May 2023

There is a quote from an 19th century philosopher that always inspires me – “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little.” Do what you can and it will help.

To Colin Galbraith, As part of this project I have been learning about the beautiful Twait Shad and was sad to read that sightings are rare in the Forth. Their numbers have been decimated due to manmade obstructions that prevent them from their natural migratory behaviour to swim upstream to spawn. The Twait Shad are not strong enough swimmers to navigate the ‘fish friendly’ structures that are designed for Salmon. Shad are also easily disorientated by turbulent or complex flowing water. 244 barriers in Scotland have been identified and at least 184 still need addressing. A project on the River Severn has unlocked 158 miles of the river for Shad which has had a beneficial impact on the whole ecosystem from insects to other fish, birds and mammals. We need to repair the damage which has been done in the past and enable healthy spawning grounds. With the climate change crisis, more work needs to be done to ensure smooth migration and ensuring the smaller fish can also benefit from this work. Although there are ambitious plans by SEPA to remove all structures by 2027, it is felt the pace of the project is too slow and there is a lack of clarity and transparency over what work is being done. Even the stronger Salmon have had their numbers reduced by 70% in only 25 years so this project needs to be tackled with more urgency and ensure the smaller species are also having their needs met.

I have been fascinated by the incredible speed in which cephalopods can alter their colour, which led me to investigate the common squid. Common squid belong to a class of marine molluscs called cephalopods. Cephalopods are able to control their colour expression through the use of pigment filled sacs at the centre of radial muscles. […]

The assisted volunteers were given the opportunity to select one of the species assigned to the Ecology Centre, and they decided on the brittle star. The volunteers learned that brittle stars are close relatives of starfish and that they move in a similar fashion, using hundreds of tube feet to allow them to navigate the […]

Herring’s historical place within the Forth. It is emblematic of the Forth’s fishing and of the Forth’s ability to support its coastal communities for centuries. Hearing stories of the lammas drave and the winter herring were stories of my youth and are a part of my family’s history. Herring was a staple of the diets […]

I picked this species because it is my favourite endangered animal. I learned that blue whales are actually grey. They eat lots and lots of krill and lots of little fish. I used A3 paper, pens and watercolour pencils.