by Stuart Brabbs | Aug 19, 2024 | General, Projects
Phase 2 of the Chalk River/Mauchline Burn restoration project is well underway. Continuing from last weeks green engineering, this week our fencer (Billy Semple) started erecting fences and gates. He takes great pride in his work and always leaves an excellent tight...
by Stuart Brabbs | Aug 13, 2024 | Conservation, Green engineering, Projects
We recently secured funding for restoration work on the Mauchline Burn (a.k.a. locally as The Chalk River) with the ultimate aim of reducing silt and nutrient inputs and restoring a functional trout and salmon population within this small watercourse. Our surveys...
by Stuart Brabbs | Jul 25, 2024 | Conservation, Electrofishing, General
Continuing with our Brockloch Burn updates within the Doon catchment, it is now mid summer and the best of the growing season is past. Barley and oats are ripening but perhaps a week or two behind normal due to our poor summer weather and temperatures, however, and...
by Stuart Brabbs | Jul 23, 2024 | Electrofishing
Each year perform our timed electrofishing surveys during the same weeks each season. Timed surveys enable us to rapidly assess spawning success and survival from the previous winter’s salmon spawning activity. These are salmon fry surveys and while we catch...
by Stuart Brabbs | Jul 1, 2024 | Conservation, Green engineering, Projects
We had a nice wee job to do today to protect the riverside path along the Muck Water at Dalmellington in the Doon catchment where there’s always a steady stream of walkers. I’m pretty sure the landowner once told me that over 60,000 people a year walk this...
by Stuart Brabbs | Jun 21, 2024 | Conservation, General, Projects
The Brockloch Burn is a small tributary of the Chapelton Burn in the River Doon Catchment. It has been the focus of some extensive but necessary alteration in recent years to accommodate the new Maybole bypass. At the north end of the bypass, the roundabout that was...
by Carolyn Bryce | May 28, 2024 | General
For the 2024 fieldwork season we are looking for a seasonal assistant biologist who can integrate into our close-knit team and support the delivery of the trust’s objectives. The job description and further details can be found here Vacancy for a Seasonal Assistant...
by Stuart Brabbs | May 21, 2024 | Conservation, Green engineering, Projects
We’ve been busy planting trees at Netherton Burn on the Doon in the last couple of days assisted by regular volunteers Allan, Inna and Lee Anne. While it’s a bit late in the season for planting, we had a surplus of pot grown Alders and a number of bare...