An Aberdeenshire farm has won national recognition for its efforts to protect and improve wildlife habitats. Tullo farm, near Oldmeldrum took the top prize at this year’s Habitat Enhancement Initiative Awards, presented by Kevin Dunion of Friends of the Earth Scotland. The awards, organised by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, took place today at Battleby, near Perth.

The full list of winners is:

Overall winner - Tullo farm


Large project category

Winner – Millennium Link, Wester Hailes, Edinburgh

Highly commended – Levenhall Links wader scrape, East Lothian; Pumpherston golf club extension, West Lothian


Small project category

Winner – Tullo farm, Oldmeldrum

Highly commended – Loig farm, Braco, by Dunblane


Sustainable Urban Drainage scheme category

Winner - Brieryhill wetlands, by Lockerbie


Kevin Dunion, Chief Executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “These projects show what can be done to protect the environment with a bit of foresight and imagination. All of these award winners have gone beyond business as usual and actively thought about how they could attract wildlife, and enhance biodiversity. These are not unique projects but examples of good practice from which others can learn. The quality of achievement is high and deserves to be recognised.”

The award presentation was part of a day-long event about habitat enhancement at the Battleby office of Scottish Natural Heritage. Each entry was assessed by a technical group and then a judging panel which included Kevin Dunion, Alice Lambert (board member Scottish Natural Heritage) and Stuart Housden (Director of RSPB Scotland).

SEPA’s Habitat Enhancement Initiative aims to support individuals and groups that work to protect, improve and enhance aquatic habitats.


Project details

Levenhall Links wader scrape is a recently created wetland habitat at an active landfill facility. It has also been designated as part of a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of its wildlife. Contact Neil Clark, East Lothian Council - 01620 827423, nclark@eastlothian.gov.uk

The Millennium Link project has brought aquatic wildlife into a west Edinburgh housing estate by creating a stretch of new canal and a wetland as part of a major canal regeneration project. Contact Olivia Lassiere, British Waterways - 0141 332 6936, olivia.lassiere@britishwaterways.co.uk

Pumpherston golf club extension has helped to restore an area of contaminated land and created new amenity areas for the community and local wildlife. Contact Alan Cunningham, The Robertson Partnership - 01506 431111, alancunningham@irrobertson.co.uk

Tullo farm has been transformed from an intensively managed farm into a site with a wide variety of wildlife habitats. Contact Nicky Penford, Grampian Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group - 01330 830080, grampian@fwag.org.uk

Loig farm has undertaken a ‘whole-farm’ approach to protecting soil, water and valuable habitat features. Contact Scott Nisbet, Central Scotland Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group - 01786 870185, central.scotland@fwag.org.uk

Brieryhill wetland includes an innovative drainage scheme that has been designed to help conserve biodiversity, especially birds of conservation concern. Contact Rob Haywood - 01576 202823



ENDS

Notes to editors

For photos of winners contact Murdoch Ferguson on 0141 884 1001