Our Wonderful Woodland Garden

By Draeyk van der Horn | Published: 03/09/2023

The last few months have seen abundance in the garden, not just in harvest but in wildlife, be it the small beings in the pond to larger visitors; all sharing this bountiful space. In fact, so much so that we humans have had to take a beat and remember this is a shared edible landscape.

There have been numerous group visits from tours, arts programmes, permaculture organisations and many more, so the garden continues to inspire. Meanwhile the Outdoor Learning Space is increasingly being used for get-togethers, music, reading and writing and solo meditations. The new comfy bench has proved a real hit and the new glass window so wonderfully fitted by a volunteer is fantastic and provides a view onto the new wind and hanging plant garden to the rear. Thanks also to the removal of the sadly ineffective stove and burner we have more room in the space.

The new Outdoor Learning Space window

It has also been a challenging time too, with less helpers it takes more to keep the garden flourishing, so please if you say you are coming please let me know if you cannot make it. Saturdays at 9am remains the day and time I am usually there if you want to drop by on a more informal basis.

What’s on show at the moment you may ask? Well we have wild bergamot in perfusion, as well as a wonderful display of strawflowers, runner beans, sunflowers and coral fungus. So drop by soon or contact me if you wish to volunteer. I am particularly  looking for a committed volunteer who can be mentored into the practices of the garden, so please contact me if interested.

Draeyk van der Horn

FHT Woodland Garden Orchestrator

15th August 2023

 

Posted in News

Committed Long-Term Volunteer/Apprenticeship Opportunities

By Christine Lines | Published: 30/05/2023

Build It and They Will Come!

The story so far. The Shepherds Hut has been fundraised for, built, finished and moved into Wilkies Woodland – thank you to all who have been involved in the process.  A bell tent complete with a small wood stove was also  purchased and pitched  by FHT last spring to accommodate Irene Canalis, a keen young Spanish lady who lived in it connecting intimately with the land until she left in the autumn.  During her time as a long-term committed volunteer she had regular engagement with tasks on the land guided by Kajedo and myself, daily journaling about the experiences/insights and also frequent review sessions. She helped us start to think about how the Trust might develop this role further, possibly into a  future land management  apprentice programme?  We were all learning with Irene and it turned out to be a very valuable experience.

FHT’s future needs: FHT is committed to looking after the land it is custodian of for at least 100+ years ahead partly due to being the burial authority for the Wilkies Wood green burial ground which requires it to look after that piece of land for 100 years after the last burial and partly to do with our work with managing different habitats which require us to plan well into the future. Over the years many local volunteers have engaged with caring for this special backyard with this work underpinned and at least equaled by our part-time skilled and knowledgeable Land Manager Kajedo Wanderer who is essential to the smooth running of this part of the charity’s work.  Kajedo is dedicated to carrying on this good work but there will come a time when he may wish to take things easier which is why we need younger people learning the skills and knowledge required to eventually take up the challenge – FHT needs to be thinking about succession planning.  This is also important with Draeyk van der Horn’s excellent work as a very experienced gardener in the Woodland Garden, a small demonstration plot on the edge of the community.  Individuals are wonderful and essential but even more important is to have good organisational structures to take good ideas and work into the future. The long-term volunteer/apprenticeship programme we wish to establish should allow the possibility of smooth and planned transitions to take place.

What is on offer:  The land the FHT manages is a very special backyard in its own right with a fascinating mosaic of different habitats and some rare species living there.  It is also a vibrant part of what is now called The Park Ecovillage Findhorn, a community dedicated to co-creation with Nature and  known worldwide for its Nature and heart based spirituality.  For the right person it could be a very desirable place to be. Living on the land in the bell tent or Shepherd’s Hut and learning how to take care of the Earth in very practical ways from a knowledgeable team could provide an opportunity to step out of the ‘rat-race’ and give that person an extended period of simple living surrounded by trees and close to both the sea and the dynamic ecovillage community.    

Putting out the call.  FHT now has suitable accommodation for the right people to become committed apprentices. This could happen over the summer staying in our bell tent and working with Draeyk in the Woodland Garden and at least over a whole year to work with Kajedo and other members of the team using  the Shepherds Hut for accommodation.  Are you that person or do you know someone who would thrive given this possibility of developing a career or additional experience in these fields?  Further details would be discussed and worked out. If you are that person do get in touch by emailing [email protected] or by phoning 07825 212816.  We look forward to exploring this exciting possibility with you.

Jonathan Caddy

FHT Chair 

May 2023  

Posted in News

Annual Cycle of Events including Planned Work Parties May 2023 – Feb 2024 

By jonathan.caddy | Published: 27/05/2023

 

Date  Event
20 May Sacred Ways workshop
27 May Lichen Bed Work- 9.30 to noon – AW
27-28 May Nature and Therapy Workshop – Woodland Shelter use for weekend
29 May Spring/Summer Newsletter
17 June  Summer Solstice Celebration
22 June Forres Academy Biology Field Trip 
22 June AGM 7.30pm James Milne Institute
24 June Woodland Garden Summer Care- 9.30 to noon -DH
24 June Sharing Nature with Children workshop
8 July Biodiversity workshop
22-28 July Week-long retreat
29 July Gorse Clearance and Path Maintenance- 9.30 to noon – KW
17 Aug Trustees Meeting – 8am -10am 
26 Aug Pony Shelter Building- 9.30 to noon – JC+GP
28 Aug Summer/Autumn Newsletter
August – end Regular Bee Inspection cycle ends
23 Sept Sacred Ways workshop
30 Sept Lichen Bed Work- 9.30 to noon – JC or AW
28 Oct Woodland Garden Harvest and Bedding Down- 9.30 to noon
25 Nov  Northern Edge Tree Clearance- 9.30 to noon
27 Nov Autumn/Winter  Newsletter
2 Dec Christmas Tree Event 11am-2pm
24 Jan Gorse Clearance and Path Maintenance – 9.30 to noon
8 Feb Trustees Meeting – 8am -10am 

Note: The work party focus may change due to different priorities arising, the weather and the people who turn up. 

Newsletter distribution dates are indicative.

Regular bee inspections from April to August– all welcome with protective equipment provided. 

Jonathan Caddy

Updated 30th May 2023  

Posted in News

Celebrating What the Findhorn Hinterland Does

By jonathan.caddy | Published: 27/05/2023

Last Year’s Activities and Achievements

It is important to reflect from time to time on the many events and successes of the Trust and there is no better time than when the annual report needs to be written up for the charity regulator. You will most probably see the text again in the report that all members will receive but I wish to take the opportunity to share this with you now as I think it is rather impressive and may get overlooked when combined with all the figures. Apologies for the lack of photos in this article.

Much has been achieved on many fronts this year with activities and events that often simultaneously promote all four of the charity’s purposes. Some of the most prominent have been:

Conservation and Educational Events on or Related to the Land – This year there was a marked increase in educational events catering for a wide variety of individuals and groups within and beyond our local community.  These included: a day with over 60 secondary pupils from Forres Academy carrying out their biology fieldwork studies with the school hoping to make this a regular annual event; a Chivas Regal corporate event set up for 30 locally based employees that had them pay us to carry out some great conservation work; programmes set up by local charity Equal Adventure to help vulnerable young people that used our facilities and land as a regular base;  our woodland and Woodland Shelter facility were also used to help deliver a Forest Bathing training course put on by Nature and Therapy UK  which also looks to become an annual event; a Biodiversity photo exhibition of stunning natural history images taken by trustee Alan Watson Featherstone took place in the Universal Hall later in the year that was followed by an evening celebrating biodiversity with Alan delivering talks and slides followed by a well received time to socialise in the cafe and a Woodland Orchestra fundraising event in January put on by Henry Fosebrooke and his Woodland Orchestra.  These were all in addition to our regular events including well attended  monthly work parties that give the opportunity for local people to get together on the land to care for and learn about their local environment, the popular fledgling parent and toddler group gatherings every Friday morning connecting very young people and their carers to the land and the ever successful Christmas Tree event which is a social gathering around our Woodland Shelter which also raises funds by offering non-native trees for a donation.  Our 11 camping pads were well used by a steady stream of young volunteers who helped on many of the land based projects and general land maintenance this year – it is important to have this facility as it is a way young people can get involved in our work and learn from the land.  Our trial apprenticeship programme with Irene Canalis staying in our bell tent with woodstove from March to October went well with the trust gaining experience of how best to hold such a programme and Irene herself very appreciative of the learning opportunity.  One of the things we learnt was that the tent is not useful for year round use and is subject to getting mouldy erected in the woodland for so long.  A number of retreats and workshops were offered but the only one to book this year was a workshop on plant diversity put on as a day event with camping options by the former founder of the local educational charity Wild Things! Jennie Martin. Biodiversity surveys carried out by professionals in different fields continued this year with the completion of a spider survey happening in the autumn of 2022 and ongoing work identifying fungi being coordinated by trustee Alan Watson Featherstone.   More people joined our experienced team of beekeepers during our regular beehive inspections where they were introduced to the fascinating world of bees and with good results at the end of the year with a much appreciated honey harvest mostly sold at a local farmers market and an increase from 4 to 11 hives with 9 making it through the winter.

Buildings/ Projects – Using offcuts from milling work carried out last year, the beautifully designed and finished new compost loo was completed in time for the summer educational events.  The peeling of logs for the new community sanctuary was also completed earlier in the year by volunteers.   In addition, FHT provided volunteers and equipment over a couple of months in the winter to help with the clearing of the new sanctuary site in preparation for the build later in 2023.  This activity was seen by the trustees as appropriate to the charity in fulfilling its helping to  build local community purpose. Materials from dismantling three of the wooden offices from the site will be used to make a pony shelter next year and the whole structure of one has been recycled to create a Shepherds Hut using an old tractor trailer as a base and some of the sawn timber from our woodland for the flooring and covered outdoor space extension.  The Shepherds Hut received monetary donations from our Woodland Orchestra fundraiser mentioned earlier and was also gifted a wood stove as a result of that event which is now installed.  The hut will provide year round accommodation on the land for an apprentice Land Manager which is part of a long term FHT sustainability and resilience plan to ensure the charity’s good work on the land and with the local community carries on well into the future – as the burial authority for the green burial site it has an obligation to look after the land for a hundred years after the last burial and with its habitat work, looking at this long timescale is also appropriate. Another project completed in early summer was the erection of a new greenhouse that had been generously donated to the Woodland Garden.

Green Burial Activity – This was the first full year that the new four strong burial team has been operating with the previous one man coordinator Will Russell taking a back seat although still involved in the sale of lairs.  There have been some teething challenges but all seems to be working well during a busy year. 9 new burials took place including three large events involving long term community members Brian Nobbs, John Wragg and Katharina Brocke.  This brings the total number of burials to 53 with a further 64 lairs that have been reserved and approximately a further 112 lairs that could be sold.  This year there has been an increase in the lair digging fees from £150 to £200.

Woodland Garden – Draeyk van der Horn who coordinates this aspect of the trust’s work has done a sterling job this year of making this demonstration educational garden vibrant and productive alongside taking on the demanding position as Green local Moray Councillor.  He has involved regular volunteers on Saturday mornings and had the support of a couple of larger work parties at critical times of the year The new greenhouse has been a great additional asset and the Outdoor Learning Space structure has been enjoyed by the many that take time to visit the garden.

Membership and Publicising the Work of the Trust.   Our second full year of running the trust’s paid membership scheme was again successful with an increase of membership from 130 to over 160 bringing in a much needed regular income. Our quarterly newsletter produced by a small team of volunteers also went from strength to strength with trustee Jacqueline Buckingham now paid a small fee to ensure it is of a high standard and is produced on time. The Conservation Hub information boards have been extremely successful in informing people about the work of the charity with a large number of passersby stopping to read them and there are now attractive squirrel design promotion cards available next to the displays to encourage membership.  To help with marketing, local designer Birgit Carow has been employed for up to ten hours a month to produce high quality posters and promotional material that goes into the local paper, are spread on online platforms, is sent to the membership as well as made into attractive posters.

Personnel and Administrative Successes – This year there has been a very stable trustee group that has functioned well together and who were strengthened by our new Treasurer David Hammond who joined the trustees in January bringing much appreciated financial and charity working skills.   Our part time Land Manager Kajedo Wanderer continues to carry out sterling work on the land – work that  underpins much of what the FHT does.  In particular his chainsaw work creating clearings for regeneration and planting in the woodlands has been much noticed and appreciated.  Regular land management, finance, beekeeping, green burial and membership subgroup meetings have served the work of the trust well in giving time to discuss and make decisions on important operational details.    Although the Conservation Hub was completed in February 2022, it has taken considerable time to finalise and register the Hub occupancy agreement with the landowner the Findhorn Foundation which was finally concluded at the end of March 2023 giving the trust greeter security around this important asset.

Jonathan Caddy
FHT Chair
Taken as an extract from the 2022-2023 FHT Trustees Report and Financial Statements

Posted in News

The Bee Work Party Report – Spring 2023

By Christine Lines | Published: 27/05/2023

On the morning of the 29th April, approximately 15 members of the Findhorn Hinterland Trust Work Party met up at the Conservation Hub for our monthly morning get together. Every month we do something different and it is always a great surprise to find out what we are doing for the good of nature on each occasion.

Today was a trip over to the beehive area by the wind turbines to mend, clean out and replace the leaking roof of the FHT bee shed and also to clean, repair and to place some new frames into the nine nearby beehives. 

It was wonderful and fascinating to listen to the bee experts Martin Harker and John Willoner throughout the morning and so to learn about the life of bees and how they go about their day to day living. This is one of the many things I love about our monthly meets, we always learn something new! 

After completing the work on the beeshed and after a break for coffee, tea and biscuits, we dressed up in protective white suits and headgear.  These provided protection against bee stings and enabled us to get up close to the beehives to see inside them and to add some of the honey frames we had just cleaned.

Also during this morning some of us used the tractor to help move the dismantled kitchen office walls recycled from the cleared sanctuary site over to the nearby horse field, ready to be erected as a pony shelter.  This group also reroofed the temporary shelter where the prepared sanctuary columns and beams are being stored next to the field so they are in good condition when needed as the main structural timber for the sanctuary.

We meet up every last Saturday of the month to do this enjoyable and rewarding work. If you would like to join us, please do! It’s from 09:30am to 12:30pm and there’s free tea, coffee and biscuits! And as you can see from the smiles on our faces in the photos, we had a thoroughly great time!

Spencer Julian

Member and New Tea Person!

Posted in News

Chair’s Round Up – Spring 2023

By jonathan.caddy | Published: 27/05/2023

Spring is with us and although there are longer days of light and some sunshine, many days have been cooler than normal so far.  The bees in our apiary have been having a difficult time with this with the result that we have lost four out of the eleven hives due to starvation.  Let’s trust that there will be more warmth soon leading to a good honey harvest later in the year. It has been lovely to have some young people along to our regular bee sessions at 2pm on Wednesdays meeting at the Conservation Hub to learn about the amazing world of bees – all are always very welcome to join us by getting in touch on 07825212816.  

A couple of the main FHT happenings this season have included much work restoring the Shepherd’s Hut so that it can be used for accommodation for an apprentice for Kajedo our Land Manager.  Recycling the old office has taken time and skill but with the help of longtime volunteer George Paul and the return of visiting Spanish handyman Louis and his wife Tigga we managed to get it completed and moved onto a site sheltered in the firebreak up by the Green Burial ground with our tractor before the May Day celebration.  Part of the celebration involved a blessing of the hut with a surprise appearance in dressing gown and slippers +  violin of Sarah Perricone, our winner of the Woodland Orchestra evening raffle earlier in the year – she won the first three nights in the hut and it is now looking cosy and snug complete with wood stove for her. Do have a look at visiting academic Linde de Vroey’s article about the beltane blessing and maypole dancing part of the celebration written up elsewhere in this newsletter.

In February there was another storm with further damage to the woodland especially around the SW corner of Wilkies Wood near to the Woodside housing cluster.  Felling and clearance of blown trees was aided  by final year forestry student Cameron Henry offering his tree climbing and surgery experience.  New deciduous trees and shrubs have now been planted to bring more colour and biodiversity to the cleared area with East Whins resident Rodney Knights volunteering to take care of any watering  needed over the summer dry spell – thank you Cameron, Rodney and also Kajedo our Land Manager for all the work done in this area. We carry on with the tradition of turning what may seem like disasters to start with into creative opportunities to care for the land and bring people together to create a sense of community in the process.

The large redwood tree that stood outside Caledonia near the Phoenix Cafe was also felled before the storm and this wood and that of a couple of other sizeable trees were lifted by Greenleaf’s forklift machine on to the FHT’s tractor to be stored for milling and eventual use on the new sanctuary build.  Thank you Jason and Rhuaridh of Greenleaf for your help with this.  

Our regular work parties have been well attended with a Woodland Garden spring clean up event, led by FHT garden focaliser  Draeyk van der Horn, taking place in March and work up at our apiary at the end of April.  Part of the latter event involved fixing the roof of our bee shed using offcut pieces of roofing recycled from Greenleaf construction projects in North Whins – this was the fourth repair to the roof and we trust it will be the final one!  Thanks Spencer Julien for taking on the vital role of being our new work party tea provider at these events and for his write up and photos he provided for the bee work party article found elsewhere in this newsletter.  Thanks also goes to Louise Barnett who had the tea making role before Spencer for her valued contribution during her time living in the area – she has now left Moray but continues as a FHT member. Do remember that Draeyk welcomes people to join in the regular sessions from 9am on Saturdays In the Woodland Garden and likewise meeting Kajedo at the Hub 9am Wednesdays for sessions learning from and helping look after the land  

The repair of the bee shed also inspired George Paul, Frank van Beunigen and I to recycle some of the wood reclaimed from the sanctuary building demolishing with some further recycled metal roofing from Greenleaf to make a more permanent roof to the wood store at the back of the Conservation Hub.  We worked hard at this as well as having lots of fun in the process with great results.  One of the most satisfying parts of this project was delivering it on time and on budget, the budget being £0! – it feels great to be able to recycle and reuse materials to create useful and needed structures together. 

Planning for this summer’s events on the land has also been taking place with a number of workshops and educational offerings, celebrations and other happenings coming up – do check out the calendar of events posted elsewhere.  There will be celebration events including a Summer Solstice gathering again based in the large marquee on the green burial ground with the prospect of an outdoor ceilidh, fire and food. We have also decided to try something new in offering a number of educational day events including one on biodiversity that will be held by Alan Watson Featherstone and lichen enthusiast Heather Paul ( and another by Kajedo Wanderer (20 May and 22 September) titled Sacred Ways.  We are also delighted to have educational expert Roy Simpson delivering a day of training on Sharing Nature with Children (24th June) an approach developed by Joseph Cornell in the US that I have used very successfully as a parent and teacher for almost 50 years.  Kajedo is also putting on another opportunity to join in a week-long retreat (22-28 July) on the land-  do explore what is available and come along to these amazing offerings that are available on our doorstep.

On the personnel front, Vivienne Wylde has now permanently taken on the Membership Secretary role from Arun who will be staying on as a FHT Trustee.  Our only paid employee continues to be Kajedo Wanderer in his vital part time Land Manager role with others being paid for various services – Christopher Raymont as bookkeeper, Fiona McKenzie as Minutes Secretary, Birgit Carow who does a great job with producing posters and material for marketing and a small stipend to Jacqueline Buckingham for making sure this newsletter comes out regularly.  Behind these people there are all of you that contribute in so many voluntary ways to help look after the land and make this venture a success.  A huge thank you to all as the FHT goes from strength to strength.

Enjoy the summer on the land – I will as well as being off sailing again for the month of July visiting other amazing  places around the Scottish seas and coming back refreshed.

Blessings to All,

Jonathan Caddy

Posted in News

Findhorn Fledglings – May 2023

By Christine Lines | Published: 27/05/2023

It’s another Friday, 10am and all appears peaceful in the Findhorn Hinterland. Indeed, it is. Birdsong near and far. The subtle scurry of wildlife. Maybe the distant roar of a chainsaw too! Nevertheless something else pierces the forest sounds. Laughter. The pitta patta of tiny feet. Miniature work-men and work-women in self-led pre-training. The familiar cries of hide-and-seek we all know and love from days past. But what is this? The joyful blend of childlike utterings becoming closer and nearer as we move deeper and deeper into the forest…? Well, we eventually stumble upon the Findhorn Fledglings group. What a beautiful discovery! 

The Findhorn Fledglings are a loose mix of children and parents, many living in the Park or connected through the New Findhorn Association (NFA), that meet every Friday morning between 10am-12pm, come rain, shine, snow or storm. We have been meeting now for over 2 years in an informal ‘forest school’ format, as a way to bring children and parents together in connection and wholesome, nature-based activity. We gather at the firepit just beyond the Green Burial ground, always have a fire burning, and share stories, games, activities, play and conversation. 

The group size varies each week between, say, six children and parents in the depths of winter, to tens of us in the highest days of summer and school holidays. Children generally tend to be preschool age, between months old and 6/7 years. It’s beautiful to watch the children flourish in the natural environment of the wild forest, learning from each other, playing harmoniously (or perhaps not!), collecting firewood, listening intently to Peter Findley’s storytelling, and imaginatively interacting with the forest’s being.

The space is open for anyone to join, and for new parents especially the group acts as a natural segway into connecting with other community families in the Park and nearby. Parental socialising aside, the group also clearly acts as a way for the children to step into themselves as tiny budding beings, in a safe and supportive atmosphere that we are so very privileged to have on our doorstep. 

I can speak on behalf of all the parents and children when I say we deeply appreciate the Findhorn Hinterland Trust blessing our group to meet and wonder over the past years in this sacred corner of the forest they so dearly care for. Thank you. 

Contributed by Tom Feeney, proud parent, community member and Findhorn Fledging group member


Posted in News

May Day Celebration in the Findhorn Hinterland

By Christine Lines | Published: 27/05/2023

by Linde de Vroey

On the first of May, I had the chance to join the Findhorn community when they came together at the Ceremonial Burial Ground in Wilkies Wood to celebrate May Day. I was immediately struck by the brightness of all the colors: the beautiful yellow, white and pink flowers in the crowns, the dark green and gold embroidery of the ceremonial costume, the bright green color of the grass, and the May pole with shiny ribbons in every color of the rainbow. Though the weather wasn’t as bright as the flowers, the people who joined surely were, and there was a happy atmosphere in the air. After all, we were here to celebrate spring! 

We started the day by weaving crowns of willow, ivy, flowers and ribbons – a truly enjoyable and creative activity, and of course everyone needed to look their best for the actual celebration. When all the children (and lots of adults) had their crowns ready, we gathered together in a circle for the ceremony. Draeyk guided us all in a beautiful moment of reflection, to thank the land and wish for peace. And then it was time for the highlight of the day: the dance around the MayPole! I had never seen a May day dance before, and I was mesmerized by all those beautiful ribbons almost magically weaving a pattern together, just as a result of the dancing. As I stood there, singing and clapping and watching, I found it truly beautiful to see this age-old dance re-enacted; not as some old relic of the past, but as a very living moment – and  as a lot of fun too! It reminded me of something I read by the Potawatomi writer Robin Wall Kimmerer, about the importance of sustaining ceremony as a community: 

“Ceremony focuses attention so that attention becomes intention. If you stand together and profess a thing before your community, it holds you accountable. Ceremonies transcend the boundaries of the individual and resonate beyond the human realm. These acts of reverence are powerfully pragmatic. These are ceremonies that magnify life.”

On May Day in Findhorn, I could see these acts in action. By honoring tradition, we honor the history of a place, the people and beings who came before us and who cared for this land, so that we could now make a living here. By giving thanks to the land, we sustain our relationship to the land. By dancing together, we weave a community with the people and the place and all beings that live here. But the truly wonderful thing is that by celebrating together, caring together, dancing together, we don’t even have to think about it. We live it.

About the Author:
I am a philosopher and a PhD researcher at the University of Antwerp, Belgium. My research focuses on the intersection between ecological restoration, rewilding and cultural heritage. I am very interested in place-based and community-guided approaches to restoration; and in the role that cultural tradition, stories, language, ceremony and history can play in restoring the relationship between people and the natural landscape. I first came to the Park Ecovillage, Findhorn last April in light of my research project. There I encountered a unique place where the community has carried out pioneering and inspiring work, not only restoring the land, but also restoring and sustaining an intimate relationship between the community and the land. 

Posted in News

Findhorn’s special moth

By Christine Lines | Published: 27/05/2023

Findhorn dunes are widely recognised for their unique habitat and specialist biodiversity, particularly their lichen assemblages. However, what is less widely known is the importance of the dunes for moths. Many scarce duneland specialist species make Findhorn their home, such as the Lyme Grass moth Longalatedes elymi, the Coast Dart Euxoa cursoria, or the enigmatic and beautiful Portland Moth Actebia praecox. However, there is one species for which Findhorn is far more important.

Scythris empetrella is a small (4-5mm long) moth in the Scythrididae family. At first glance it appears unremarkable, and may not be recognised as a moth due to its lack of willingness to fly – the adults prefer to make short jumping flights off of the sand almost akin to the motion of a sandhopper. However, on closer inspection the moth reveals itself to be an attractive charcoal grey with a variable degree of whitish irroration (figure 1).

Figure 1 – Adults of Scythris empetrella from Findhorn Dunes, 28th June 2022. This figure gives a sense of variation in the markings of the adult moths. Note images not to scale.

In Scotland, Scythris empetrella is only found at two sites: Findhorn Dunes, and Cuthill Links on the Dornoch Firth. The moth is abundant at Findhorn but has only been found once at Cuthill, making Findhorn the most important site for this species in Scotland. Outside of Scotland the moth is found at a handful of sites in the New Forest and on the Dorset heaths in England, and globally is confined to sand dunes and similarly sandy habitats along the coasts of the North and Baltic Seas.

What makes Findhorn so special for this species is unknown, but it might have something to do with the feeding habits of its caterpillar. The caterpillar eats Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum) and Heathers (Erica and Calluna), feeding from within a sand-covered tube of silk which extends from within the sand up to the green leaves of its foodplant. This tube no doubt conceals the caterpillar from predators, but also probably acts as a conduit along which the caterpillar can move at great speed backwards or forwards to escape danger.

Figure 2 – Scythris empetrella habitat, Findhorn Dunes 28th June 2022. The left-hand image shows the site where most adults were found, amongst loose wind-blown sand and heather. The right-hand image shows another site where I found adults, but never in such densities as observed at the previous site.

At Findhorn the adult moths are most abundant in parts of the dunes where green heather stems poke through loose, wind-blown sand (figure 2, left). One can also find them further back from the coastline on wind-sculpted heather hummocks (figure 2, right) but in much lower densities. I would speculate that the swamping of heather and crowberry stems by wind-blown sand allows the caterpillar to access green growth otherwise inaccessible when the plants grow high above the sand. Findhorn is relatively unique amongst the Moray dune systems for having good quantities of heather and mobile sand, which might explain the dunes’ importance for this species.

That said, the moth is easily overlooked and it is very plausible that it may be lurking in other sandy habitats along the Moray Firth. I have failed to find it on the Culbin Bar, but one good place to search for it may be in open parts of Culbin forest where heather grows on loose sand. If anyone spots the moth, or sandy tubes on the heather anywhere along the Moray Firth this summer, I’d ask them to please email me at [email protected] with a date on which the tubes or moth were seen, a six-figure grid reference, and a photograph. 

I would like to thank Jonathan Caddy for the invitation to write a piece on this moth, and Fay Wilkinson for providing details on the Cuthill record for this species.

James Hammond

Department of Biology, University of Oxford. The John Krebs Field Station, Wytham, Oxford OX2 8QJ

Email: [email protected]

About the Author:
James grew up in the Findhorn area and attended the Drumduan Steiner School for a time before his present work as a biologist based at the University of Oxford. At present he is volunteering for the Darwin Tree of Life (DToL) Project, which aims to sequence the genome of every eukaryotic organism in the British Isles. His role involves collecting and identifying moth specimens, and then passing them on to the sequencing team who generate the data. The project is non-commercial, and all data is publicly available.

Posted in News

News from the land – Spring 2023

By Kajedo Wanderer | Published: 27/05/2023

‘Behold my brother and sisters, the spring has come,

The earth has received the embraces of the sun

And we shall soon see the results of that love !’

(Sitting Bull)

Finally the cold days seem to be over! (Though the gardeners in our nearby town religiously refuse to plant their flowers until the 21st of May).

Most trees are now clothed in fresh green leaves – only the oaks are still a bit reluctant. There is an abundance of colour painted into that radiant green background – flowers and blossoms everywhere!  Spring is finally really here! (Though mind you – this is the North of Scotland and we did have snow in June before…)

Beyond the Park and Wilkie’s Woods an ocean of yellow gorse flowers stretches almost to the sea – fragrant of coconut in the sunshine.

The birds are busy building their nests and the other day I saw the first bat of the season, as well as my first two hedgehogs here in ages.

The warmer weather and longer days also draws people out onto the land.

Beltane has passed with many different celebrations in different locations around the Park. And our shelter site with its fireplaces has been busy with many  happy and colourful gatherings. Draeyk in full druidic regalia was guiding around 60 community folk (plus kids and dogs) through a joyful celtic Maypole ceremony – despite it having been a rather cold day.

Beautiful decked out women gathered for a ‘Red Tent’ event, and there is no shortage of bookings of our facilities for the next weeks and months.

Workwise – our new shepherd’s hut has been put into its location near the Green Burial Ground – just waiting for a committed volunteer or apprentice to move into that cosy wee space. (‘Build it – and they will come’ – from the movie ‘Field of dreams’ with Kevin Costner).

We have put a fresh layer of wood chips on our camping pads to welcome this season’s wild campers.

The gorse and grass on firebreaks and paths has been cut back with the topper, now it’s been weeks of following up with the brushcutter. The annual cycle of maintaining what we have created…

Wee trees which were planted last year are beginning to grow out of their little spiral tubes and need to be put into bigger tubes to keep the deer from eating them.

It feels like a busy time of the year – with everything bursting forth with life.

And yet – 

‘…once in spring

I with god

Had a quiet talk.’ (Shuntaro Tanikawa)

It’s when we pause to feel, look and listen, when we close our eyes to smell the sweetness of the air – the different scents at different times of the day –  when we stand still in the midst of all that bursting forth – and consciously open ourselves to the presence of the divine within it all – it is then that it will find its way into our hearts and make us flower wildly & quietly from within – and truly make us part of the celebration of life that is ‘spring’.

Enjoy…

Kajedo, 

Findhorn, May 2023

 

 

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Findhorn Hinterland Trust, Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) SC045806
228 Pineridge, Findhorn, Forres, Moray IV36 3TB