Bioblitz, beetles and building work
It’s been a busy couple of weeks at RSPB Scotland Loch Leven. Chris Packham dropped in on July 14 as part of his two week Bioblitz Campaign. It was the first day of his journey visiting 50 sites across the UK highlighting the extent to which our wildlife is under threat.
Around 150 people joined in with our Bioblitz at Loch Leven, and we found an amazing array of species, including a very rare scavenging beetle called Thanatophilus dispar. We were also able to talk to Chris about the importance of the wider area, the amazing geese spectacle each autumn, our work with lapwings, and why it’s such a great place for families to get closer to wildlife. He was interested to hear about our underpass project, and how even more people will be able to access the area once it’s complete.
Work on the new underpass has been going well in the dry weather, and the huge crane has now completed its job of installing the 14 tonne concrete sections that make up the new tunnel. You can see a great time lapse video of that taking place on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RSPBTaysideFife/videos/1567707906690352/
As soon as the tunnel was built, the diggers moved in to begin burying it, hiding it forever from view. Fortunately, we managed to get some pictures before it disappeared!
Also underway has been the work to dig up the cobbles in the courtyard at the visitor centre in preparation for the construction of a new all-abilities path. We’re sorry if this has caused any disruption for our visitors, but it is an important part of the project. The new path will help wheelchair and mobility scooter users to move easily between our car park and the underpass, as well as getting onto the Loch Leven Heritage Trail beyond.
Remember that even though our crowdfunder campaign is over, you can still support the project. Please chat to a member of staff at the visitor centre if you’d like more information. We’re still looking at a completion date of late September for the project, and we’ll put up another update in the next couple of weeks.