The Langholm Initiative joins us to talk about Tarras Valley Nature Reserve, one of Scotland's largest community land buyouts to create a large-scale nature reserve 💚 #Langholm Register for the online BDS Annual Meeting on Saturday 15 November 2025 👉 british-dragonflies.org.uk/event/annual...

The rain really hasn’t stopped in Langholm ☔️💧 A perfect time to see how our new wetland and peatland sites are standing up to the ongoing deluge. Lots of new pools in blocked ditches, sphagnum moss colonising and wetland ponds full!

Some beautiful shots of resident Lakeland Fell ponies Stan, Dan and Paddy. They have been really thriving on the rough hill pastures on Tarras Valley and doing a fantastic job helping to regenerate the grassland habitats! 📷 Faith Garvey

We accidentally missed World Reptile Day on Tuesday this week 🫣 so better late than never, we thought we’d take a moment to celebrate our fascinating reptiles! We are lucky to have all three of Scotland's native reptiles here on Tarras Valley which are the Common Lizard, Adder and Slow Worm 🐍🦎

Anyone noticing LOTs of acorns this year? It’s looking like 2025 is a mast year, an ecological phenomenon where trees produce bumper crops of seeds and fruits ensuring the next generation of trees and a rich bounty for wildlife! 🌱 Our ancient oak forests are a wonderful sight at the moment 🍁🍂🌿

We’re delighted to have won Silver at the @GlobalGoodAwards in the Wild World: Recover, Regenerate, Rewild category, alongside @nationaltrust.org.uk Holnicote Estate! 🌍 Huge thanks to everyone who made the Tarras Valley community buy-out and reserve possible. #GlobalGoodAwards

Our feeder had two very different visitors – a nimble pine marten who scaled it with ease, and a determined badger who gave climbing a go… but didn’t quite manage it! Nature’s personalities always keep us smiling.

Week two in Taras Valley and Langholm Moor Nature Reserve filming our Community Wealth Building stories- where community ownership supports nature based enterprise for meaningful nature and climate contributions. @tarrasvalleynr.bsky.social @communitywoods.bsky.social @scottishbeacon.bsky.social

Our 3rd annual Community Land Ceilidh is back this October! 🎶💃 Free entry (donations welcome for kids’ outdoor learning). Music from Iain Anderson’s band, raffle & buffet. Book your spot: [email protected] / 013873 80914. Thanks to @CommunityLandScotland!

We’re hiring! 🎉 Our first Graduate Placement is open – a 12-month role with the Langholm Initiative team, working on projects at Tarras Valley Nature Reserve. Apply by 1pm, 3 Oct. More info 👉 www.tarrasvalleynaturereserve.org/vacancies

We’ve had amazing news! 🪶 A male Hen Harrier that fledged from Tarras in 2020 has been spotted this summer on a nest camera in North Wales — the first sighting from our 2020 chicks! A hopeful story for this species 💚 Thanks to RSPB & Keith Offord for sharing. 📸 Keith Offord

Insects are the building blocks of biodiversity 🐛🦋🐜🐝 Some hopeful results from ongoing community -led insect surveying on the reserve! ✅ 302 moth species now recorded - 23% of Scotlands 1300 species! ✅ 13 of 26 Scottish Dragonfly species on our new ponds 💧 ✅ 19 Butterfly species recorded!

We held a sunny summer BBQ at Cronksbank to thank our amazing Tarras Valley volunteers! 🌞 Since March they’ve given 350+ hours, planting trees, tackling invasives, monitoring wildlife & more. We couldn’t do it without you. Huge thank you! 🌿💚 #TarrasValleyNatureReserve

Last week we hosted part two of our Herbivore Impact Assessment training with the Woodland Trust Scotland, focusing on monitoring grazing impact on bog and heathland. Thanks to our brilliant volunteers, survey work like this helps guide long-term land restoration! 🌿✨

We're pleased to take part in the Roots to Regeneration grazing workshop with Caroline Grindrod and @herdyshepherd.bsky.social in the North Lakes. The 3 days looked at regenerative grazing practices, reducing wormers and antibiotics, soil health, all to help boost profitability and nature.

We were delighted to welcome this year’s Front Three, Cornet Patterson and his right- and left-hand men, Bailey and Chris! We presented Cornet Patterson with a small gift and wished them all the best for Friday. Hope everyone has a wonderful Common Riding! Safe Oot, Safe In! 🐎💙 #CommonRiding2025

Thanks to the Community Woodlands Association for organising an exchange visit to Kilsture Forest. Several different groups who own woodland came along to look at the work that the Kilsture group are involved in around enhancing the biodiversity of the woodland. Thanks making us feel so welcome!

We are delighted to see the first phase of Tarras Valley signage going on site this week! The signage has been designed by Studio Walden, funded by South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) and being installed by Simon Richardson Contracting fencing team as part of our ‘Welcome to Tarras Valley’ project.

We are delighted to have been shortlisted for a prestigious @globalgoodaward in the brand-new category for 2025 called Wild World: Recover, Regenerate, Rewild! globalgoodawards.co.uk/2025-global-... Wish us luck for the awards in September and good luck to all the other finalists!

🌿 Volunteer Week ends with roots in the ground! 🌿 Today we were back at Lower Tarras — the heart of our biggest restoration effort — planting juniper trees with our brilliant volunteers. Thank you to everyone who joined us today and throughout the year.

🎣 Caught in the act! Our trap cam on the River Tarras captured this incredible footage of a heron successfully catching its lunch. A perfect example of the wild moments happening all around us and nature doing its thing. #TarrasValley #Wildlife #Heron #Nature #RiverTarras #BirdsOfBritain

🌿 It’s #VolunteersWeek — and we want to say a massive THANK YOU! From tree planting to bracken bashing, fence and sitka spruce removal — we couldn’t do it without our amazing volunteers. 💚 You’re helping shape a better future for nature & community! #VolunteersWeek #Volunteers #ThankYouVolunteers

We’ve loved seeing your wildlife photos from Tarras Valley! 🖼️✨ - Grey Wagtail - Pied Flycatcher - Long Tailed Tit Tag us or email [email protected] to share yours! Photos: Caroline Blackie Alistair Moulstone Michael White Shug Ferguson

We’ve loved seeing your wildlife photos from Tarras Valley! 🖼️✨ 📸 Female Black Grouse 🦅 Buzzard bathing in the River Tarras 🎶 Dipper 🔴 Great Spotted Woodpecker Tag us or email [email protected] to share yours! Photos: Caroline Blackie Alistair Moulstone Michael White Shug Ferguson

🌿New Blog: My Week with Tarras Valley by Robin Sinclair Robin used his @RSPB sabbatical to join us at Tarras Valley for a hands-on week of conservation work. A huge thanks to Robin for all his time and effort while he’s been on sabbatical with us! 📖 www.tarrasvalleynaturereserve.org/my-week-with...

🌿✨ A great sight at our new pond — swallows skimming the water's surface, dipping and diving with incredible grace! It's amazing to see wildlife already making itself at home. A reminder that even small changes can create big ripples in nature. 💧💙 #NatureRecovery #WildlifeWatching #Swallows

The bluebells—or Cratties, as they’re known locally—are stunning across Tarras Valley just now. A sure sign spring is here! 🌱💙 These ancient woodland flowers are steeped in myth, once linked to fairy rings and witches’ potions.

Happy #OutdoorClassroomDay! Outdoor learning isn’t a luxury — it’s essential. At Tarras Valley, young people connect with nature, build confidence & curiosity, and learn by doing. Huge thanks to Kat for inspiring the next generation of nature lovers! 💚🌿 #OutdoorLearning #TarrasValley

We loved hosting riverfly survey training with Buglife as part of the #GuardiansOfOurRivers project! 🐛🌊 Volunteers across Scotland are learning to monitor riverfly—key indicators of river health. Read more here: 🔗 www.buglife.org.uk/projects/gua...

Last week we ran Herbivore Impact Assessment training with The Woodland Trust Scotland to monitor grazing impact on habitats across the reserve. Vital work to support biodiversity! 🌿 More info: www.tarrasvalleynaturereserve.org/herbivore-im...

We've installed a kingfisher nest bank to support these stunning but sensitive birds 💙 Please enjoy from a distance – kingfishers are easily disturbed and may abandon nests if approached. A small step to help wildlife thrive 🌿 #Kingfisher #WildlifeConservation #NatureReserve

Friday April 25th is the very first Community Tourism Awareness Day! We would like to highlight the work that the amazing volunteers at the information hub providing information and a friendly face to visitors to the town.

🌿 A moorland that healed the world. During WWII, Langholm folk gathered sphagnum moss from the hills to make wound dressings—over 21,000 of them—sent across the UK, to Malta, even the Middle East. ✍️ Written by Timothy McCracken 🔗 Read the full story on our website: lnkd.in/ebKNJ5Xk

We hosted a brilliant biodiversity training day on Tarras Valley peatlands with The Crichton Carbon Centre & Stephen Corcoran. Lots learned on future restoration, reptile hibernacula, and the huge value of wetlands for species like water voles, adders & dragonflies! 🐍🌿💧

Highland cows & Fell ponies have arrived at Tarras Valley! 🐄🐎 Part of a new conservation grazing project with farmers Faith and David Garvey, using no-fence collars & hardy native breeds to restore habitats, boost biodiversity & trial new grazing techniques. 🌱✨

We've had a great week hosting 80+ Masters students from Exeter (Biology/Conservation) & Bangor (Forestry) on their annual Scottish field trip! Exeter helped plant 1000+ trees 🌱 & a Bangor student from Mauritius saw her first ancient oaks in Longwood 🌳 See you next year!

Amazing shots of a hunting female hen harrier taken by local photographer Alistair Moulstone on Sunday evening over the Tarras Valley, lovely to seeing them returning! #HenHarrier #UKWildlife #CommunityConservation #ProtectNature #BirdsUK

We had a lovely visit on Monday from a group of students from Sunnyside Primary School in Glasgow, who brought a group down to visit the reserve and were joined by some local children from Langholm, to help us plant some trees in the Lower Tarras!

Moth discoveries at Tarras Valley 261 species recorded so far, including the Northern Drab—only the 3rd ever in Scotland & 1st for D&G! Rare finds also include the Great Shoulder-knot, Sallow Button & Early Flat-body. Huge thanks to our amazing volunteer surveyors! 📸 Northern Drab by John Halliday

Saturday’s partial eclipse put on a show—even through the clouds! 🌒☁️ While the skies weren’t completely clear, we still managed to catch glimpses of the Moon taking a bite out of the Sun. A magical reminder of the wonders above us! ✨ Did you manage to see it? #Eclipse #Nature

🐂 Something exciting is coming to the reserve… 👀 Watch this space for an udderly amazing update! 🧡✨ #HighlandCows #ComingSoon #TarrasValley

Want to hear what we’ve been up to this year? 👀 Join us in person for the Langholm Initiative AGM 2025 or online for our Webinar to catch all the updates! 📅✨ 🎟️ Book your Webinar ticket here: tickets.matterpay.com/s/tarras-val...

The Galloway Fisheries Trust has just checked our river temperature loggers on the River Tarras! 🌊 This data helps protect Atlantic Salmon & Trout by guiding restoration efforts like tree planting for shade & reducing peat runoff. 🌱🐟 #RiverConservation #WaterMonitoring #ClimateAction

📢 Reminder! Join us for a community drop-in tomorrow (Thurs 27 Feb) at the Buccleuch Centre, 5:30–7pm. Chat with the Tarras Valley team about our new 5-year plan, share your thoughts & ask questions. All welcome—stay as long as you like! ☕ 📖 Read the plan here: shorturl.at/Tr96A

🌲 Over winter, over 256 hectares of self-seeded Sitka spruce were cleared from Tarras Valley to protect the moorlands! Funded by @ScotGovAgri, with Hawes Forestry Ltd leading the work. More to come in autumn! 🍃 Read more: www.tarrasvalleynaturereserve.org/sitka-cleara...

🌱 Spotted a few diggers in Middlemoss lately? They’re not just moving dirt — they’re part of an important peatland restoration project! By restoring these unique landscapes, we're helping to combat climate change and protect wildlife habitats. #Peatland #PeatlandRestoration #ClimateChange

🚀 We’re launching Langholm’s 5-Year Action Plan for the Tarras Valley! Thank you to everyone who contributed! Read the plan: www.tarrasvalleynaturereserve.org/our-5-year-p... Join us for a community drop-in: Thurs, Feb 27, 5:30-7 PM @ Buccleuch Centre Let’s keep building together! 🌱

🌍💚 Peatland Restoration Begins! Funded by Scottish Power, this project tackles climate change & boosts biodiversity. Thanks to Crichton Carbon Centre for their work. Contractors DC Restoration Contracts will be doing the groundwork on over 190 hectares of degraded peatland from next week!

New episode! Jenny Barlow with @tarrasvalleynr.bsky.social shares how a land buyout in Scotland is transforming lives & landscapes. Discover the power of hope & collective action. 🎧 Listen now at www.storiessustainus.com, wherever you listen to podcasts, and YouTube. #StoriesSustainUs #Podcast

An epic migration 🐟💦 Great to hear Atlantic Salmon are returning to spawn in the River Tarras & River Esk! These incredible fish travel 1000+ miles to lay their eggs where life began. Most die after spawning, nourishing the river for the next generation. Learn more: bit.ly/3salmon