REWILDING STORIES
"SCOTLAND: The Big Picture needs to paint pictures and tell compelling stories about new tomorrows."
Featured Story
REWILDING GONE WRONG? Lessons from the Oostvaardersplassen
Some people call the Oostvaardersplassen a rewilding experiment gone wrong. But if that is the case, what lessons can we learn from this controversial Dutch nature reserve as we try to map the relatively uncharted waters of letting nature take the lead, in our endeavours to restore wildness to Europe’s landscapes?
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MAKING BEAVERS MAINSTREAM
Our relationship with the beaver is a complicated one. Over four centuries ago, we valued their scent glands, meat and fur so highly, we eventually exterminated them from Britain. Today, they’re back, and we’re discovering once again how valuable they are. It turns out that beavers are worth far more alive than dead.
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UISGE BEATHA: THE WATER OF LIFE
Far from being just landscape eye candy and a refuge for biodiversity, Scotland's native birch woods have much to offer, if you know where to look.
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FIGHT OR FLIGHT?
Conflict over land use in the Scottish uplands is nothing new. Environmental scientist Isla Hodgson, argues that the debate over driven grouse shooting is part of a global epidemic.
#BuildingBridges
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WOLVES AND WILDING: A CONVERSATION
In 2018 we met up with Colin Murdoch, a west coast deer stalker who gave us his perspective on rewilding in The Voice. Colin then asked to turn the tables and on a blustery December morning in Lochcarron, he posed some challenging questions to our Director, Peter Cairns.
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AT DARLEY
Consensus over land use in Scotland can seem elusive; perspectives can appear entrenched. Common ground however, is not only a platform for progress but more easily found than we’re led to believe.
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THE CHILD IN NATURE: AN ENDANGERED SPECIES
Polly Pullar tells a powerful story of a challenging personal journey, which had it not been for the restorative powers of nature, might have ended very differently.
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LYNX TO THE PAST
While ancient DNA may not yet allow the cloning of woolly mammoths, it can help inform the return of species that lived in Scotland more recently.
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THE RETURN OF THE TAGHAN
Despite centuries of persecution and habitat loss, pine martens have proven themselves to be survivors, and as they expand their range, they’re revealing some surprising secrets.
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MONARCH OR MENACE?
Scotland’s largest land mammal is also one of its most contentious. Peter Cairns explores the ecological and cultural divide over the Monarch of the Glen.
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