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Aloft – A Poem by Luke Winter
As part of the Wild Goose Festival 2021, poet Luke Winter was commissioned to write a piece inspired by the migration of geese to our region. Luke created a special piece entitled, ‘Aloft’. The theme of the 2021 festival was around the concept of naturalism, and our association with the natural world, be it physical […]
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The Challenges of Moult
Dr Larry Griffin of ECO-LG Ltd, shares his experience of tagging Greylag Geese on Loch Ken earlier this summer. This took place at a crucial time when the birds are coming out of the major energy/nutrient pinch point of moult while trying to cater for their growing young. By Dr Larry Griffin Since GPS collar-tagging […]
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Wild Goose is Back for 2023
Wild Goose Festival, set to return to Dumfries & Galloway this October Over 20 key partners across Dumfries & Galloway have joined forces to support this on-of-a-kind festival and shine a light on the unique and diverse natural habitats that this region has to offer. Now in its 4th year, Wild Goose Festival has attracted […]
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What is Saltmarsh and why is is it so Important?
The Team at NatureScot explain: The whole of the Solway represents approximately 25% of the UK saltmarsh resource and this rich habitat, also known as merse, at Caerlaverock is the largest continuous area of saltmarsh in Scotland, there is also a good stretch of saltmarsh at Kirkconnell merse across the river Nith from Glencaple. So, why […]
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April at WWT Caerlaverock
As we wave goodbye to April, David Pickett of WWT Caerlaverock tells us what life has been like on the reserve over the course of last month: “April can be a confusing month at WWT Caerlaverock. On a calendar April is smack bang in the middle of spring and when seen in black and white […]
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Goose News!
Barnacle geese numbers are starting to build up as more birds have arrived from Svalbard just in time for last week’s Wild Goose Festival. Prior to last week there was only a 2000 “Barnies” reported from our dedicated counters across the English and Scottish sides of the Solway. However, the most recent counts have reported […]
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Pyramiden
A Photo Essay by Sisse Brimberg, Saskia Coulson and Colin Tennant In the far reaches of the Arctic circle, situated on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, lays the ghost town of Pyramiden. This abandoned mining town was first founded by Sweden in 1910 and then sold to the Soviet Union in 1927. The community thrived […]
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Wild Geese and the GSA Biosphere
The Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere is proud to be a partner organisation and co-hosting events at the Wild Goose Festival 2022, introducing local people and visitors to some of the amazing wildlife and habitats for which the region is recognised internationally. Southwest Scotland (including the GSA Biosphere) is a winter wonderland for geese, […]
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Primary School News Reporter, Ayla, Tells us About Her Class Project
The Stove’s Creative Spaces Team have been working with the pupils at Caerlaverock Primary School on a series of activities linked to this years Wild Goose Festival. As part of this, some of the senior pupils worked together to create a special magazine, each adopting a key role. Below, we here from Ayla, in her […]
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Marvellous Migration
The Barnacle Geese of Svalbard There’s no mistaking that migration is an amazing natural phenomenon. As the Barnacle geese return to us each year from Spitspegen on the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago, we marvel at the journeys they and many other wildfowl take between winter and summer locations. The Svalbard population of Barnacle Goose breeds in […]