Week 1 Events: 31 March - 6 April

*Marked events are particularly suitable for younger children (aged 5-12) and families. All other events are suitable for older children & adults.

Pteridomania

Saturday 31 March – Sunday 15 April, 10.00am-5.00pm, Logan Botanic Garden

The exhibition celebrates the absorbing world of ferns from the Victorian 'Pteromania', or fern craze, to the present day conservation work of the RBGE.
Meet: Logan Botanic Garden, Port Logan, DG9 9ND, NX095424.

Further information: Logan Botanic Garden Tel: 01776 860231.

The Early Birds

Saturday 31 March, 10.00am - 12.00noon, Newton Stewart

Join Cree Valley Community Woodlands Trust (CVCWT) staff for an introduction to early spring woodland birds and bird song. Suitable for beginners.
Cost: Voluntary donation to CVCWT.
Meet: High Camer Wood picnic site, NX366733
Further information: Pete or Linda, CVCWT Tel: 01671 401423, enquiries@cvcwt.org.uk

Red Deer Range Tour

Daily Sunday 1 to Thursday 5 April, 10.00am, Newton Stewart

Come face to face with Scotland largest land mammal in the company of our experienced Ranger. Discover more about the wild world of deer in Galloway and get great views of some of the red deer stags that live here in the range. Tour departs at 10am. Please arrive in plenty of time.

Cost: Adult £4; child/concession £3; family ticket £12

Meet: Galloway Red Deer Range main car park NX521731

Further information: Forestry Commission Scotland 01671 402420.

Ranger Ramblings

Sunday 1st, Monday 2nd, Wednesday 4th April. Drop in between 2.00pm – 3.30pm, Newton Stewart

Drop in at the Red Deer Range hide for a wildlife chat with our Ranger.  Get great views from the hide of female red deer and stags. Discover what other wildlife to look out for just now and great locations to visit whilst exploring the Galloway Forest Park.

Meet: Galloway Red Deer Range viewing hide.

Further information: Forestry Commission Scotland 01671 402420.

*Stars and Stripes Badger Watching

nightly from Monday 2 April to Sunday 15 April, 8.00pm, Caerlaverock

Watch wild badgers feeding just outside our comfortable observatory. Fair-trade tea and coffee available. 
Cost: Adults £7.50, children £2.50, conc. £5. Tickets must be paid for in advance.

Meet: WWT Wetlands centre, Caerlaverock.
Further information and bookings (essential): WWT Caerlaverock 01387 770200.

*Remarkable Raptors

Monday 2 April, 10.00am - 4.00pm, Wigtown

Come and find out about our amazing birds of prey. Family fun, games and activities.
Meet: Wigtown Bay Visitor Centre, County Buidlings, Wigtown, DG8 9JH.
Further information: Andrew Bielinski, RSPB, Tel: 01988 402130 andrew.bielinski@rspb.org.uk

*Bug Haunt

Monday 2 April, 11.00am to 12.30pm, Stranraer 

Are you an intrepid explorer? Dumfries and Galloway Council Ranger Service are looking for children who don’t scare easily to join then on a bug hunt in one of Stranraer’s graveyards. This is not for you if you get scared of worms and spiders and other things that might creep and crawl around near the graves. Please wear suitable outdoor clothing.

Meet: Stranraer Museum.

Further information and booking (essential): Stranraer Museum  01776 705088.  

Water Wonders

Monday 2 April, 2.00pm – 4.00pm, Lockerbie

Investigate the pond life at Eskrigg Nature Reserve.  Find out how the breeding season has gone for the frogs, toads and newts this year.  Wellies and waterproofs advisable.  Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

Cost: £2.

Meet: Eskrigg Centre, NY126805, 10 minute walk from car park at Dryfesdale Lodge Visitor’s Centre.

Further information and booking (essential): Jim Rae 07739 987 009 or jim_rae2000@yahoo.co.uk .

*Pond Dipping

Monday 2 April, 2.00pm - 3.30pm, Logan Botanic Garden

Come along and find out what is happening in the pond. You'll be amazed, even at this early part of Spring!
Cost: Adults £5.50, children £1, concessions £5.

Meet: Logan Botanic Garden, Port Logan, DG9 9ND, NX095424.
Further information: Logan Botanic Garden 01776 860231.

Dusk on the Dunes

Monday 2 April, 7.00pm – 9.00pm, Mersehead

Join RSPB staff for an evening walk to the high dune at Mersehead where we will be able to watch geese heading to the sand flats to roost.
Cost: Donations welcome.

Meet: RSPB Mersehead, Southwick, Dumfries DG2 8AH.
Further information & bookings (essential): Becky Jones, RSPB 01387 780579 mersehead@rspb.org.uk

*From Little Acorns

Tuesday 3 April, 10.30am – 11.30am, Dumfries

Things are about to start sprouting and growing. Learn about the plants, small and large, that are about to come to life, and plant your own acorn to see if it will grow into an oak tree.
Meet: Dumfries Museum NX970757
Further information & bookings (essential): Dumfries Museum Tel: 01387 253374.

*Wildlife Watch and Birdy Art Activities

Tuesday 3 April, 11.00am - 4.00pm, Gatehouse of Fleet 

Come along and join staff and volunteers from RSPB Mersehead for some pond dipping. Also why not have a go at Bird Bingo and make a wrist flapper, snapper or mask to take home.
Meet: Cream o'Galloway.
Further information: Helen Fenby, Cream o'Galloway 01557 815222.

*Kite Making

Tuesday 3 April, 11.00am – 12.30pm, Logan Botanic Garden

Come along and make your own kite from a variety of recycled materials with Dumfries and Galloway Council Ranger Elizabeth Tindal.
Cost: Adults £5.50, concessions £5, children £1.
Meet: Logan Botanic Garden, NX095424.
Further information: Logan Botanic Garden, Tel: 01776 860231.

Mull of Galloway Guided Walk 

Tuesday 3 April, 1.00pm, Mull of Galloway

Join us for a guided walk at Scotland's most southerly point, looking at the diverse flora and wildlife of the reserve. There will be opportunities to view the seabirds, some of which will be nesting, and to look for harbour porpoises. Bring binoculars if you have them.
Cost: RSPB members £1, non-members £2.

Meet: Mull of Galloway RSPB Visitor Centre, Lighthouse, Drummore, Stranraer DG9 9HP.
Further information: Hannah Doyle, RSPB, 01776 840539.

*Paper Making 

Tuesday 3 April, 2.00pm - 3.30pm, Logan Botanic Garden

Make your own paper - the essential ingredient of any artists book. We will help you make your own paper, not just out of wood pulp, but also flowers, leaves, grass, fungi and other ineteresting stuff. Go on, give it a go!
Cost: Adults £5.50, concessions £5, children £1.
Meet: Logan Botanic Garden, Port Logan, DG9 9ND, NX095424.
Further information: Logan Botanic Garden Tel: 01776 860231. 

*Terrific Tree Trail

Tuesday 3 April, 2.00pm - 4.00pm, Auldgirth

A wander through the Childrens' Woodland at Allanton Peace Sanctuary, looking at the wierd and wonderful things that trees can do.
Meet: Allanton Peace Sanctuary, near Auldgirth, NX912849.
Further information and booking (essential): Tom Henry, Dumfries & Galloway Council Ranger Service, Tel: 07702 250958.

Dusk on the Dunes

Tuesday 3 April, 7.00pm – 9.00pm, Mersehead

Join RSPB staff for an evening walk to the high dune at Mersehead where we will be able to watch geese heading to the sand flats to roost.
Cost: Donations welcome.

Meet: RSPB Mersehead, Southwick, Dumfries DG2 8AH.
Further information & bookings (essential): Becky Jones, RSPB 01387 780579 mersehead@rspb.org.uk

Photo Walk "In Search of Wild Geese"

Wednesday 4 April, 9.30am – 12.30pm, Mersehead

Jooin Dumfries & Galloway Council Ranger Keith Kirk to try and photograph the last of the geese before they head back north to their breeding grounds in the Arctic. Aimed at DSLR camera users. Bring your own camera, tripod, etc and perhaps learn a few tips.
Meet: RSPB Mersehead, Southwick, DG2 8AH. NX926560.
Further information and booking (essential): Places are limited. Tel: Keith Kirk 01556 505479 (answer-phone).

Fintastic Tales - the Atlantic Salmon's Amazing Life.

Wednesday 4 April, 10.00am – 12.00noon, Auldgirth

Come and see a wild salmon hatchery where you will learn all about the amazing life of salmon and sea trout and why they are important to our rivers, as well as see thousands of salmon fry feeding in the hatchery.  After visiting the hatchery, join us on a field trip where a surveying technique called electrofishing will be demonstrated.  You will get to see first-hand the diversity of fish found in our local burns, learn about their role in the food web, their preferred habitats and how the Nith Fishery Management Team works together to help conserve, protect and ensure the diversity of our native fish species.  Bring outdoor clothes and wellies.

Cost: Donations welcome.

Meet: Auldgirth Inn car park, Auldgirth NX913868
Further Information and booking (essential): Nith Catchment Fishery Trust, 01387 740043 trust@river-nith.com . Please note that a minimum number is required to run this event.

*Wild Wednesday

Wednesday 4 April, 11.00am - 4.00pm, Mersehead

A return of our popular family event with themed workshops throughout the day focussing on different aspects of nature.

Cost: Donations welcome.

Meet: RSPB Mersehead, Southwick, Dumfries DG2 8AH.
Further information & bookings (essential): Becky Jones, RSPB 01387 780579 mersehead@rspb.org.uk

*Pond Dipping

Wednesday 4 April, 11.00am - 12.30pm, Castle Kennedy Gardens

Explore the wildlife in the pond at Castle Kennedy Gardens.  Join Elizabeth Tindal of the Dumfries and Galloway Council Ranger Service and learn about the weird and wonderful creatures inhabiting the pond. Please wear suitable outdoor clothing and footwear.

Cost: Included in admission fee to Gardens.

Meet: Castle Kennedy Gardens, Stranraer, DG9 8SJ.
Further information: Castle Kennedy Gardens Tel: 01581 400225 or 01776 702024.

*Tattie Bogling 

Wednesday 4 April, 11.00am – 3.30pm, Gatehouse of Fleet

Spring is the gardeners’ favourite time of year, as they busily sow seeds on flower beds and vegetable patches.  However, it is at this time that the garden is at its most vulnerable due to the constant threat posed by some of our greedy feathered friends!!  To ensure the garden remains as safe as possible, why not try building and painting your very own mini traditional Scottish scare crow or “tattie-bogle”.  Traditionally a human shaped figure, these wooden scaring devices have been effective in protecting crops and gardens for generations. .
Meet: Cairnsmore of Fleet NNR, north of Gatehouse of Fleet. NX554637.
Further Information and booking (essential): Scottish Natural Heritage 01557 814435.

*Build a bbbbbox! 

Wednesday 4 April, 2.00pm - 4.00pm, Castle Kennedy Gardens 

 Help wildlife by building a box for birds, bees or bats that you can put in your own garden.  Work with Elizabeth Tindal of the Dumfries and Galloway Council Ranger Service to understand what these creatures require for a good home. Please wear suitable outdoor clothing and footwear.

Cost: £3.50 plus admission to the Gardens.

Meet: Castle Kennedy Gardens, Stranraer, DG9 8SJ.
Further information: Castle Kennedy Gardens Tel: 01581 400225 or 01776 702024.

Guide in a Hide

Wednesday 4 April, 4.00pm - 5.00pm, Wigtown

Goose guides will be on hand to help you identify the geese and swans of Wigtown Bay LNR as they pass through on their journey to the Arctic. As well as a guide, there will be binoculars, telescopes and books to help you see and identify the birds of Wigtown Bay.

Meet: Wigtown Harbour hide, Wigtown Bay Local Nature Reserve.

Further information: Elizabeth Tindal, Dumfries & Galloway Council Ranger Service 01988 402401.

Dusk on the Dunes

Wednesday 4 April, 7.00pm – 9.00pm, Mersehead

Join RSPB staff for an evening walk to the high dune at Mersehead where we will be able to watch geese heading to the sand flats to roost.
Cost: Donations welcome.

Meet: RSPB Mersehead, Southwick, Dumfries DG2 8AH.
Further information & bookings (essential): Becky Jones, RSPB 01387 780579 mersehead@rspb.org.uk

Eskrigg Film Night

Wednesday 4 April, 7 pm - 9 pm, Lockerbie

Come and watch wildlife movies at Eskrigg Centre.

Cost: £2.

Meet: Eskrigg Centre, NY126805, 10 minute walk from car park at Dryfesdale Lodge Visitor’s Centre.

Further information and booking (essential): Jim Rae 07739 987 009 or jim_rae2000@yahoo.co.uk .

*Easter Egg Bonanza

Thursday 5 April until Sunday 15 April, 10.00am – 4.00pm, Castle Kennedy Gardens

Come and explore the Gardens while completing the Easter Egg Trail.  Win a chocolate Easter Egg prize and have the chance to win a family ticket to an Open Air Theatre Production taking place at the Gardens in the Summer. Please wear suitable outdoor clothing and footwear.

Cost: Admission to the Gardens plus £1.50 for trail entry.

Meet: Castle Kennedy Gardens, Stranraer, DG9 8SJ.
Further information: Castle Kennedy Gardens Tel: 01581 400225 or 01776 702024.

*Otterly Fantastic River Ramble

Thursday 5 April 10.00am – 12.00noon, Dumfries

Search for signs of otter along the River Cairn from New Bridge.
Meet: Newbridge, Dumfries NX948791.

Further Information and booking (essential): Tom henry, Dumfries & Galloway Council Ranger Service Tel: 07702 250958.

Mull of Galloway Guided Walk 

Thursday 5 April, 1.00pm, Mull of Galloway

Join us for a guided walk at Scotland's most southerly point, looking at the diverse flora and wildlife of the reserve. There will be opportunities to view the seabirds, some of which will be nesting, and to look for harbour porpoises. Bring binoculars if you have them.
Cost: RSPB members £1, non-members £2.

Meet: Mull of Galloway RSPB Visitor Centre, Lighthouse, Drummore, Stranraer DG9 9HP.
Further information: Hannah Doyle, RSPB, 01776 840539.

Dusk on the Dunes

Thursday 5 April, 7.00pm – 9.00pm, Mersehead

Join RSPB staff for an evening walk to the high dune at Mersehead where we will be able to watch geese heading to the sand flats to roost.
Cost: Donations welcome.

Meet: RSPB Mersehead, Southwick, Dumfries DG2 8AH.
Further information & bookings (essential): Becky Jones, RSPB 01387 780579 mersehead@rspb.org.uk

*Family Fun Friday

Friday 6 April 11.00am – 4.00pm, Mersehead

A return of our popula Family Fun Friday with treasure trails, beach art competitions, pond dipping and more. Have fun with nature at RSPB Mersehead..
Meet: RSPB Mersehead, Southwick, DG2 8AH, NX926560
Further information: Becky Jones 01387 780579 or 01387 780298 mersehead@rspb.org.uk  

*Fish Up Close

Friday 6 April, 11.00am - 12.30pm, Wigtown

*Easter cycling treasure hunt

Friday 6 April, 1.00pm - 3.00pm, Forest of Ae

A fun, family treasure hunt along the 7stanes Ae Valley bike trail (9km loop/easy grade).  Bring your own bike or hire one on site (tel:01387 860541).

Meet: Ae café and bike shop. NX984894.

Further information: Forestry Commission Scotland 01387 860247.

Dusk on the Dunes

Friday 6 April, 7.00pm – 9.00pm, Mersehead

Join RSPB staff for an evening walk to the high dune at Mersehead where we will be able to watch geese heading to the sand flats to roost.
Cost: Donations welcome.

Meet: RSPB Mersehead, Southwick, Dumfries DG2 8AH.
Further information & bookings (essential): Becky Jones, RSPB 01387 780579 mersehead@rspb.org.uk