Call me a bit sad, but there are few things in life that I enjoy more than putting a magazine together. And there are few things more enjoyable than doing so with a team that puts so much consideration into its content. Every page, every story, every picture – the whole flow of the thing.
And that’s certainly the case with the Scottish Wildlife Trust, which I’m delighted to say has brought me on board as a contributing editor on its membership magazine, Scottish Wildlife.
Now out, the lead feature in the latest issue explores a major new report, compiled together with WWF Scotland and RSPB Scotland, that details 11 transformative actions to help restore our natural world. Designed to tackle the climate and biodiversity crises, the actions also contribute to a green recovery from Covid by creating nature-based jobs, supporting local economies and delivering many other benefits to people, including for health and wellbeing.
The issue also gives a nod to Scotland’s now extended Year of Coasts and Waters with a feature on the future of salmon aquaculture, plus a look at the surprisingly colourful creatures that inhabit the muddy bottoms of our sea lochs. From phosphorescent sea pen to thornback ray and Norway lobster (better known as langoustine), it offers a fascinating window into a world that few of us ever see.
Elsewhere, natural history writer Anna Levin explores Scotland’s band of mustelids – a fearsome family of predators (which includes otter, pine marten, stoat, mink and more) that teach us much about the ecological role of such species, and how we learn to live alongside animals that kill for a living. Food for thought given wider discussion around the reintroduction of much larger species red in tooth and claw.
The article was a fine excuse to feature a typically stunning shot by Laurie Campbell on the front cover. As with the rest of the magazine, this image of an otter feeding on the River Tweed is well worth a closer look.
