‘Ant Boy’ Shortlisted for Nature of Scotland Award

‘Ant Boy’ Shortlisted for Nature of Scotland Award
Xander Johnston has been a runner up in the Cairngorms Nature Young Presenter competition, he is currently a Cairngorms Nature Young Ambassador and now he has been shortlisted in the RSPB’s prestigious Nature of Scotland Awards.
He has been nominated in the Young Nature Champion category for his outstanding dedication to conservation in the Cairngorms National Park. This is a special new award created this year to mark the Year of Young People in Scotland.
Xander first came to the attention of the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA)when he attended a ‘Nest Quest’ to look for Wood Ants as part of the Cairngorms Nature BIG Weekend. This sparked a love of ants and he entered a video about them into the Young Presenter competition, where he was a runner up in 2017. He is also a regular volunteer with the Cairngorms Rare Invertebrates Project.
On hearing he had made the shortlist Xander said, “I‘m delighted to have made it on to the shortlist for the RSPB Young Nature Champion award. I love being a Cairngorms Nature young ambassador helping others to learn about nature and how to look after it, especially my favourite, the ants! I have had a great time taking part in and arranging my own nature surveys, especially the Cairngorms rare invertebrate surveys. I love sharing all of this with my class mates at school and on my YouTube channel. It’s just so much fun.”
Andy Ford, Head of Conservation at the CNPA said: “Xander is a force of nature, his enthusiasm, knowledge and passion for the Cairngorms are infectious. He thoroughly deserves to be on the shortlist and we wish him luck for the final judging.”
Winners will be announced at a ceremony in Edinburgh on 22 November at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Edinburgh.
For more information on the Nature of Scotland Awards go to the RSPB website
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Pulling together in wake of wildfires
An update from Park Authority Convener Sandy Bremner and Chief Executive Grant Moir on collective efforts to tackle wildfires in the National Park going forward.
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Update on wildfire situation
Convener Sandy Bremner and Chief Executive Grant Moir have given an update on the ongoing wildfire situation.
Relevant alerts
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There is an extreme risk of wildfire impacting the National Park from Friday 11 July until Monday 14 July.
- Do not light any fire or barbeque
- Always ensure cigarettes are fully extinguished and take your litter (including glass) away with you
- Enjoy the outdoors responsibly - most wildfires are caused by human activity
- Stay alert - with dry vegetation and warm weather, fires can start easily, spread rapidly, and burn intensely
- If you see a wildfire, dial 999
For updates, visit the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service website.