New haven for one of UK's rarest mammals to be unveiled in Dumfries and Galloway
A new haven for a rare mammal will be unveiled near Newton Stewart this weekend.
The Vincent Wildlife Trust has been working with Forestry and Land Scotland to create a pine marten haven at Kirroughtree Visitor Centre thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The development, part of the charity's Martens on the Move project, will give visitors the chance to learn about pine martens thanks to a new hide and information boards.
And to mark the occasion, the trust and FLS will be offering free guided walks and activities for all ages from 12.30pm on Saturday.
Martens on the Move project manager, Dr Stephanie Johnstone, said: 'We are excited to be working with Forestry and Land Scotland in this important location for pine marten recovery in the south of the Scotland.
'VWT and FLS have worked together to support pine marten recovery in Scotland and beyond for many years. Thanks to this partnership and to the National Lottery players, we have been able to create this pine marten haven in Galloway Forest to share the story of this amazing native species with visitors from near and far.
'We've already been engaging and working with local communities and individuals in key areas in southern Scotland to provide new den boxes and to improve habitat for pine martens, which is great news for this recovering species.'
Pine martens were once widespread in Galloway but were declared extinct at the beginning of the 20th century.
Twelve of the animals were released into the Galloway Forest in the early 1990s and 20 years later, pine marten den boxes began to be installed.
The animals are now flourishing in the forest, with the population expanding across Dumfries and Galloway and into Ayrshire.
An FLS spokesman said: 'Forestry and Land Scotland has worked with Vincent Wildlife Trust for many years, particularly over the last ten years when the partnership resulted in more than 100 pine martens being translocated to areas in Wales and England.
'We are now delighted to be a part of this new era of pine marten conservation through the Martens on the Move project and we're looking forward to celebrating the launch of the Scottish pine marten haven.'
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