Out of Doors

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Out of Doors: Sandmartins, Ticks and Parasitic Plants

Sandmartins, Ticks and Parasitic Plants

BBC Radio Scotland - Out of Doors, Sandmartins, Ticks and Parasitic Plants

Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoors.

Parasitic Plants are a hot topic at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh, as research gets underway to conserve some of Scotland’s most endangered native plants. Dr Max Coleman gets Mark up to speed. 

Mark meets John Wheeler at the River Nith near Dumfries, to talk about a new conservation group set up on the river, called Nith Life. 

The Tarras Valley Nature Reserve was set up by the Langholm Initiative, after they secured another successful community land buyout last year. Mark visits to check on their progress. 

It seems ticks are out and about all year round these days, coaxed on by the warmer, wetter weather. We chat with Dr James Douglas, a Fort William based GP about what to watch out for. 

Rachel has been out spotting Sandmartins on the Gailes Marsh nature reserve with ecologist Alistair Laming and Reserves Manager Gill Smart.

We hear an extract from this week’s midweek podcast, where Mark has been out with Kate Stevenson and her sister Clare Harte of Scottish Sisters Photography, at Baron’s Haugh Nature Reserve near Motherwell. 

Lambing season is upon us, so Rachel heads along to the Angus, Perthshire border, where farmer Tally McGowan is welcoming the first lambs of the year. 

Mark has been to Auldgirth, in Dumfries and Galloway, where Mark Zygadlo has been improving his hand-crafted Water Organ, readying the musical catamaran for a trip down the Tweed. 

Plus we’ve got a mystery sound for you!

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