Lockerbie Wildlife Trust members hear from David Pickett, manager at WWT Caerlaverock

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Jim Rae welcomed members of Lockerbie Wildlife Trust to the latest meeting at Lockerbie Town Hall and virtually via Zoom before introducing the speaker, David Pickett, manager at WWT Caerlaverock who had prepared an illustrated talk titled “A wilder wetter Caerlaverock”.David gave a fascinating insight into past achievements and plans for a changing future.

The reserve was set up in 1971 with visitor paths and viewing towers in a small part of a huge site. It is a landscape rich in wildlife with increasing biodiversity, including a range of species of national and international importance.The aim to be a safe refuge for barnacle geese has been very successful with the population increasing from 400 to a peak of 40,000.

There is safe roosting on the mudflats and grass is grazed in summer by cattle to ensure it is the correct length for the geese to feed on in winter.

Ponds were made to bring in other wildlife eg whooper swans and a lot of research has been carried out about them at Caerlaverock.