New access ranger ready to target visitor hotspots
A new access ranger has been appointed by Arran Access Trust and Arran Geopark to help conserve and enhance Arran’s landscape and heritage.
The seasonal position, funded by NatureScot’s Green Recovery Fund, will see Alex Rose fulfilling a number of tasks to preserve and promote Arran’s outdoors.
Alex will engage directly with members of the public, educating the increasing numbers of visitors to the island about responsible behaviour through the promotion of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.
Alex has already started working to identify visitor hotspots and is discussing solutions to access issues in these areas. In particular, he will assess the impact on the path network, wildlife and residents. He co-ordinated a volunteer work party last Wednesday where volunteers tackled invasive species, fixed the boardwalk and cleaned up the beach on the Coastal Way at Cordon. In addition to the hands-on work and responsibilities, Alex will also work with island stakeholders to create networks and reinforce connections between the many organisations which share the aims of conserving and enhancing Arran’s natural heritage.
Alex will, where possible, make use of a low carbon ebike to travel around the island. It was included in the funding for the role and is branded with Arran Access Trust and Arran Geopark logos.
To report cases of careless camping, overgrown paths and other access issues, Alex can be reached at ranger@ arran.rocks or by searching for @ArranGeopark on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.