Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba Scottish Natural Heritage North East Invasive Non-Native Plants Forum Scottish Invasive Species Initiative (SISI) 28 March 2018 Inverurie
Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba Scottish Natural Heritage Aim and Objectives Project aim: SISI aims to establish and support a network of local organisations and volunteers to engage with their local river environment and implement community-based, strategic invasive non-native species management over approximately 29,500 km 2 of northern Scotland. Project objectives: 1. Communities and organisations aware and engaged with the freshwater environment and the management of INNS. 2. Implement participatory adaptive INNS management, biosecurity and restoration.
Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba Scottish Natural Heritage Scottish Natural Heritage SISI – Objectives to Activities Objectives Activities 1. Communities and organisations 1.1: Communications, public aware and engaged with the awareness and education freshwater environment and the 1.2: Volunteer recruitment, management of INNS training and Guidance 2. Implement participatory 2.1 Develop, implement and adaptive INNS management promote biosecurity measures 2.2 Implement invasive plant control strategy (including restoration) 2.3 Implement American mink control strategy
Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba Scottish Natural Heritage Scottish Natural Heritage Project value, who’s doing it and management 1. Value: >£3M (4 years) SNH Line Manager Steering Group • Cash: • HLF - £1.59M Project Manager • SNH - £500k Administrator • Non cash: • Partners and Volunteers 2. Project Team: • Project Officers (x4 plus x2 seasonal) • Time from partners • SNH staff • Community groups and Volunteers Project Responsibility
Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba Scottish Natural Heritage
Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba Scottish Natural Heritage
Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba Scottish Natural Heritage Some key points…. • Strategic scale - 29,500km2 is a big area (largest invasive species control project in the world) and delivery will be a big challenge • Partners, community groups and volunteers to manage and control INNS • Objectives more about people, communities and engagement than simple delivery of INNS control • SISI and its partners must work together and engage effectively with others
Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba Scottish Natural Heritage SISI – Why? American mink: an explosive invasion in Scotland, slower speed in mountain areas but relentless Fraser et al (2013) 1967 2010 Biodiv Dist.
Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba Scottish Natural Heritage SISI: How? Mink rafts: a key component of coverage and participation Prints in clay Monitoring mode Mink in trap Trap set on raft
Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba Scottish Natural Heritage Scottish Mink Initiative: Partnership and volunteers removed breeding mink from over a 29,000 km 2 area bounded by seas and mountains
Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba Scottish Natural Heritage Partnership and volunteers removed breeding mink from over a 29,000 km 2 area bounded by seas and mountains
Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba Scottish Natural Heritage SISI Approach – targeted application of effort and resources dependant on past activities and results
Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba Scottish Natural Heritage Scottish Natural Heritage SISI: Invasive Plant Control and Management • Prioritisation: • Not all of the species all of the time • Himalayan balsam, Giant hogweed, Japanese knotweed plus Butterbur trials (Spey) • Control: • Targeted contractor activities • Widespread volunteer and community action • Capacity building: • Of communities and volunteers
Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba Scottish Natural Heritage Volunteers – recruitment, retention and reward • Some groups known from previous partner • Wide range of potential volunteers recognised in SISI. e.g. work on mink, plants and fisheries • Others we need to make efforts to reach • Professionally interested • Young People • Volunteer time is valued and valuable to SISI and significant time and resource is allocated to • Disadvantaged groups help secure volunteer input; • Community groups • Travel costs • Conservation groups • Training and equipment • Companies • Refreshments • Reward events
Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba Scottish Natural Heritage Volunteers – recruitment, retention and reward • We will support volunteers by provision of • Many volunteering options out there so SISI equipment, training and staff support needs to offer complimentary, high quality, safe, valuable and valued experiences • Volunteers are there for many reasons: • A range of volunteer roles: • Experience and skills • Mink traps and rafts • Putting something back • Invasive plants • Health and Well Being • Biological or image recorder • Social Cohesion and Interaction • Volunteer leadership • Roads to recovery
Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba Scottish Natural Heritage
Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba Scottish Natural Heritage Volunteers – recruitment, retention and reward
Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba Scottish Natural Heritage Scottish Natural Heritage Communications - A massive opportunity • Communications are a major part of and opportunity for SISI • Must connect and be visible to volunteers and communities: • To encourage participation • To share success • To show progress • To impress funders and demonstrate impact
Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba Scottish Natural Heritage Scottish Natural Heritage Wide range of activities under communications (and education and outreach) headings.... • Promotional materials • Sharing Good Practice Event • Image portfolio • Attend local community events • Info-graphics • Exploring the history of INNS • Website • Exploring our heritage and links • Social media with culture • 360 degree films • Exploring the biodiversity of our • Public relations activities – heritage press, campaigns , events • Silent Film Festival • Newsletter • Angling Development • Representation of SISI at local, • And of course many volunteer regional and national level and control activities
Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba Scottish Natural Heritage Scottish Natural Heritage Social media and website..... • SISI social media accounts and website and support partners who do not have Facebook as an outlet to set it up • SISI is now on twitter and facebook: • @sisi_project • Scottish Invasive Species Initiative • Website to follow – built by SNH staff
Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba Scottish Natural Heritage Scottish Natural Heritage We need a logo...... • Logo required before we can sensibly produce promotional materials • This is an immediate priority for SISI – currently unable to prepare materials to support communications and awareness raising. • Brief will ensure there is no mixing up of initials in acronym and consider images that might not be so helpful....
Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba Scottish Natural Heritage What happens now – immediate priorities – SISI Activities • Volunteer and Communications: • Logo and website content (Promotional materials can be planned but not yet produced) • Coverage and following on social media and generate content • Protocol for communications with partners for knowledge of activities / opportunities • Project Officer and Partners: • Re-establish contact with previous volunteers (mink in particular) • Issue and recommence mink raft network and trapping • Contractor identification and prepare tenders (if budget) particularly for hogweed • Engagement with community groups and local partners
Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba Scottish Natural Heritage Stuff happening already – first mink rafts deployed near Aviemore last week!
Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba Scottish Natural Heritage What happens now – Year 1 – SISI Activities • 360 degree films • Newsletter • Local community events • History of INNS • Angling development • Alien Detective Challenge • Volunteer Recruitment • Volunteer Management System • Volunteer training (safe handling of pesticides) • Volunteer support pack • Volunteer awards • APEX Volunteering • Biosecurity • Plant Control • Mink control
Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba Scottish Natural Heritage What happens now – Year 2 and beyond – SISI Activities Objectives Activities 1. Communities and organisations aware and 1.1: Communications, public awareness and education engaged with the freshwater environment and 1.2: Volunteer recruitment, training and Guidance the management of INNS 2. Implement participatory adaptive INNS 2.1 Develop, implement and promote biosecurity measures management 2.2 Implement invasive plant control strategy (including restoration) 2.3 Implement American mink control strategy
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