IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF LYNX
Rewilding Learning Day
Join Dr Hugh Webster and Dan Puplett on this fascinating day to learn about what life might be like living alongside a reintroduced lynx population in Scotland.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Across mainland Europe, the Eurasian lynx is staging a comeback. Freed from the pressures of unsustainable hunting and benefiting from a softening of public attitudes, this enigmatic feline has been successfully reintroduced into several countries and is now growing in numbers and expanding its range.
This special Learning Day will explore what a reintroduction in Scotland might look like, what challenges we might face and how we might manage coexistence.
We will also explore what it would be like to walk in the lynx’s footsteps once again, as we sharpen our senses to forgotten cues and learn how to identify and track pine martens, wildcats, badgers and foxes, comparing their behaviours and signs to those of a lynx. We will learn to think both like a lynx and like the lynx’s prey, experiencing the landscape through their eyes, ears and noses, as we seek to re-imagine how our woodlands would feel in the presence of this apex predator.
The Learning Day will cover:
- An introduction to lynx ecology and behaviour
- What a Scottish reintroduction might look like
- How a lynx reintroduction could benefit Scotland
- Remaining barriers to a lynx reintroduction and how they might be overcome
- Thinking like a lynx - tracking skills and the art of silent stalking
- Living with lynx - a fresh look at life (and death) through the eyes of a roe deer
This Learning Day is for you if:
- you are a student, graduate or other individual interested in pursuing a career within the rewilding/species reintroduction sector
- you are interested in learning more about this fascinating apex predator and its place in the Scottish landscape
- you are a conservation/rewilding professional wanting to learn new skills
DATES
| DATES | GUIDE | STATUS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DATES: 2 Sep 2024 | GUIDES: Dr Hugh Webster & Dan Puplett | STATUS: Open | BOOK NOW |
PRICE
£95
PRICE INCLUDES
- Tea/coffee/biscuits on arrival
- All presentations, excursions and take-home resources
- Certification for course attendance
PRICE EXCLUDES
- Travel to/from the course
- Lunch (please bring a packed lunch)
- Personal expenses
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Timings
Arrival from 9.30am for tea/coffee/biscuits, for a 10am start. The day will wrap up around 4pm.
How do I get there?
The Dell of Abernethy, Dell Road, Nethy Bridge, PH25 3DL
As you enter Nethy Bridge from the South, turn right after the playing fields and village shop and keeping the river on your left continue up Dell Road for 1 mile. Leave the village behind and with grazing fields on either side you will see the Dell on the left in amongst the trees.
What size are your groups?
Our Learning Days are for groups of up to 15 participants.
Is the course suitable for me?
The morning will be spent in a large, airy tipi tent with an open fireplace in the middle. The afternoon will be spent outdoors (approx 3 hours), sometimes walking over rough and wet ground. Please wear appropriate clothing and sturdy boots. We will be walking less than 5km, not always on paths and at a slow pace, looking out for animal signs.
If you want to discuss suitability further, please get in touch with our Rewilding Training Lead.
How does my custom benefit rewilding?
After covering the necessary costs associated with delivering the course, we are left with a surplus which, unlike a commercial tour operator with shareholders, is reinvested into our rewilding work.
Do local people benefit from my booking?
Yes. We are committed to developing nature-based business models that show how a landscape rich in nature can also support vibrant communities. Your custom allows us to train and employ local staff and to purchase supplies and services from local businesses. In doing so, we can demonstrate that rewilding is an economically viable land use in Scotland.
VENUE
This Learning Day will be run from The Dell of Abernethy, near Nethy Bridge, Cairngorms National Park.
The Dell was originally built to house the head forester of Seafield Estate. It is now home to Polly, husband Ross and their two young boys and they have renovated and upgraded it to provide a sustainable events venue with accommodation on the edge of the Abernethy Forest.
We will spend the morning in their Scandinavian style large tipi with an open fireplace at the centre and then the afternoon amidst the mature Scots Pines that surround it.
