For Birds For People For Ever

Who would have thought 10 years ago we would have come so far! At that very first meeting RSPB staff, Steve Sankey who moved on to the SWT, Duncan Orr Ewing and Jean Burns gave us the low down. The RSPB needs us! The birds in the Forth Valley need us! We need each other if we are to learn more, enjoy our birds and environment, contribute collectively to sustaining the natural heritage for ourselves, our children, and our children's children! Wow, a heady cocktail. 'You won't do all these things' said Steve, 'but nearly all groups have indoor meetings and most an outdoor programme as well. Some groups have a newsletter for members, do some conservation work and all raise money for the Society'. The 60 or so people, all RSPB members in the audience that night in the Mayfield Centre in Stirling listened, took note and the Forth Valley Group was born - for birds for people for ever.

For Birds

I remember 10 years ago travelling to Wales to marvel at red kites. Yesterday going from Dunblane to Glasgow through Srathblane I counted 3. On my last visit to Argarty there were 31 around. When I reflect on the Group's part in the re-introduction here in the Forth Valley the 10 years are well spent. When it is wet, cold, blowing a gale and the spirit is less than willing which lets face it, it sometimes is here, members are stocking feeding stations for tree sparrows, guarding the Trossachs golden eagle nest in the breeding season and cutting, digging and planting to improve habitat at key sites and for what? For birds.

Counts and boy can we count! Counts go on continuously. We have members involved in black grouse survey work, in Webs counts, in special species counts, in habitat counts like the farmland birds surveys. We did bird surveys in the Laighhills in Dunblane as part of its proposed designation as a nature reserve and why? For birds.

We know more about our bird populations in the Forth Valley than ever before. We are in a better position to highlight the early warnings, to understand the importance of habitat and land use and take action and the Group over the years has played its part and not just in relation to our threatened species but the common birds as well.

Then there is peat or to be more precise Flanders Moss. The Group was still very young when a planning application which already had outline approval from long before, forgotten by all except the developer, was lodged for peat extraction. The 'Moss' is unique in terms of habitat, important for hen harriers and of historical significance. I am not sure if we really knew what we were doing but we fought quite a lengthy campaign on a steep learning curve to save the Moss. We won and celebrated with a joint party with the local SWT Group and for what? For the victory? Well partly, but mainly for birds!

For People

Have you ever been on an outdoor meeting? My estimate is over the past 10 years we are getting close to 150 outdoor trips. My guess is that over 170 species have been seen and perhaps more importantly is the number of members, the core regulars and the dozens like me who get out occasionally who have benefited from the pleasure of birding as a group. For people.

How many remember those early indoor meetings in the Lesser Albert Hall in Stirling before we moved to the Cowane Centre? Hiring the projector before we got our own and the night when we were in one place and our projector was still in another! It would be wrong to spotlight a particular speaker at our indoor meetings rather reflect on the variety. We had heard about far flung places and birds and our 'locals'. We have had insight into photographing birds, nests and breeding, conservation issues and the doings of the RSPB itself. Just as important though and enjoyable is the sharing of 'what's around', of what's going on within the group and the chat at the coffee breaks. A chance to meet, to share, to learn. A chance for people.

Long, long before Tony Blair was stating his Government's three main priorities as education, education, education, Robert Owen was creating the reforming mill community at New Lanark with the claim that of all societies ill's ignorance was the worst! While we are not in the Blair/Owen league we have aspirations, we have done our wee bit. While the outdoor and indoor programmes have a learning part for people, we can look back at the time spent by members speaking to other groups, to people at the Doune and Dunblane Fling events, at the Peregrine Watch and other events where we have shared our experience and knowledge and feel just a little satisfied. The most terrifying for the individual involved was taking 40 young 'Brownies' and 'Cub Scouts' through their bird watching badges. The things we do for people!

For Ever

If the group was to survive and grow it needed members. By the time of the first formal meeting, the launch in the Golden Lion Hotel we had 60 members. We passed 100 early on and have managed to sustain that! It is not just the quantity which makes for ever seem possible, it is the quality, the energy and enthusiasm of all, especially the committee members. It seems wrong to single out but Kath Wilson has been just tremendous both as treasurer and editing the newsletter, Etta Payne a brick or is it a rock for the Group, as secretary. The Outdoor Programme is down to the early work done by Roger Chapman. Alex Downie, Paul Dearing and David Redwood our Group Leaders at various points have held it all together and given us that so important direction.

We have to be pragmatic and any organisation needs finance to keep it alive, help it grow and make it - for ever. Large organisations trade, have assets, borrow from financial institutions. We have Marion White who organises most of fund raising activities which with our membership fees both finances not just for all our activities but has allowed us to support the Society's work. We have provided funds for the Red Kite Project, the tree sparrow work, the black grouse census and survey work and for habitat improvement at the RSPB Inversnaid reserve. Marion too has done a sterling job.

Then of course there are the supporters. Jean Burns of the Society and Duncan Orr Ewing helped so much in the early years but there are two others whom we should remember. That launch meeting in the Golden Lion was brought alive by the stories and quite frankly stunning slides of golden eagles by Don McCaskill, ably assisted by Bridget and they continued to support the group until Don's death. The artwork for our logo was done by Bill Brackenridge, again someone who was 'in at the start'. I am sure those of us who were around will recall Bill's passion for birds, exemplified by him taking up the cause of, and enthusing us on, the plight of our lapwings. While his death in a car accident, returning from an SOC conference robbed us of his energy and knowledge, his influence and that of Don will be with the Group for ever

Looking back on that first meeting, the things we could do, the hopes we had for the Group, my goodness we have come a long way! Time and tide though wait for no one and in that period we have seen new opportunities and threats, new challenges for birds, for people, which underline the need for ever.

David, Etta, Kath and the rest would be the first to say there are others among the membership who with a bit of encouragement would do just as much and more. It is recognising it and giving them that wee support which sometimes is tricky. As long though as there are people who step out their door, see a bird on the lawn and say 'what is that and what is it doing?' Who look up and marvel at sights and sounds of house martins, swifts and swallows. Who have to find answers for questioning children and foster their interest and love for nature we will surely have a Forth Valley Group - for birds, for people, for ever.

Alex Downie