Scottish Invasive Species Initiative - Project Manager Callum Sinclair Scottish Invasive Species Initiative - Project Manager Scottish Natural Heritage

Scottish Invasive Species Initiative (SISI) 4 year project (2017-2021) Working at a local level with partners and volunteers to establish community-based strategic invasive non-native species management Engaging people with their local river environment

Our partners & funders National Lottery Heritage Fund (£1.59M), Scottish Natural Heritage (£500k), in-kind support (£1.25M). 10 Fishery trusts/boards and the University of Aberdeen

Our project area Our team 29,500km2 northern Scotland (Wales = 20,735km2) Our team Project Manager Volunteer & Communications Officer 3 full time & 2 seasonal Project Officers Administrative support, Fishery Trust staff time

The SISI project; Mink control project Plant control project Education & awareness

Core theme – Volunteers!

Year 1 - Mink control project 241 mink rafts 144 mink traps 385 units in the field 195 volunteers 10,384 volunteer hours 71 mink despatched

Year 1 - Plant control project 342 volunteers 5,849 volunteer hours Significant plant control work undertaken Being quantified by: Area / length Volunteer / contractor effort Chemical volume use

Year 1 - Our volunteers SISI totals Training 537 individual volunteers 16,233 volunteer hours = 11 fte staff (full time equivalent) Volunteer through website or sisi@nature.scot 41 pesticide qualifications 5 first aid qualifications 1 brushcutter training 94 informal training activities

Who are they? – the groups APEX University Conservation Society Corporate groups Community payback Conservation / wildlife groups Land managers / farmers Sheep….

Who are they? – the (registered) individuals 76% male 5% have a disability 0 from an ethnic minority 63% work full time or student 8% work part time 15% don’t work (retired or unemployed) Based on 73 equality & diversity forms

Why are they doing it?

How did they find us?

Students and schools 43 groups (school / college / university) 1,143 pupils 6 Angling development sessions 108 pupils

Raising awareness 43 talks to groups (including outdoor visits) 18 events / shows 1 biodiversity event (public event)

It’s not really about the numbers…..but they are important!

www.invasivespecies.scot sisi@nature.scot Callum Sinclair callum.sinclair@nature.scot Image credits; NNSS, CABI Invasives, Ryzhkov Sergey CC BY-SA 4.0,