Argyll wildlife projects soar

Five Argyll projects have been shortlisted for the RSPB’s Nature of Scotland Awards at Holyrood, writes Jack MacGregor.

The finalists range from conservationists saving bees on Tiree to a Dunbeg biotech company turning fish waste into plastic.

The Tiree Great Bumblebee Project, which is up for a community initiative award, gets islanders involved in helping to conserve the species by counting their numbers over the summer. The RSPB said: ‘Through the endeavours of local people it is well on its way to securing the future of this species on Tiree.’

Vying for the Innovation Award is CuanTec, a Dunbeg-based biotech company making compostable, antimicrobial bioplastic from waste in the fisheries industry, providing an environmentally responsible alternative to polluting packaging and reducing the burden of food waste in landfill.

Three Argyll projects are competing for a Nature Tourism Award, including Nature Scotland, which runs educational and ethically sustainable wildlife tours on the island of Mull, and Hebrides Cruises, which is anchored in Oban Bay, and is the only wildlife cruise company on the west coast with a wildlife specialist on board. The final project in that category is Knapdale, Scotland’s Natural Treasure Chest.

‘The environmental interpretation centre in Knapdale’s Celtic Rainforest was inspired by the beavers,’ an RSPB spokesperson explained.

‘Fuelled by Mid Argyll’s amazing natural spaces and the plants and animals that have made it their home, the centre was created to ensure that wildlife and humans continue to benefit from their shared 5,000-year history.’

The winners of each category will be announced in November at a formal dinner and will be hosted by TV presenters and wildlife experts Kate Humble and Euan Mcllwraith.