Buglife - Andrew Ramsey

Guest speaker was a former university academic Dr Andrew Ramsey who is now conservation professional Buglife. Andrew studied Zoology, before doing PhD on ways of controlling insects.

Buglife is the only organisation in Europe devoted to the conservation of all invertebrates. They are actively working to save our rarest little animals, everything from bees to beetles, worms to woodlice and jumping spiders to jellyfish. Aim is to stop extinctions and maintain sustainable a population of insects. Andrew’s work covers Scotland and Northern Ireland. 

Andrew highlighted a famous quote:-

‘If we and the rest of the back-boned animals were to disappear overnight, the rest of the world would get on pretty well. But if the invertebrates were to disappear, the world’s ecosystems would collapse.’                  Sir David Attenborough

Insects make up over half the species on Earth, our planet’s health depends on them, so their enduring disappearance is intensely concerning. 1/4 of the invertebrates on the planet are beetles. 30,000 are spiders. Butterflies, moths, bees, wasps, and dung beetles are amongst the most at risk. In a world without invertebrates all goes with them. 

Invertebrates are in trouble. 60% moths, 50% butterflies threatened. Why? Loss of habitat, overuse of polluting chemicals. 98% of wild flower meadows have disappeared. Aim is to help pollinators by replacing habitat. Buglife is trying to create B-lines - patches of habitat to allow insects to feed. 

Andrew referenced the project, “Pollinators Along the Tweed” a Buglife partnership project that aims to create a network of habitat for pollinating insects along the River Tweed B-Line by increasing and connecting the area of wildflower-rich habitat. Working with the local authority, landowners and communities, Pollinators Along the Tweed will create and restore 100 acres of pollinator habitat across 50 sites.

Andrew explained the Buglife work on Important Invertebrate Areas - places that are home to nationally or internationally significant invertebrate populations and their habitats. They include diverse species from beetles and moths to freshwater shrimps and woodlice, and habitats from the shoreline, along rivers and to the uplands.

Buglife save sites. For example a moss in Dumfries and Galloway was earmarked for a dump but housed great bog bush cricket, pigmy moth (3mm long), and was saved. Buglife is trying to save the medicinal leech. They are extinct almost everywhere other than Scotland. 

The Tadpole Shrimp is native to the UK. It is actually the oldest known animal species in the world and is at least 220 million years old! This means it was swimming around in pools when the dinosaurs were roaming our planet.  The Tadpole Shrimp is currently found in only two locations, one is in the New Forest (Hampshire) and the other is in Scotland near the Solway Firth.  The only other record this century is from the Kirkcudbrightshire coast, however it is believed to have been lost in the 1960s as a result of coastal erosion.

Andrew explained Buglife requires volunteers to plant plug plants, bulbs etc.

Asked about re-wilding policy of some local authorities, Andrew replied:- A wild flower meadow is more attractive than lawns. Scottish Borders Council are consulting with Buglife to gauge the amount of short grassland which is optimum. Councils are encouraging support to let the grass grow but Andrew agreed  desirable “under certain circumstances”.  Long grass encourages caterpillars and beetles. Asked should we all not cut our grass? Andrew stated that every little helps. 

Buglife requires support. Bees and other invertebrates need help to reverse the catastrophic declines in their numbers. Should you wish to make a donation click here https://www.buglife.org.uk/donations/

Results of the RCWF August Prize Draw which was drawn at the meeting:
1st Prize - Ian Grieve
2nd Prize - Helen Fowler