ARC is delighted to announce a major new project. Thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, a new collaborative programme will work on urgent action to save more than 40 of Scotland’s most vulnerable coastal and island species, including the natterjack toad, Scottish primrose and little tern. Species on the Edge is a bold and ambitious partnership project by a consortium of eight organisations (Scottish Natural Heritage, The Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust, The Bat Conservation Trust, Buglife, The Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Butterfly Conservation, Plantlife and RSPB Scotland). The project will catalyse action along Scotland’s coasts and islands, and involve communities in the conservation of some of our rarest species.

Initial development of the project is estimated to cost £0.5 million and has been kick-started by a National Lottery Heritage Fund award of over £260,000, ensuring crucial work could go ahead. In 2020 the project will combine expertise and resources to develop a four and a half year programme for seven project areas, from the Solway to Shetland, benefitting vulnerable species including vital pollinators like the great yellow bumble bee, rare Scottish moths such as the slender scotch burnet, wading birds such as lapwing and curlew, and the ‘jewel of the north’, the Scottish primrose. ARC will be leading on plans to help the rare natterjack toad, alongside other species occurring on the Solway coast. We are recruiting for a project officer to start in October. Visit our vacancies page to find out more.

The seven species-focused wildlife charities involved here form the Rethink Nature partnership. Species on the Edge follows the award-winning model set by the Back from the Brink programme, with Rethink Nature partners working alongside the government agency to help species and to offer local communities a chance to get involved.