2013 Conference

Natives, Aliens and Reintroductions Conference

June 22nd & 23rd 2013

Sunday Morning: Workshops

Emma Downie: Translocations for Conservation: Good, Bad or Both?
Toby Wilson (RSPB): Ecological management of a (fictitious) reserve
Ken Neil (Scottish Squirrel Survey): Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels
Keith Watson (Glasgow Museums): Alien Plants: what are they doing and what should we be doing?
Roger Downie (University of Glasgow): Can ethical analysis contribute to policy and practice development in wildlife conservation?;

Lunch: bring your own, or go to nearby shops / cafés; (poster−viewing; teas coffees etc available).

View poster contributions.

Sunday Afternoon: Excursions

Keith Watson: Kelvingrove Park to Botanic Gardens
Roger Downie & Bob Gray: GU Campus, Botanic Gardens Arboretum, and Bingham’s Pond

You are also welcome to come along on further GNHS excursions throughout the year.

Back to Main Conference Page or Saturday Programme

Abstracts

Emma Downie: Translocations for Conservation: Good, Bad or Both?

The practice of translocating rare or threatened species is increasingly being used in the conservation of our native flora and fauna. The technique is used to safeguard species against development, help repopulate species’ historical ranges, and establish ‘ark’ populations. There are both positives and negatives to this approach and this workshop will investigate and discuss the approach through examination of case studies from the UK and abroad.

Toby Wilson (RSPB): Ecological management of a (fictitious) reserve

Nearly all nature reserves in the UK require some form of management. The workshop will examine some of the issues faced by reserve managers, focussing on a fictitious reserve where native, alien and reintroduced species have to be considered.

Ken Neil (Scottish Squirrel Survey): Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels

Red squirrels in Scotland and the wider UK are under threat from a number of directions, not least the spread of invasive grey squirrels. Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is a project that brings together expertise and experience from a range of individuals and organisations in a bid to safeguard their future. This workshop will discuss the practical work of the project and its strategies.

Keith Watson (Glasgow Museums): Alien Plants: what are they doing and what should we be doing?

Alien plants are widespread, particularly in urban floras, but there is little hard evidence as to their real impact on the local ecology or nature conservation. A few examples will be explored and discussion encouraged to find out more about the role alien plants are playing. Importantly can we, or should we, do anything about them?

Roger Downie (University of Glasgow): Can ethical analysis contribute to policy and practice development in wildlife conservation?

Wildlife conservation is partly a science, but as soon as we ask what should be conserved, how and why, our answers are influenced by ethics. In animal conservation, a major factor is welfare and a confounding variable can be human perceptions of the value of particular species. An obvious contrast is people’s reactions to the culling of hedgehogs on the Western Isles compared to rats on Ailsa Craig, in both cases mainly to protect nesting birds. This workshop will introduce a method of ethical analysis and participants will then use it on cases relevant to aliens and reintroductions.

Keith Watson: Kelvingrove Park to Botanic Gardens

Starting at the Kelvin by Partick Bridge and heading upstream (south/east bank) past Kelvingrove Museum and through the park; then under Kelvinbridge towards the Botanic Gardens along the mill lade.

Roger Downie & Bob Gray: GU Campus, Botanic Gardens Arboretum and Bingham’s Pond