Cairngorms

Wader workshop for Strathspey farmers

30th May 2006

Farmland waders are the focus of a training course taking place in Grantown-on-Spey on Wednesday 31 May.

Organised by the Land Based Business Training Project at the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA), the workshop is looking at the issues affecting farmland wading birds in Strathspey and what measures can be taken to ensure that waders are protected.

The course is being delivered by Carl Mitchell and Dr Mark O’Brien from the Royal Society of the Protection of Birds, along with Fiona Newcombe, Head of Land Management Group at the CNPA.

The Strathspey Farmland Wader Workshop is taking place at the CNPA’s offices in the morning and participants will be taken on a site visit to two local farms to look at practical management issues.

The Land Based Business Training Project Manager, Kate Christie explained: “We have organised this course, which is free of charge, to help people identify practical ways of helping to conserve and enhance wader numbers. This is a popular course, with everyone recognising the importance of waders to the biodiversity of the Cairngorms National Park.”

The Land Based Business Training Project is funded by the CNPA and the European Social Fund. It is open to any business that is involved in the use or management of the land including estates, farms, crofts, forestry operations, outdoor recreation businesses and horticultural nurseries.

The project can part fund courses which will help improve the competitiveness and efficiency of a business such as the use and maintenance of machinery, equipment and vehicles; environmental courses; IT and business skills and health and safety. Fully funded courses are those which deliver public benefits such as training relating to outdoor access, disability awareness, communication or this course relating to wildlife crime.

For more information on the Land Based Business Training project please contact Kate Christie on tel: 01479 870535 / email: [email protected] or Sara Krawczynska on tel: 01479 870537 / email: [email protected]