A hidden wildlife oasis, which is sandwiched between the runway at Glasgow Airport and a busy sliproad for the M8 motorway, can now be accessed all year round, thanks to a new boardwalk installed by Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT).
Paisley Moss, a Local Nature Reserve on a site owned by BAA, supports hundreds of different animals, plants and bird life in habitats including ponds, mossy marshes, reeds and sedge beds. But wet and muddy ground has made it difficult for wildlife enthusiasts and visitors to access the site in the past.
The new boardwalk, commissioned by Renfrewshire Council on behalf of the reserve’s management group, which includes representatives from the Council, BAA, the Scottish Ornitholgists Club and Carts Greenspace, has now been completed by a team of SWT conservation workers, making the muddy nature reserve accessible all year round, particularly for those who are wheelchair and pram users.
Allan Graham, SWT Contracts Manager, said: “Paisley Moss can now be visited and enjoyed in all seasons thanks to the new boardwalk, which loops around the reserve to join an existing route.
“SWT currently manages 11 conservation teams, training youths and volunteers in practical methods to conserve wildlife. Our teams work to maintain over 120 wildlife reserves owned by SWT and also work under contract in the wider community.”
“At Paisley Moss, our teams spent three months installing a strong and solid boardwalk. It was hard work and we sometimes found that we had to work knee-deep in mud to get the job done. But that’s conservation work at its best, and I hope many local walkers and visitors now visit the area and make good use of the new boardwalk.”
Councillor Iain Nicolson, deputy convenor of Renfrewshire Council’s Environment and Infrastructure Board, said: “It is amazing how wildlife flourishes in unexpected places and Paisley Moss is one such place. Nestled between a busy motorway junction and an international airport this site is a surprisingly rich wildlife haven. Renfrewshire Council is very pleased to be able to provide this boardwalk which will allow more people to be able to appreciate this small site where tranquility can be found amongst the hustle and bustle.”
Renfrewshire Council is committed to protecting natural wild areas while making these beautiful areas accessible to the public. The path through Paisley Moss has been identified as a Core Path in the Council’s recently adopted Core Paths Plan and its renovation was funded through the Council’s programme of access improvements
Paisley Moss Management Group has said that SWT were chosen to undertake this work due to their experience working on the Local Nature Reserve. They were able to complete the boardwalk with as little disruption as possible to the wildlife there.
Scottish Wildlife Trust is largest voluntary sector organisation working for the conservation of wildlife in Scotland. For more information on the work of SWT and their conservation teams, visit www.swt.org.uk.
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NOTES TO EDITORS:
1. SWT is the largest voluntary body working for all the wildlife of Scotland, representing more than 33,000 members who care for wildlife and the environment. SWT seeks to raise public awareness of threatened habitats and species and manages over 120 reserves Scotland-wide.
2. Paisley Moss Local Nature Reserve Management Group care for the Local Nature Reserve, which also involves improvements to public access. The Reserve Management Group is made up of representatives from Renfrewshire Council, BAA, the Scottish Ornithologists Club and Carts Greenspace.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR MORE IMAGES, PLEASE CONTACT:
Nicola McGovern, PR Officer, SWT
Tel: 0131 312 4742