skills, combining colours, working with different materials and construction.

We will provide the instructions & ideas but kids will be able to explore their own creativity and make their own choices, with the overall goal being FUN!

Parents/Carers will be welcome to stay & enjoy tea, coffee & refreshments or you can drop kids off & enjoy the child-free time!

Each block will have a different theme & every day we will be creating something new!

All activities will introduce basic craft skills, combining colours, working with different materials and construction.

We will provide the instructions & ideas but kids will be able to explore their own creativity and make their own choices, with the overall goal being FUN!

Parents/Carers will be welcome to stay & enjoy tea, coffee & refreshments or you can drop kids off & enjoy the child-free time!

Explore the fascinating world of moths and discover why they are so important!

Take a daytime walk through any natural habitat and you’ll be surrounded by a large number of moths, but you probably won’t see any of them because they are so good at hiding. However, by running a light trap overnight, we can catch these nocturnal fliers and take an up-close look at them in the morning.

If you haven’t attended a moth-trapping session before, we can guarantee that you will be amazed by the beauty and diversity of moths. As well as going through the night’s catch, we will talk about rare moths at Insh Marshes, such as Dark Bordered Beauty and Cousin German, and how Cairngorms Connect are monitoring moth communities at a landscape scale.

Some areas may be rough underfoot. The route is unfortunately not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies, and we recommend sturdy footwear.

Children over 12 welcome, under 18s with an accompanying adult.

Much conservation activity serves to stop or, more dismally, merely slow the rate of biodiversity loss. But I will argue in this talk that island restoration offers the possibility of a net biodiversity gain, potentially in perpetuity. This is especially true when invasive species threatening native wildlife can be eradicated. The talk will particularly focus on projects around the world that have removed rats, goats and cats from oceanic islands over the past 30 years. During this time expertise has grown and projects on ever-larger islands have become achievable, with clear gains for seabirds and other native species.