Native Shetland wildflowers are to be introduced to two sites in Lerwick as part of a new project to boost biodiversity in the town.
Shetland Islands Council, Shetland Amenity Trust and nature conservation programme Species on the Edge are working together to plant the seeds at Breiwick Road and Rudda Court in Sound. Preparation works including turf lifting will start next week.
The seeds, which include bird’s-foot-trefoil and red clover, have been collected locally by Shetland Amenity Trust and Species on the Edge staff and volunteers. The sites will be monitored during this pilot project, as part of the broader programme by Species on the Edge – a partnership of NatureScot and seven conservation organisations including the RSPB. Species on the Edge is sharing resources in a joint effort to tackle biodiversity loss across Scotland’s coasts and islands, and to save some of our rarest and most vulnerable species.
It is hoped the newly planted areas will prove to be a haven for pollinators including the Shetland Bumblebee (Bombus muscorum) – a native species which is only found in Shetland and the Western Isles. It is regarded as a priority species in the UK due to marked population declines. Allowing the areas to grow wildflowers will provide a source of food for native pollinators.
Funding for this pilot project has been provided by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund.
Elizabeth Clarke, Senior Climate Change Strategy Officer, Shetland Islands Council says: “This is a small project and the grassy areas are currently underused. We hope with the planting of these wildflowers the areas will become a place for nature to thrive and communal spaces for people to enjoy. We will be planting different types of flowers at the two sites so this will allow us to compare them over time.”
Becca Jackson, Project Officer for Species on the Edge, said: “We’re delighted to be working with the Shetland Amenity Trust and Shetland Islands Council on this project. All bumblebee species across the UK are seeing a steady downward trend and being able to support our local species is so important, especially due to the Shetland bumblebee having a very restricted area. It is a great step in the right direction to be able to provide a habitat from local seeds.
“Providing more designated pieces of land for pollinators to feed from will not just support them but all other animals which rely on them. Without insects we would have no larger species, including us.”
The national bumblebee monitoring scheme run by the UK’s Bumblebee Conservation Trust, revealed that 2024 was the worst year for bumblebees since records began.