You had us at alien 👽

POSTPONED until next weekend - Sunday 18th January 🦢🦉🦆

If you want to go slow and also not very far...go with AVNA 😂 Come join us on Sunday: avnatureaction.wordpress.com/2025/12/21/j...

Winter citizen science and nature activities December can be a busy month for many, and the colder weather and shorter days might provide less opportunities to go out for a walk and explore the green spaces around us. However, there is lots to see, hear and notice even during the winter months.…

January 2026 Ramble&Chat Come birding with us! We're visiting the River Almond pools for our January outing. Bring along your bird ID books and binoculars (your bins in birding talk!) and we'll try to identify the different species and contribute some biological records while we're there. We'll…

November R&C walk report – looking for aliens at Dechmont Law When the day of our usual monthly walk fell on the exact anniversary of the Dechmont UFO Incident we had to visit the woods around Dechmont Law, on the lookout for aliens! * * aka. non-native and invasive species We met at the Eastwood…

📢 Join Scotland’s Climate March on Sat 15th Nov to demand a better world as part of a Global Day of Action! Assemble at 11am, Glasgow Green. Global Solidarity. A Fair Transition. Caring For Our Planet. Get involved: climatemarch.scot #ScotlandsClimateMarch

November Ramble & Chat –  looking for aliens at Dechmont Law This month the second Sunday falls on the exact anniversary of the Dechmont UFO Incident! So obviously we're heading to Dechmont Law to search for aliens!!! (aka. non-native and invasive species) 🌳👽🌳 When: Sunday 9th November, 2 to…

October Ramble and Chat report Our October walk took us to Calderwood, a Site of Scientific Interest, near Mid Calder. Following the marked, circular hazel trail, the group practiced tree identification skills, focusing on autumn nuts and berries as clues. Although, we were too late for any…

October Ramble & Chat Autumnal walk in Calderwood Join us for a slow paced walk in Calderwood, Mid Calder on Sunday 12 October 2025. This is an opportunity to spend some time in nature, exploring this ancient woodland and enjoying the beautiful autumnal colours. We will meet at the Mid Calder…

August Ramble and Chat Report Learn about pollinators workshop On Sunday 17/08/2025 we joined Melissa from Buglife -The Invertebrate Conservation Trust, for a pollinator workshop at Almondell Country Park, in East Calder. The aim of the workshop was to train participants to monitor pollinators by…

September Ramble & Chat In September our Ramble&Chat will take us to the woodland near Bellsquarry called Wilderness. This diverse Woodland Trust site has good habitats for various wildlife and plants. When: Sunday 14th September, 2-3:30pm Meeting point: the path on the East side of Bellsquarry…

🐝Join Andri for the next BeeWalk on Saturday 30th August in Livingston Village Park, 11am. Learn about bumblebees on a gentle walk around one of Livingstons green spaces. No need to book, just turn up on the day. These events are free. 🌺🌼#BeeWalk #citizenscience #bumblebees

A different Ramble&Chat for us this month! We spent an afternoon out with Buglife at Almondell in West Lothian learning how to do FIT (flower insect timed) counts. The knapweed patches were so busy! #pollinators #FIT #Buglife #WestLothian

If you see/catch a pink salmon in the Forth: 🐟 If caught & ID confirmed: humanely dispatch, freeze, photograph, & report → tinyurl.com/msyr234r If seen, dead, or not caught: record via the app & contact local fishery board. Your reports help protect Scotland’s rivers!

🙄 A policy which benefited the better off most and cost the UK £100m FYI @ianmurraymp.bsky.social @drscottarthurmp.bsky.social @kittysull1.bsky.social @tracygilbertmp.bsky.social @chrismurraymp.bsky.social @gregorpoynton.bsky.social @kirstymcneill.bsky.social @michaelshanksmp.co.uk @transform.scot

Hedgehogs face many threats and are in widespread decline. But a new campaign urging people to create wild patches for hedgehogs in gardens and community green spaces could help: littlegreenspace.org.uk/news/go-wild... #nature #GoWildForHedgehogs

Are you in West Lothian and interested in learning about pollinators? Come along to this free event where we join Buglife at Almondell Country Park. Sunday 18th August. Register at the link below! 🦋🐝🌺🌼🌹

🦋 What a summer for butterflies compared to last year! Here's a small copper seen today in West Mains Wood, West Lothian. So tiny yet so pretty! #westlothian #smallcopper

West Lothian Litter Pickers get a shout out in Ben Dolphins Walk Highlands article! 🙌 www.walkhighlands.co.uk/news/litter-...

🦋How's your butterfly counting going 😀? We're seeing so many this year in Almond Valley! A small skipper, a ringlet and a green veined white. Not to forget red admirals, common whites, commas and meadow browns! #bigbutterflycount #butterflies @savebutterflies.bsky.social

July Ramble & Chat Walk Report We were a group of five this month for our Livingston Ramble&Chat outing in nature. We took a slow walk around the grassy meadows between the allotments and the River Almond to see what could be spotted living among the long grasses. These areas that are left uncut…

The Big Butterfly Count 2025 is here and butterflies need our help 🦋🚨 This isn't just a survey, it's a rescue mission, and we need everyone to get involved. No lab coats. No science degrees. Just 15 minutes of your time. ⏱️ Get out for the count 👉 bigbutterflycount.org

August Ramble and Chat Join us on Sunday 17/08/2025 for a pollinators identification workshop at Almondell Country Park. This month, we will join Buglife for an introduction into pollinator identification at Almondell Country Park, East Calder. The event is free to attend and everyone is welcome.…

Our July Ramble & Chat will be looking at wildflowers and pollinators at a little-known site in Livingston, West Lothian. If you're local come along to meet other nature enthusiasts and while away an hour chatting and wandering 😊🌼🐝🦋🌳 #RambleandChat #pollinators #wildflowers #Livingston #WestLothian

July Ramble&Chat Join us for a relaxed stroll through a little-known gem of an area in Livingston for July's Ramble&Chat. We'll be wandering around the beautiful meadows beside the Killandean allotments and the River Almond. The area sits within the Kirkton Campus Industrial Estate but goes…

June Ramble&Chat This month we'll take a Ramble&Chat around Dedridge Pond. It’s Pond Watch weekend so we’re planning a bit of pond dipping too. Meeting point: the stone bridge at the North end of Dedridge Pond Google maps:  What 3 Words:///engage.actors.jumps Meeting time: 2pm  How to get there:…

No Mow May – what grew in my lawn over the past month Having recently moved house, I was unsure what the results of No Mow May would be! Both front and back lawns had a cut at the end of April, and some new grass seeds scattered to cover some empty patches. On 1st June, I took photos of the plants…

🐝 A day for all the family - join us at #Bellsquarry Wood in #Livingston for a day of games, crafts & nature trails! 📆 Sat 14th June 🕛 11:00am – 2:00pm 📍 Bellsquarry Wood, EH54 9JR 👉 Free tickets buff.ly/HE72MWn @westlothiancouncil.bsky.social‬

❗Biodiversity news ❗ 🐝New sighting of the mountain bumblebee Bombus monticola in West Calder, West Lothian 🐝 A scarce species and one of conservation priority. Its a cold adapted species more usually found at higher elevations and more typical of heathlands than gardens. #bumblebee #cotoneaster

On June 8th (from 2pm) we'll #Ramble&Chat around Dedridge Pond. It’s #PondWatch weekend so we’re planning a bit of pond dipping too. Full details coming soon... british-dragonflies.org.uk/get-involved... #westlothian #urbanwildlife #NextdoorNature #pondlife #livingston

May Ramble&Chat walk report We had high hopes of getting a close up look at some butterflies on this ramble when we set off from the car park armed with two butterfly nets! It was a sunny afternoon and with several weeks of warm, dry and sunny weather behind us, there was a good chance of spotting…

April Ramble and Chat walk report Despite the mixed weather earlier in the morning, our group of 5 managed a lovely, dry walk in Livingston Village Park; the sun even shone for us as we stopped for a coffee by Livingston Village Community Garden . This is a good time of the year to notice the…

Here are some pics by our new member Zoe...

Dandelions are heroes! They provide food for our hard pressed insects. Let them bloom! These butterflies and bees were all out feeding on them this week, such an amazing food resource for them! Oh and ignore any ignorant news outlets saying otherwise! #pollinators #invertebrates #dandelions #spring

With the fine spring weather there were lots of pollinators flying in the woods yesterday. These butterflies and the beefly were spotted in Easter Breich Wood, West Lothian. #butterflies #walkinthewoods #pollinators #WestLothian #beefly #spring

Sitting by the water between Addiewell and West Calder this morning and saw a Dipper fly up into its nest #BirdingLothian

Here's a fun project for the weekend! Record as many species as you can from today until Monday 28th. On the desktop iNaturalist website select your city then add your records. Follow the leader board in your area! (Wild species only, no pets or garden plants) 😀 uk.inaturalist.org/projects/cit...

Join us for a Ramble&Chat event - Sunday May 11th at 2pm. We'll be wandering along the National Cycle Network paths around Seafield Law in West Lothian. Full details on the blog. Events are free but book your ticket to let us know you're coming! Everyone welcome! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ramblechat...

🐝 Tomorrow Sat 26th 👇 BeeWalk in Livingston Village Park @ 11am, details below - no need to book just turn up! Pick up a packet of free wildflower seeds! 🌺🌼😍 #BeeWalk #WestLothian #Livingston #citizenscience #PlantaPitstop

Our April Ramble&Chat managed to avoid the hail stones and the rain for the group outing! We ID'd some of the trees in the park, both in bud and in leaf. We listened to the birdsong, ID'd some spring wildflowers and we visited the Livingston Village Park Community Garden with Haleh. #Livingston

This time of year the gorse bushes are looking impressive and really starting to flower. If you pass them have a wander over and give them a smell. The scent is described as either coconut or vanilla. Smells like coconut to me!

Spring has finally sprung, and you may have noticed a few more bees about! 🐝 We’ve got 5 handy tips on making your garden the best it can be for the bees 👇

The new FIT Count season is nearly here 🎉🎆👏 From 1st April onwards, when weather is good, enjoy spending 10 minutes counting the insects that visit flowers - wherever you can find flowers, and as often as you wish, to help monitor #pollinators. Full details on our website ukpoms.org.uk/fit-counts

📸 Out and about on a day off yesterday photographing these red squirrels, at a great location that I hadn’t been to before in Aberdeenshire 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 ! #redsquirrels #wildlife #nature #canonphotography #ukwildlife #naturelovers

On the River Almond today at Livingston Village Park were a pair of common merganser ducks 🦆. The photo is a bit blurry but its enough to make a biological record on iNaturalist! On the riverbank opposite is the non-native plant Allium paradoxum (few-flowered leek) colonising the ground quickly😯

We are have updated our research into which garden plants attract the most pollinators. Our original research included 5 years of data. We then moved house so this is now 9 years of data over 2 different locations. www.rosybee.com/research-study

🐝🐝🐝 Today was the first BeeWalk of the year at Livingston Village Park where 3 volunteers were out recording bumblebees in the chilly and windy weather! They found 2 buff-tailed queens out looking for suitable nest sites to start their new colonies. 🐝🐝🐝 #bumblebees #nature #conservation

April Ramble and Chat Join us on Sunday 13 April for a nature walk with a focus on learning to identify broadleaf trees. The event is suitable for beginners, and children are welcome when accompanied by a responsible adult. This month, we will introduce participants to Nature's Calendar and…