Bright Green Nature

09/06/2026

5 signs your neighbour might actually be a red squirrel – Week 5
#5 No fussy, fancy frosted tips…

You might have noticed your “neighbour” has a very particular sense of style.

While grey squirrels sport tails with pale, frosted edges (a bit like they’ve been to the hairdresser for highlights), red squirrels keep things classic — no halo, no highlights, just one beautifully rich colour from base to tip. It might not always be your classic russet colour either. Check out the dark tail on this wee guy - the give away is the solid colour with no halo!

So if you spot a tail that’s all one glorious shade, with none of those fussy, fancy frosted tips… you could be living next door to one of our iconic reds.

Share your sigthings at: https://scottishsquirrels.org.uk/squirrel-sightings/

Photo credit: Lisa McLeish







With thanks to our funders for supporting this important recovery work.

07/06/2026

What a way to end with a trip to the The Haining with Borders Wheels to do a session with the brilliant Elaine from Bright Green Nature 🌍💚

Stow Disrupters would not exist without our amazing group of volunteers who plan, prepare and turn up week and week to support our young changemakers, ensuring they get experiences and opportunities to work with like minded people and organisations who share our vision to make the 🌍a better place!

Watch and listen to our video to see for yourself the difference our volunteers make to Stow Disrupters.

Celebrate Stow Disrupters Volunteers by giving them a 👍 👏Volunteer Scotland

05/06/2026

We have been enjoying working with Langlee Primary School, and in particular with their new after-hours Gardening Club.
The school recently benefitted from a Bright Green Nature Micro Grant and they used this money to purchase native hedging plants and native climbers.
In the photos you can see some very enthusiastic kids (from P1 up to P7) planting their new plants. The new hedge will separate their new 'No Mow' area from the rest of the grounds - creating a whole new section that will be both wildlife and child friendly.
This is a wonderful project and it's great to see so many kids (and staff members) getting involved.
NB - Borders based Schools, Community Groups and individuals are all welcome to apply for our Micro Grant for similar nature friendly projects.

04/06/2026

📣 Bright Green Nature is heading to Borders Book Festival on Saturday 13th June, Harmony Gardens, Melrose and — we’d love to see you there!

https://bordersbookfestival.org/

🌿🎶🐝We will be bringing a mix of music, nature, and rewilding to the day, with something for all ages to get involved in.

Think:

🎶Interactive live music shows inspired by nature

🐝Guided rewilding walks to explore the landscape in a new way

🌿Hands-on foraging experiences

Whether you’re curious about rewilding, keen to learn new skills, or just fancy a great day outdoors, come and join us.

, we’d love to know:
What would you be most excited to try — music, foraging, or a rewilding walk?

Let us know in the comments, and tag someone you’d bring along.

Join us for four fabulous days of talks, comedy, live music, food & drink, and much, much more…

03/06/2026

🌿Last week, our Young Rewilders and Ambassadors from Bright Green Nature spent a brilliant day at Leadburn Community Woodland.

🌿From the moment we arrived, it was clear just how special this place is. Huge thanks to Wendy, Peter and Russell for such a generous and insightful tour. The story of the woodland’s transformation over the past 20 years is genuinely inspiring — a powerful example of what long-term commitment to nature restoration can achieve in the Scottish Borders.

🪏We also visited their peatland restoration site, where truly ground-breaking work is underway. It’s a fascinating and vital area of conservation, and there’s still so much to learn — it was a privilege to see it up close.

🪏The group learned a huge amount, spotted (and heard) some fantastic wildlife, and even got stuck in by helping remove self-seeded sitka spruce — an ongoing challenge in many restoration projects.

💚Two moments really stood out. First, hearing how this well-established project actively shares both volunteers and funding with other local initiatives — a brilliant model of collaboration. And second, watching one of our Young Rewilders light up with excitement after spotting an orange tip butterfly — a reminder of just how powerful these experiences can be.

💚Another inspiring visit, and another strong connection built. We’re already looking forward to returning.

Friends of Leadburn Community Woodland

02/06/2026

🐿️5 signs your neighbour might actually be a red squirrel – Week 4
#4 Hoarding!

👀Ever noticed a neighbour who’s always collecting things?
Some collect junk mail. Others collect nuts…

If it’s the latter, you might just have a red squirrel living nearby.

🥜Red squirrels are busy foragers, gathering and hiding food to see them through tougher times. You might spot them darting around with hazelnuts, seeds or even pine cones — often burying them and (impressively) remembering where they left them.

A few signs to look out for:
- Small, neat piles of nibbled cone cores (called “middens”) left behind after feeding
- Quick, agile movement through trees, often high in the canopy
- That iconic flash of russet fur — though in winter, their coat can look darker

And if you’re lucky… those distinctive ear tufts

They may be small, but they’re expert collectors — and an important part of our woodland ecosystems.

So next time you spot a particularly busy “neighbour”… ta

Photo credits: Lisa McLeish, Elaine Rainey

01/06/2026

It's and so we'd like to take this opportunity to say a massive THANK YOU to our amazing Thursday volunteer group. This wonderful group of people can turn their hands to anything, from drystone walling to citizen science surveys, pond maintenance, nestbox building and tree planting. By volunteering their time and energy, they're helping us restore and protect the valuable sites we have in Selkirk. We really couldn't do it without them.

30/05/2026

As part of the Selkirk Nature Networks project, we were joined today by Natalie from The Wildlife Information Centre, who led a fantastic workshop on identifying broadleaved trees on Selkirk Hill. Together we learned the key features to look for when identifying trees and were able to see many of these characteristics first-hand in the field. We also added valuable new records for the site.

Trees and healthy woodlands provide a wide range of ecological benefits. They support an incredible diversity of wildlife, offering food, shelter, and nesting opportunities for birds, mammals, insects, fungi, and plants. Woodlands also help improve air quality, store carbon, reduce flood risk by slowing water runoff, and create more resilient landscapes that can better withstand the impacts of climate change. Understanding and recording the trees that make up these habitats is an important step in protecting and enhancing them for the future.

Our next Saturday workshop will be on 27th June, when we'll focus on life in and around the old skating pond. We'll explore damselflies and dragonflies, as well as many of the larval stages that can be found beneath the water's surface. Weather permitting, we'll also have moth traps out overnight, giving you the opportunity to see what has been caught before the moths are safely released.

We hope to see you there!

29/05/2026

🎉 Join us at the Borders Book Festival for three magical nature-filled sessions! 🌿📚

We’re thrilled to be part of this year’s festival with events for all ages — from little ones to teens. Come explore, create, and connect with the natural world alongside us!

🎶 For the youngest children:
A musical improvisation of Pam Ayres' Woodland Animal stories.
Led by Aishling Samson, a local music teacher, this hands-on workshop invites little ones to improvise, sing, and move whilst learning all about the importance of woodland habitats. Perfect for curious hearts and tiny feet!

🍄 For families and all ages
Nature Shapes Foraging with Lisa McLeish
Discover the shapes and stories in nature while learning to forage wisely. Lisa will guide you through recognising edible plants, understanding their habitats, and connecting with the land in a fun, engaging way.

🌱 For teenagers
A special walk and talk session designed with teens in mind — expect creativity, conversation, and real-world connections to nature and rewilding. (See below for more details)

📍 Find us at the Borders Book Festival
🔗 Follow the festival for updates: Borders Book Festival

Whether you’re a parent, teacher, young person, or nature lover of any age, there’s something here for you. We can’t wait to see you there!

28/05/2026

🎉Exams nearly over? Or already done and wondering what’s next?

If you’re aged 16–25 and thinking about your future — uni, work, or something a bit different — the Young Rewilders Forum is a great way to explore your interests while doing something positive for the planet.

It’s relaxed, friendly, and designed to fit around your life. You can gain experience, build confidence, and meet people who care about the same things you do — all while getting out to some incredible rewilding sites.

If you’re figuring things out (and let’s be honest, most people are), you don’t have to do it alone.

Borders Youth Voice +

Drop Fraser a message to find out more: [email protected]

Photo credit The Scottish Rewilding Alliance /Michael Bannister