Visit Flanders Moss to celebrate Wetlands Day
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is encouraging people to visit Flanders Moss near Stirling to celebrate World Wetlands Day this Sunday, February 2.
Flanders Moss is one of the largest remaining intact raised bogs in Britain and lies in the Carse of Forth with villages of Thornhill and Port of Menteith to the north and Kippen and Buchlyvie to the south.
The moss is a National Nature Reserve, managed by Scottish Natural Heritage.
The wild and ancient landscape is one of a number of wetland sites in Scotland, from the far north, through the central belt, to the Solway coast, including bogs, marshes, swamps, fens, springs and flushes, and wet heaths.
During the Year of Coasts and Waters 2020, SNH is highlighting the undiscovered beauty of our wetland habitats, as well as how crucial they are for the many services they provide.
In addition to being home to a great many birds, mammals, amphibians, insects and plants, wetlands help to manage water levels and prevent floods, store large amounts of water which can keep rivers flowing during dry periods – all while filtering out pollutants.
Also important is their capacity to capture and store carbon, making wetlands a vital carbon sink and a nature-based solution to some of the effects of climate change.
Deborah Spray, SNH Wetland Ecology Adviser, said:
“Wetlands may not seem the most glamorous of habitats, but they are real undiscovered gems, wonderful places that are home to a huge range of wildlife and are so important for our ecosystems and society, from providing clean water to storing carbon.
“Above all our wetlands are fantastic places to explore.”
Directions to Flanders Moss can be found at: https://www. nature.scot/enjoyingoutdoors/scotlands-nationalnature-reserves/ flanders-moss-nnr.