Isle of Lewis
INTRO TO STAND UP PADDLE BOARD
Loch na h-Aibhne Ruaidhe
Aline Community Woodland
Isle of Lewis
Saturday 24 June
Multiple times available
This outdoor watersports activity is located at the inland fresh water Loch na h-Aibhne Ruaidhe at the Aline Community Woodland approx 20miles south of Stornoway on the A859 and 15 miles north of Tarbert on the A859. The closest postcode is HS2 9LE.
Duration: 2hrs
£45pp
Learn the basics of Stand Up Paddleboarding with SurfLewis including lying, kneeling and paddling on the board, paddling technique, body positioning and re entry on to the board. The remaining time will be free time where you can use your skills to navigate round the inland fresh water Loch na h-Aibhne Ruaidhe at the Aline Community Woodland.
The Aline woodland also has a variety of accessible boardwalk paths, a playpark and toilet facilities making it an ideal location for family fun.
To book or for further information contact:
NATTER FOR NATURE
An Lanntair, The Drum Room, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis
Monday 26 June at 4pm
FREE, INTERACTIVE HYBRID EVENT
Duration: 1 hour
Location: An Lanntair, The Drum Room
Or Join in via Zoom
Please email to request a Zoom invitation:
mairi.carrey@bumblebeeconservation.org
Discover more about the Outer Hebrides most iconic & threatened species & habitats in this interactive hybrid event. You have the option to attend in person, or join in remotely from your own home, via Zoom.
Alasdair Allan, MSP, and *Nature Champion for the Great Yellow Bumblebee in conversation with Katy Malone, from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and, Tegan Gaetano, an Aberdeen University researcher.
Find out more about Alasdair’s role as Nature Champion. Hear about Katy’s exciting work with Species on the Edge in the Outer Hebrides. Learn why Tegan’s fieldwork on plant pollinators in the fragile machair ecosystems of Uist is so important, how it may change what we do for bees, and what the implications are for conservation work and pollinator policy. An open Q&A session will follow.
*The Nature Champions initiative encourages Members of the Scottish Parliament to champion threatened and iconic species and habitats, raising awareness and promoting action to protect and restore Scotland’s environment.
**Tegan's field research in the Outer Hebrides is concerned with mechanisms underlying plant-pollinator networks among endangered communities of bees in Scottish machair habitats. She is particularly interested in the resilience of this unique coastal ecosystem under climate change and hopes her research will help inform practice and policy aimed at preserving it for years to come. Learn more about her research at quadrat.ac.uk/students/tegan-gaetano/ and follow her on Twitter @tegangaetano.
Live recording will be taking place during this event.
For further information and to join us via Zoom please contact:
mairi.carrey@bumblebeeconservation.org
07502190425
WHALE & DOLPHIN SPOTTING:
SHOREWATCH AT TIUMPAN
Isle of Lewis
Sunday 25 June at 11am-12pm
Duration: 1 hour
Location: Tiumpan Head
Free. Donations welcome
Want to learn how to spot different whales and dolphins?
Join Whale and Dolphin Conservation at Tiumpan Head to learn how to identify different species of whales and dolphins and have a go at spotting some for yourself, using our scopes and binoculars.
To sign up or for further information contact:
LOCH NA MUILNE WALK
Arnol, Isle of Lewis
Tuesday 27 June at 10am
Walk starts from the carpark
Duration: 1.5hrs
Terrain: Rough terrain, stout footwear recommended.
Join RSPB staff on a walk around Loch na Muilne reserve to learn more about the working landscape, and how our work around the loch helps many bird populations.
To book or for further information contact:
BUMBLEBEE IDENTIFICATION & POLLINATOR PLANTS
The Sunken Garden
Lews Castle Grounds
Stornoway, Isle of Lewis
Tuesday 27 June, Wednesday 28 June & Friday 30 June at 11am-12.30pm
FREE, BUT BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL
15 people max (adults and children)
Meet at Museum nan Eilean access point at Lews Castle (what3word ///projects.register.zaps). Where possible, park away from points of congestion and walk into the meeting point to avoid inconvenience to other visitors.
Duration: 1 and a half hours
The walk is suitable for those of average fitness. Suitable for adults aged 16+. Wear comfortable footwear and outdoor clothing suitable for the weather conditions.
Take a 90 minutes guided walk around the Sunken Garden, with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust to find different bumblebee species and talk about pollinator-friendly plants. We’ll safely catch and look at the different bumblebee species up close, learning how to identify each species, and try to find the rare Moss Carder bumblebee.
Spaces are limited, so booking is essential.
Free event - donations to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust welcome.
Please note, the walk may be cancelled or delayed in the event of rain at the scheduled start time so please provide an emergency contact number when you book so that we can contact you the day before in case of cancellation.
To book or for further information contact:
LOCH STIAPABHAT WALK
RSPB Loch Stiapabhat,
Ness, Isle of Lewis
Wednesday 28 June at 10.30am -12.30pm
Meet at Sgoil Lionail/ Spor Nis car park, Ness, Lewis
Duration: 2 hrs
Terrain: Easy
Join RSPB staff on a walk around Loch Stiapabhat reserve to learn more about the working landscape, and how our work around the loch helps many bird populations.
To book or for further information contact:
Bumblebee Safari
Europie Machair
Isle of Lewis
Thursday 29 June at 10.30-11.30am
Meet at the Eoropie Dunes playpark
15 people max (adults and children)
Booking is essential
Duration: 1 hour
Terrain: Suitable for families, children over 5 years who are able to walk on paths and firm ground. Clothing and footwear suitable for changeable weather conditions. The event may be cancelled in the event of bad weather. Please provide contact details when booking as incase of cancellation we may need to contact you.
Come on a quest to find bumblebees on Eoropie's beautiful machair and find out more about these essential insects and the flowers they need to survive and thrive! Join Bumblebee Conservation Trust who will guide you on this bumblebee safari.
To book or for further information contact:
HOPE THE HUMPBACK WHALE: TALK AND SEA COLLAGE
Stornoway Town Hall
Isle of Lewis
Friday 30 June
EVENT FULLY BOOKED
1.30pm – 3pm :
WHALE TALK + ART SESSION FOR CHILDREN AGE 8 - 12
3pm & 3.40pm: ADULT WHALE TALKS
FREE, BUT BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL FOR BOTH EVENTS
Book online:
Inflatable Whale (lanntair.com)
OR CALL: 01851 708 480
Ever wondered what it’s like to stand next to a whale?
Whale and Dolphin Conservation are visiting the Hebrides with our brand new inflatable life size humpback whale and you can even go inside! Join us to learn about whales, how they feed, where you can see them and how you can help protect them.
WHALE TALK AND ART ACTIVITY FOR CHILDREN
1.30 – 3pm: please book a place
Inflatable Whale (lanntair.com)
Children age 8 – 12 will learn all about whales, and work on a large sea collage making pictures of whales and other amazing creatures. You’ll split into small groups to visit Hope the inflatable Humpback whale in the Town Hall main space, and work on a large sea collage on the balcony.
WHALE TALK FOR ADULTS
3pm – 3.20pm: please book a place
3.20 - 3.40pm: please book a place
Inflatable Whale (lanntair.com)
A chance for adults to visit the inflatable whale and learn about them from Shorewatch co-ordinator Katie Dyke.
Free but donations to Whale and Dolphin Conservation are welcome at the event.
For further information contact:
Whale and Dolphin Conservation
Grinneabhat Gaelic Wildlife Project, Bragar and Arnol Community Trust
Isle of Lewis
Grinneabhat are launching a call to action! Help bring older Gaelic words back into use and preserve these for future generations to use.
Find out about interesting Gaelic words and the stories behind them as well as about life in the west side of the Isle of Lewis and connect with local wildlife. Follow the project @rubhachmuniar on Instagram.
Contact Torcull.Macleod@bragararnol.org
to find out more and get involved.
Grinneabhat are encouraging people of the West Side of Lewis, young and old, to recognise the importance of wildlife to the area both now and in the past through our photo competition.
To enter, take a photo of wildlife in your area with your phone or camera, and speak to a relative or member of your community such as a parent, a grandparent or a neighbour for the Gaelic name that they would use for the species, as well as the Gaelic placename for where it was taken. The wildlife may be either a plant or an animal.
This will hopefully preserve some forgotten about or uncommon Gaelic words and encourage an inter-generational Gaelic conversation. At the end of the competition, selected submissions will be displayed here at Grinneabhat.
For further information please contact: Torcull.Macleod@bragararnol.org
Learn to Surf
Traigh Mhor/Gary Beach
Tolsta
Isle of Lewis
Friday 30 June
Multiple times available
Meet at Gary Beach Car park in North Tolsta.
The closest house postcode is HS2 0NN.
Duration: 2.5 hours
£45pp
Booking required: https://surflewis.com/
Participants must be 8 years old and over. All participants must be able to swim 50 metres unaided. Children 8-10 years old must be accompanied in the water by a parent/guardian. All equipment is provided and no previous experience is required.
Thinking about learning to surf? On this beginners surf lesson with SurfLewis, you will learn about beach safety and awareness, your surf equipment, how to find the correct lying position on the board, paddling technique, how to get through the waves, how to catch a wave, entry and exit from surf, how to stand up!
To book or for further information contact: