Culbin Sands Habitat Restoration Project

RSPB Culbin Sands Nature Reserve is made up of a dynamic system of shingle ridges, sand dunes, intertidal mudflats and saltmarsh (all UKBAP habitats) and is home to nationally and internationally important numbers of wading birds. Currently this locally rare, but vitally important coastal vegetated shingle habitat is under threat. Seeds from non-native trees in an adjacent forestry plantation have taken root in the shingle. This threatens the dynamic nature of the habitat and has led Scottish Natural Heritage to deem the site as being in ‘unfavourable’ condition. This project will clear the encroaching trees from the coastal vegetated shingle and return the site to a favourable condition.