Dumfries & Galloway Wildlife Recorders' Gathering 2025

Saturday 15. March at 09:00 - 13:00

Talks and displays in the morning. Optional moth meeting and field visit in the afternoon.

The Bridge, Dumfries

SWSEIC logo

South West Scotland Environmental Information Centre (SWSEIC) is pleased to invite local wildlife recorders and wildlife enthusiasts to our Dumfries & Galloway Wildlife Recorders' Gathering in Dumfries on Saturday 15th March 2025. The event will be an informal morning of talks and presentations about various aspects of wildlife and habitats in SW Scotland, followed by an optional afternoon walk or meeting.

Indoor programme

The presentations will cover a variety of different aspects of the region's flora and fauna. Topics confirmed include Badgers, Black Grouse and rare plants in Kirkcudbrightshire. There will be an update from SWSEIC staff on last years activities and finds, along with our plans for 2025. As usual we will incorporate a short quiz and a raffle.

Time Activity
0900 Arrival
0945 Welcome
0955 Badgers (Elaine Rainey)
1020 Black Grouse (Sarah West)
1045 Questions
1055 Refreshments
1130 Rare Plants of Kirkcudbrightshire (David Hawker & Sarah White)
1200 SWSEIC update
1225 Quiz/Raffle
1250 Closing remarks
1300 End of indoor session

A final agenda will be circulated to attendees before the event.

Tickets cost £5 and will help to cover venue hire and refreshments.

Teas, coffees and biscuits will be provided on arrival and in the morning session break, but please note that lunch is NOT provided. Participants choosing to stay on for the afternoon walk or meeting must bring their own packed lunch.

We hope to have a table with second hand wildlife books available for sale/donations, with proceeds going to support SWSEIC. There may also be some opportunities for local groups to put up a display/poster at the event. Please contact SWSEIC beforehand to discuss.

Afternoon excursion and moth meeting (no additional cost)

In the afternoon there will be two optional activities for those who wish to participate.

Guided walk - c. 2.5 miles

SWSEIC staff will be joined by Scottish Badgers' Programme Manager Elaine Rainey and local botanists for an afternoon walk looking for early signs of spring flowers and wildlife signs. Please book your ticket for the walk when completing the booking form from the link above. Weather dependent. Places limited, first come first served.

Moth meeting

From 2pm - 4pm, local moth enthusiasts' are hosting a meeting about Scarce Moths and their Habitats in Dumfries & Galloway at The Bridge. The meeting is free and open to everyone, whether you are an experienced moth-recorder or simply have an interest in moths. It will include:

  • Short presentations covering several important local moth habitats
  • Discussion about a potential local moth group and joint field visits in 2025
  • Plenty of time for informal chat with other moth enthusiasts

If you are interested in attending this meeting, please register separately at the link below:

Scarce moths and their habitats in D&G meeting - register here

Venue

The event will be held at The Bridge on Glasgow Road in Dumfries. It is located next to King George V Sport Complex (DG2 9AW) near the Cuckoo Bridge retail park. The venue is a ten minute walk from the Whitesands in Dumfries and is accessible via public transport routes (buses 10, 12, 246).

Parking

Ample car parking is available at the venue, including a number of disabled spaces. If the car park adjacent to The Bridge is full attendees may use the adjacent King George V Sport Complex car park. Please help to minimise your carbon footprint by sharing transport with other attendees if you can. Please do not park in the retail park as you may be issued with a penalty notice.


SWSEIC is part of The Southern Uplands Partnership, a rural development charity, working with local people, communities and businesses to make sustainable use of our natural and cultural heritage.

SWSEIC is also grateful for the continued funding and support from NatureScot.

The Bridge, Dumfries • DG2 9AW Dumfries, Scotland, United Kingdom

Google Map of DG2 9AW Dumfries, Scotland, United Kingdom

For further information contact Mark Pollitt or Malcolm Haddow at SWSEIC

01387 760274

info@swseic.org.uk