Access news, Nov 06
Scottish Natural Heritage are organising an Outdoor Access Festival from the 28th April to the 7th May 2007. All outdoor activities registered with SNH by the 10th January 2007 will receive free nation-wide publicity. In return for registering their event with SNH, all organisers will receive publicity material advertising access rights and responsibilities to hand out to all participants. For further information see the SNH web-site at http://www.outdooraccess-scotland.com/festival.
This is an ideal opportunity for clubs to promote the sport and attract people to try the sport via the publicity SNH will provide and to help promote the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.
I am currently working with Grampian Orienteers and the SNH staff at Sands of Forvie National Nature Reserve, which lies to the north of Aberdeen, on a study into the impact of orienteering on the vegetation. Forvie is a large area, approx 10sq kms of sand dunes predominantly covered with heather, lichen and grass. The southern section is an important bird sanctuary and access is not allowed to this section.
An orienteering map has been produced of the northern section of the reserve by Jon Musgrave using a 1967 topographical map produced by the University of Glasgow. The original map was at a scale of 1:1,000 with 2m contours. (Coincidentally, the Glasgow map was made by Donald’s father Gordon, who has been very helpful in obtaining copyright permission to use this map as a base for our new O-map. Yet another coincidence is that the current head of the geography department at Glasgow, who had the final say on whether we could use the map, is Clyde orienteer Trevor Hoey.)
A 4km course was planned with 14 controls to provide a sample of different vegetation types found on the reserve, as well as an orienteering challenge. Photos were taken of all control sites and likely entry routes into and exit routes from the controls. 25 local orienteers were invited to run round the course and photos taken of the sites the day after. Photos will be taken of the same sites after 1, 3 and 6 months to determine what impact there is on the various vegetation types and how quickly they recover from any damage caused.
The end product will hopefully be that orienteering can take place on Forvie and a set of guidelines produced to reduce the impact the sport might make on different types of vegetation.
For information on Sands of Forvie National Nature Reserve see www.snh.org.uk/nnr-scotland/reserve.asp?NNRId=27
Posted on 15th Nov 06 by
Filed under: Access
Other items in the same category
Sands of Forvie monitoring report
Access Links
Capercaillie, RSPB article
SOA / SRPBA Sample Access Agreement
Land Access Guidelines
Capercaillie SOA/RSPB Agreement
Orienteering and the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003
Access Officers in Scotland
