Seagrass mapping outdoor session with Restoration Forth

Join the Restoration Forth team for an outdoor session to learn all about seagrass, the marine super plant! Attendees will learn about this great habitat-forming species, how to spot it and how to monitor its health over time. This session will focus on mapping of seagrass by using GPS markers to identify the extent of seagrass at the site. You can also find out more about our trial restoration site at Belhaven Bay and how to get involved in conserving this valuable coastal habitat.

Event description

This outdoor session will start and finish at Tyninghame beach carpark EH42 1XW, taking participants to Belhaven Bay to complete the activity, before returning to the car park. Please note there is a parking charge of £3 at this location.

This activity will include a short introduction to seagrass and Restoration Forth by our Seagrass Officer, Eleri. You will learn the importance of seagrass ecosystems and the benefits they provide to our coastal environments. We will look at how to identify the two species of seagrass we find on UK shores and then conduct a mapping activity to determine the health of our seagrass patches. During this session, we will be following guidance from Nature Scot's Community-led Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Handbook on how to collect robust intertidal seagrass data.

We ask all volunteers to be ready by 9:30am, at Tyninghame beach carpark. We are entirely dependent on the low tide for our monitoring work, so we will be beginning our activities at 9:30am sharp and will not be able to wait for latecomers. Together we will walk out to the seagrass meadow site and begin our activities. We aim to finish our work on the beach and return to the carpark by approximately 11:30am.

What do you need to bring?

Please ensure that you bring warm, waterproof clothing appropriate for the weather outside, a drink, and any Medic*tion you may need. This is an exposed coastal site, so we recommend bringing plenty of layers. As we will be conducting our actvitiy at low tide, there will be tidal pools, so wellies and waterproof trousers are essential.

Accessibility

We anticipate the activity to last approximately 2 hours. There will be no cover when on the beach, no available seating and no toilets.

We will be on the move during this task, and the route includes some gentle slopes, uneven sand, rocky ground, muddy ground, and slippery surfaces.

Keeping everyone safe

Our group leader is a trained first aider and will be carrying a first aid kit and mobile phone.

Ticket Information

Attendees will be expected to register for this event and provide ticket evidence on the day.

This session is open anyone over 12 years old, but children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

What if this session is cancelled?

If this event is cancelled due to poor weather conditions, we will get in touch with you the day before to let you know. If there is a sudden change in the forecast, we may be in touch on the day of the event. Please keep an eye on your emails prior to the event.

If you can no longer attend this event, please let us know as soon as possible as spots are few and we have received very high interest from the community.

Photography and filming

Please note that we may be taking photos at this session to document our marine engagement work. Participants can opt out of being filmed by informing a team member on the morning of the event.

Who we are:

Restoration Forth is a major marine restoration programme working with communities to restore seagrass habitats and European flat oyster populations in the Firth of Forth. Our goal is to inspire and give agency to community members from around the Forth to participate in and lead on restoration activities in the marine environment. Restoration Forth is managed by WWF Scotland but is a partnership of scientific institutions, environmental charities, and community hubs. Restoration Forth is funded by: Aviva, the ScottishPower Foundation, the Moondance Foundation and supported by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund.

Need more information?

If you have any further questions please email Eleri at [email protected]

Photos by Jamie McDermaid

Host or Publisher Scottish Seabird Centre