Dingwall event will be 'soil' right on the night!
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
FROM a "BioBlitz" in Dingwall to worm charming in Sutherland, a festival with a difference is set to throw the spotlight on something of vital importance to our survival.
The Highland Soil Biodiversity Festival comprises nine days of illustrated talks, field visits and guided walks to raise awareness of the importance of our soils for nature and wildlife.
Janet Bromham, biodiversity officer with Highland Council, is co-ordinating the festival.
She said: "We have put together a very interesting programme of events all over Highland to try to answer the questions of Why does soil matter? What does it do for us? and What lives in and on it?
"We are holding this festival during Scottish Biodiversity Week because soil and soil biodiversity is receiving more attention from the press and the policy makers and yet very few people have a clear understanding of how soils work and why they are important to us.
"It fits in very well with the Scottish Biodiversity Week theme ‘Biodiversity is Life – Biodiversity is Our Life’ and we hope lots of people across Highland will take this opportunity to find out about soil and associated wildlife.
"There will be something for everyone, from a Soil Biodiversity Forum to walks, talks and site visits looking at the animals that live in and on the soil, how soil influences vegetation and land use, and how we can manage our soils better to benefit wildlife and people.
"We are running a BioBlitz event in Dingwall, where people will get a chance to spot as many different species of plant and animal as they can in 24 hours, and a Worm Charming Championship in Lairg, which, of course, will be judged according to strict International Worm Charming Championship rules!"
Professor Richard Bardgett, Lancaster Environment Centre added: "Soil, and the multitude of organisms that live in it, play a vital role in controlling all the biogeochemical cycles on which the functioning and future health of the Earth depends. This festival is a fantastic opportunity for people to learn about the many, often unexpected, ways that humans depend on soil, both knowingly and unknowingly."
Events run from Saturday to Sunday, May 19 to 27. Visit the Highland Biodiversity Partnership’s website www.highlandbiodiversity.com for a detailed programme and further information or contact Janet Bromham or Jonathan Willet on 01463 702274 for further information.
