Caerlaverock news
Nature's Nursery
Whilst it may seem quieter at WWT Caerlaverock without the wintering geese and swans, the reserve has become nature's nursery. Wetlands provide a lot of food, abundant with insects and a variety of plants and the reserve is managed to maximise biodivers
4 July 2025
Droning on at WWT Caerlaverock
These days it feels like drones are that popular and ingrained in society that when people think of their uses they think of social media influencers, great ways of getting a different perspective of a scenic holiday location, or even delivery services. A
30 June 2025
Swift Awareness Week
Swift Awareness Week runs from Saturday 28th June to Sunday 6th July. First held in 2018, the week encourages groups around the country to celebrate swifts, highlight their decline, and encourage people to act. Although they do not nest at WWT Caerlavero
28 June 2025
Dragonfly and Damselfly Spotlight
There may seem to be less birdlife to observe at WWT Caerlaverock over the summer, with our barnacle geese and whooper swans away at their breeding grounds up north. However, there is still plenty to see on site, especially if you look a little closer at
26 June 2025
Volunteers Week 2025: Hear from Andy!
Where do I begin? Is it with the laughs, memories, or amazing learning opportunities that have arisen? Whether it’s been path maintenance, gorse clearance, or coppicing, a recurring theme is that it has always been fun. That is brought on by the staff a
4 June 2025
Pond dipping at WWT Caerlaverock
We are now well into our pond dipping season at WWT Caerlaverock and freshwater invertebrates are being seen in abundance. Pond dipping is a great hands-on activity that provides a fun and interactive way of learning about nature and the creatures living
31 May 2025
The gall of it all!
Galls are weird and wonderful growths that develop on plants after a parasitic fungi, bacteria, virus, or insect has invaded and they can be found in over half of all plant families. Once the egg or pathogen has penetrated the plant’s growing tissue, th
28 May 2025
Creating mini wetlands: trough ponds
You might wander into our courtyard and think it’s just a paved-out area with not a lot going on. However, at a closer look you can see areas in the corners where there are repurposed and old water troughs. Upon inspection, you will see that these troug
25 May 2025
Counting Here, Counting There: The Beginning of the Monitoring Season
Many people think of winter as the most exciting season of our site and it's hard to argue with the thousands of barnacle geese backing up that opinion with a flurry of excited yapping and flapping! For me spring and summer are the peak of my time on the
21 May 2025
A wander along the summer meadow trail
As I walk through the summer meadow trail, the first thing I notice is the osier willow. The slim leaves and fluffy pines stand out as they make a soft rustle in the breeze. I hear the distinct honks of greylags overhead, who have appeared to make the wat
17 May 2025
Hello to the newest spring arrival!
My name is Saoirse and I’m delighted to have recently started an Engagement Placement at WWT Caerlaverock. My curiosity for nature was ignited by my rural upbringing in the Scottish Lammermuirs and I pursued a degree in Zoology at the University of Edin
14 May 2025
From slate to natterjack bait: Wilder, Wetter Caerlaverock Diaries no. 12
At Caerlaverock we try to be as imaginative as possible on how to reuse materials. In the past we’ve created ponds from old water troughs, we’ve made nest boxes out of donated wood and now we’re making refugia for our natterjack toads.What are refug
7 May 2025
Rise and shine natterjacks: Wilder, Wetter Caerlaverock Diaries no. 11
2025 is going extremely quickly so far - we find ourselves in April ahead of the natterjack toads emerging from hibernation and starting their breeding season. It could be any day now depending on what the weather does. This fussy species like ephemeral p
30 April 2025
Species spotlight: primrose
Primroses have been popping up all around the reserve and their cheery yellow flowers have added some much-needed colour to our paths. The arrival of these flowers usually indicated that spring is on the way but during particularly mild winters they have
25 April 2025
Water dowsing: science, magic or straight up fiction?: The Wilder, Wetter Caerlaverock Diaries no. 10
What is water dowsing? Dowsing is a type of divination used to locate ground water (and can be used to find other things). It is also known as water finding, water witching and my personal favourite: doodlebugging. The way to dowse is to use a Y sha
23 April 2025