Thank you to all of you who were able to attend our Annual Members and Supporters meeting on Wednesday 25th March.

As part of the session Roger Cottis and James Merryweather  presented a twenty-minute  video entitled 'Naturally SLEF' which is a pictorial history of the charity over its 23 year existence since the early days in 2003. The presentation was made for the recent Highland Biodiversity Conference which was held in Inverness on the 7th March, generously sponsored by The Highland Council Highlife Highland and Forestry and Land Scotland.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLz9zFVuHNk

You will see lots of periods and projects covered including the effects of the pandemic and earlier withdrawal of public funding.

We welcome feedback on this video short and if you would like to contribute an article for the next SLEF newsletter please get in touch.

We are also planning a series of in-person events this summer, watch our website, social media pages and newsletters for further information.

Thank you again for your continuing support.

www.slef.org.uk
https://www.facebook.com/SLEF.org/
https://www.youtube.com/@skyelochalshenvironmentf-pg5cn
Mailchimp channel https://us6.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=e1ee7770aa6c7a91954664573&id=2bdc4cdf79

This feed was drawn from the Skye and Lochalsh Environment Forum website

Your invitation to the Forum's  Annual Members and Supporters meeting being held by Zoom on Wednesday 25th March at 1900

Roger Cottis and the board of trustees are delighted to invite you to our annual meeting on Wednesday of next week. As in past years this is a session open to anyone with an interest in our area's biodiversity and the environment both terrestrial and marine. Whilst it is preferable to have a meeting held somewhere in Skye and Lochalsh, holding it virtually will allow greater participation from across the area and beyond. 

The Zoom invitation can be found at the link below so please add that to your calendar.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81174378693?pwd=TB8dBIAk8HvtgjrZSJSXdt0kEimwii.1

The principal theme for the AMM will be discussion of further potential collaboration between like-minded groups such as those you represent or support. Chair Roger Cottis and trustee James Merryweather, on behalf of the board, have drafted a short briefing paper on how perhaps we can all work better together, but most importantly recognising a group's independence.

You can read the letter here.
https://bit.ly/4czdrD9

The draft agenda for the meeting can be found below.

You can read the latest annual report and accounts of SLEF  for the year ended 31st March 2025 on our website here.

Finally, the draft minutes from the last meeting held on 8th April 2025 can be found at this link.

https://bit.ly/4bcfs71

Thank you again for your continuing support. We hope you can join us on the 25th at 1900.

Best wishes

Roger and the trustees of SLEF.

This feed was drawn from the Skye and Lochalsh Environment Forum website

A reminder of the Annual Members and Supporters meeting will be held on Wednesday 25th March  at 1900 via Zoom. The invitation to the event will published a week before.

The principal topic for the agenda will be to discuss closer cooperation between like-minded community groups in Skye and Lochalsh.

All are welcome.

This feed was drawn from the Skye and Lochalsh Environment Forum website

Sleat Nature Group presents: Marine Mammal Strandings— the science & a birds eye view.

An Crubh, Sleat, Skye.
Saturday 21 February
7pm - 8.30 pm.

Skye is privileged to share its coastline with a wonderful marine mammal population, but unfortunately entanglements and strandings of these amazing animals are not unknown.
In this slideshow talk, locals Zoe Scott-Green and Anthony Rigell will shed some light on the reasons behind such standings and the tools now being used to help monitor and predict them.

Zoe is a researcher working on projects concerned with reducing marine entanglement and improving sustainable fishing practices. Zoe will present the results of her research on how environmental variables might help in forecasting strandings in common dolphins, pulling from twenty years of Scottish Marine Mammal Stranding Scheme (SMASS) and the National Oceanography Centre data.

Anthony is a local drone operator who uses his skills to assist with marine mammal standings and entanglements. Anthony will be sharing stories and videos from such events and how a birds eye view can offer insight on how to change the outcomes for these animals.

Refreshments provided.

All welcome

This feed was drawn from the Skye and Lochalsh Environment Forum website

Local community groups and national wildlife organisations have come together to protect one of Scotland’s most iconic lochs and landscapes. Loch Ness in the Highlands is known around the world for its beauty and legends, with its waters and surrounding habitats supporting a wealth of wildlife.

However, proposals for a new Pumped Storage Hydro development would see the destruction of ancient woodland and harmful impacts to the freshwater ecology of Loch Ness- and wildlife groups are looking for help to cover the costs of much needed legal advice and expertise to challenge the scheme.

Read more from the Press Release below.

https://bit.ly/4pvcHl3

The PR was sent by Jamie Robins of Buglife - The Invertebrate Conservation Trust to a number of groups but they are asking if this could be widely shared especially to local media. 

This feed was drawn from the Skye and Lochalsh Environment Forum website

Skye and Lochalsh Environment Forum is delighted to publish the winter 2025-6 edition of its e-newsletter and we hope you will enjoy reading it.

On behalf of the trustees I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this latest edition and to thank you for taking the time to read some of the articles.

There are 17 topics covered which includes the recent 'Earthshot Prize', a national award for Rewilding Affric Highlands at the recent RSPB's Nature of Scotland Award, news of the delay in consultation for Marine Marine Protected Areas and Priority Marine Features and a new community initiative at the Plock of Kyle in Lochalsh. Don't miss the video short of a flight of knots off East Beach in Nairn, the seabird equivalent of a 'murmuration of starlings'.

https://mailchi.mp/566077bec2f3/skye-and-lochalsh-environment-forum-newsletter-10973885?e=[UNIQID]

Work will start in the new year for the spring edition and as usual if you or your organisation would like to contribute an article, a forthcoming event, or indeed any story please do get in touch. We welcome feedback on anything that we can do to improve the newsletter and will be happy to hear from you. Please share if you can.

We would like to wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Thank you once again for your support, our newsletters are for you and by you.

With best wishes
Rob Ware
Secretary SLEF

This feed was drawn from the Skye and Lochalsh Environment Forum website

The forum is delighted to present its Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31st March 2025. These documents can be found on our sub-page Governance below the Home page at this link. https://www.slef.org.uk/governance-matters.asp

Today we have submitted these reports to the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) which have been published on their website here.

https://www.oscr.org.uk/about-charities/search-the-register/charity-details?number=SC040820

If you need any further information please get in touch.

Happy Christmas

Rob Ware and the board.

This feed was drawn from the Skye and Lochalsh Environment Forum website

Hello, my name is Georgia I am a fourth year Geography student at the University of Glasgow.

I am currently gathering research for my dissertation on the impacts of wind energy projects on the Isle of Skye. I have attached a link to a quick survey regarding this.

Any responses would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Thanks for your help, I am very grateful.

Kind Regards,

Georgia

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=KVxybjp2UE-B8i4lTwEzyMpRwgyuP-BHvKcc0FTHBs9URUo0MzBIN0U1U1BCRjJXVDBEU0ozNTVXRy4u

Image courtesy of Skye Wind Farm Information Group

Please share widely if you can.

This feed was drawn from the Skye and Lochalsh Environment Forum website

An exciting opportunity has arrived in which SLEF members may take part in a project based on the Plock of Kyle, in conjunction with Kyle & Lochalsh Community Trust and the James Hutton Institute.

We have been concentrating principally on ecological recording, but would welcome old
memories, stories or pictures, they might prompt additional projects for the Community
Trust. For instance, there used to be a Herring Trail from the Plock to Kyle, about which we
know a little but not enough.

We have made a good start to gathering ecological records for the area, but your input might just be key information that protects the Plock’s remarkable ecological value. Whilst we have expertise in several areas already, there are many other specialist subjects in which SLEmembers could contribute vital information (invertebrates of all kinds, bryophytes, fungi etc.).

Both e-mail and direct participation would be welcomed. Please contact, Roger Cottis on
roger@slef.org.uk or James Merryweather on huntsup13@gmail.com if you have any
information or would like to take part on site.

This feed was drawn from the Skye and Lochalsh Environment Forum website

See the link below of the final report of the biggest marine litter removing exercise we have so far organised.  A hugely successful three days, with volunteers and local, regional and national organisation all pitching in to help!  It just shows what can be done!

Also to confirm that Skye Beach Cleans has now been granted it's charitable status and has become a SCIO (Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation), at long last!  Currently we have four Trustees - Peggy Semler, Katy Lawrence, Siobhan Barker and Emma Armstrong - but we would love to have another two or even three people join us to take the organisation forward, so if you think you might be interested, please get in contact with us!

Regards, Peggy Semler
Skye Beach Cleans

Keep up to date with what's going on
Instagram: @skye_beach_cleans
Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/442480574680304

Read the full report here.

https://www.slef.org.uk/userfiles/file/news/Loch-Bracadale-Blitz-2025-Report-Final.pdf

This feed was drawn from the Skye and Lochalsh Environment Forum website