Carse of Gowrie Orchards: People for Pollinators
The Carse of Gowrie Orchards: People for Pollinators project will engage landowners, communities and local interest groups on the importance of traditional orchards as a vital habitat for pollinators and other invertebrate species and support them to create and manage orchards with this in mind.
Quick Facts:
- Name of Project: Carse of Gowrie Orchards: People for Pollinators
- Duration of Project: July 2025 – June 2028
- Location of Project: Across Perth and Kinross, Scotland
- Species benefiting from Project: Sword-grass Moth (Xylena exsoleta), Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene), Northern Brown Argus (Aricia artaxerxes), Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus), Buffish Mining Bee (Andrena nigroaenea), Red Mason Bee (Osmia bicornis), Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum), Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Drone Hoverfly (Eristalis tenax), Seven-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata), Common Red).
- Project funded by: National Lottery Heritage Fund, MW Topps, NatureScot, CHK Foundation, Milkywire, Animal Friends Pet Insurance, Northwick Trust, Craignish Charitable Trust, Alexander Moncur Trust, Walter Craig Charitable Trust and others.
- Project partners: Buglife (lead), Tayside Biodiversity Partnership, Scottish Apple Producers Group and Orchard Revival.
What will the project do?
Throughout the project, we will restore and help better manage at least 10 hectares of orchard habitat – many sites of which lie within our B-Lines network. This habitat restoration work will be complimented with group advice sessions for landowners, farmers and community groups on how to restore, enhance and maintain habitats for pollinators and deliver 10-year management plans.
Alongside this, we will conduct ecological surveys on orchard sites to monitor the impact of restoration work carried out on pollinators and develop a best practice guide for managing orchards for invertebrates.
We will work closely with local communities through a range of volunteer events to raise awareness and offer skill development for those interested.
Megginch Estate © CAG Lloyd How can you get involved?
Volunteers will be integral to the success of this project and its legacy. We will need help with the following tasks throughout the project:
- Species Recording
- Ecological surveys
- Fruit tree and wildflower planting
- Bee bank creation
- Orchard management (Pruning etc.)
Sound like something you might be interested in? Contact Neil, Carse of Gowrie Conservation Officer, for more information at [email protected]. Keep your eye on our socials and event page for upcoming project events as well!
You can also contribute to our B-Lines network by adding your own project to our B-Lines map. Your contribution doesn’t have to be large – it can be anything from window boxes with some wildflowers, to a field-scale meadow!
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene) © Charlotte Rankin The Carse of Gowrie Orchards: People for Pollinators project is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, MW Topps, NatureScot, CHK Foundation, Milkywire, Animal Friends, Northwick Trust, Craignish Charitable Trust, Alexander Moncur Trust, Walter Craig Charitable Trust and others.