Looking for something to do this November? Why not come along to our annual Lantern Making Workshops and Parade on Saturday 7th November! Suitable for all the family, a lantern takes around 45-60 minutes to make. You can take your lantern away after the workshop, but why not wait until later in the afternoon and you can join in our magical lantern parade?

The lantern parade takes place as dusk draws in at 4:30pm. We will walk through New Lanark and back to our Visitor Centre. The parade will last approximately 30 minutes, after which we will offer refreshments, juice and biscuits. Booking is essential, cost £7 per lantern. You will need to book an hourly time slot between 10.30am-3.30pm to make your lantern and then join us for the parade at 4.30pm. For more information and to book call the Falls of Clyde on 01555 665 262.

In other news, last week four of the UK’s bird species – puffin, turtle dove, slavonian grebe and pochard have been added to the list of birds considered to be facing the risk of global extinction. They are now facing the same level of extinction threat as the African elephant. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) annually revise the birds on their Red List of Threatened Species. And they are not the only birds in trouble, one’s more commonly seen in Lanarkshire including the oystercatcher and lapwing are now on the list of Near Threatened Species which is very troubling indeed.

I have never seen a turtle dove and it is sad to think I may never see one because they became extinct in my lifetime. They are not found in Scotland but their range does extend to northeast England. In the UK 90% of turtle doves have been lost since the 1970s.

Laura Preston – Scottish Wildlife Trust, Falls of Clyde Ranger
Help support our vital work and join us today!