Dr Lorna Dawson, a Soil Scientist at the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute was interviwed on BBC’s Reporting Scotland new programme to help explain the pitch invasion at Aberdeen Football Club’s Pittodrie Stadium by ‘leather jackets’ the larvae of the Crane Fly, or Daddy Long-legs. [continue reading ... ]

The Aberdeen Centre for Environmental Sustainability (ACES) is seeking high quality potential applicants to the joint NERC-ESRC PhD studentship award scheme. ACES is a new initiative of the University of Aberdeen and the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Aberdeen designed to provide cross-disciplinary perspectives on environmental sustainability issues (www.aces.ac.uk).

A novel approach to keeping policy makers in touch with the latest research on food, health, environment and rural sectors was launched this week. The “knowledgescotland” programme is designed to help scientists work more effectively with Government and others planning Scotland’s future and is designed to change the culture of communication between the science and policy communities.

Researchers from the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute have successfully applied for funding from UK DEFRA Darwin Initiative to help build natural resource monitoring capacity in Ethiopia’s key Afro-montane ecosystems.

A world leading land use research institute is using the art of photography to educate schoolchildren in the north east of Scotland about the evolution of landscapes. The Macaulay Land Use Research Institute in Aberdeen is today (Monday 2 February 2009) launching a Moments in Time competition and challenging youngsters in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire to photograph a local scene to preserve it on record for future generations. Participants are being asked to capture a view of their town, city or the countryside to demonstrate how people in the north east lived and worked in the early part of the 21st century. [continue reading ... ]

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) recently published new research on the economic impact of Scotland’s Natural Environment.

Glensaugh has experienced its first prolonged period of snow cover since February 2001. This has added to the winter feeding routine with hay being offered to some of the Blackface ewes which have been blown off their own ground.

The Macaulay Land Use Research Institute warmly congratulates Roseanna Cunningham on her appointment to Environment Minister for Scotland, announced today by first minister Alex Salmond. [continue reading ... ]

Farmers and land mangers in the North East are invited to a free event (Tuesday 17th February) to discuss the introduction of the revised Action Programme for Nitrate Vulnerable Zones and the funding that is available to support manure storage as well as pollution prevention. The meeting is being hosted by the Dee Catchment Partnership who aim to ensure that land management practices in the River Dee Catchment area do not have a negative impact on the quality of the water in the River Dee and is part of a wider programme of information events by the Scottish Agricultural College. [continue reading ... ]

Professor Steve Albon of the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute has accepted the position of Co-chair (with Professor Robert Watson) of the UK National Ecosystem Assessment (NEA).