Environment

Frilled With Love

5th March 2021 By Clydesider Editor

By Amanda Eleftheriades Photos by Caroline Finn An Aladdin’s cave of frills, fabrics and wicker lies hidden in Faifley’s Skypoint Community Centre. It is here that local creative genius Alison Bell conjures up stunning wedding backdrops and light installations, the … [Read more...] about Frilled With Love

Litter Pick Games

28th September 2020 By Clydesider

Are you the Fastest Picker in the West? Friends of Dumbarton Foreshore is challenging the people of West Dunbartonshire to get involved with their litter pick games throughout October. Have you got what it takes? If you think you're game enough then you can get involved … [Read more...] about Litter Pick Games

Pick, Play, Picnic

5th August 2020 By Clydesider

By Angela Clark Local youth charity, Y Sort It has been out and about hosting Pick, Play and Picnic events across West Dunbartonshire this summer. The sessions aim to encourage children to get back outdoors whilst looking after their environment. In Radnor Park adults … [Read more...] about Pick, Play, Picnic

Friends with Nature

8th July 2020 By Clydesider Editor

Words and Photo by Zoe Weir Friends of Havoc Meadows have been working hard to record and conserve the high biodiversity at Havoc meadow in Dumbarton. Zoe Weir founder of Friends of Havoc and nearby Friends of Dumbarton Foreshore reports on how the two groups have been … [Read more...] about Friends with Nature

Seeds of Hope

25th June 2020 By Clydesider Editor

Seeds of Hope were dispatched in little paper envelopes to communities across Scotland – including West Dunbartonshire. The heart-warming Seeds of Hope idea stemmed from a woman looking for ways to stay connected with her elderly father, hundreds of miles away in … [Read more...] about Seeds of Hope

4 days ago

Vale Memories Wanted by Angela Clark

Do you have a memory of the Vale you would like to see preserved in a book?

If so, Furniture Fix - a social enterprise which is part of Tullochan - would love to hear from you.

Their Vale Stories project aims to bring together two generations with the publication of a new book capturing the memories of the lives of people who worked or lived in the Vale of Leven.

The book will be filled with poems and stories written by older people about their experiences of growing up in the area. The younger people will illustrate the images based on the content they have read.

The organisation is looking for more people to get involved and contribute their memories to the publication.

They are particularly keen to hear from Vale folk who have stories about old buildings they may have been employed in.

Lisa Carr from Tullochan said: “There are all sorts of stories we are really interested in, especially all the landmarks of the town or people that worked in Polaroid or the McDougall factory - which apparently made juice.

“We are based in what was the old torpedo factory, now Lomond Galleries. We have somebody who worked in the factory writing about their experience and we would love to hear more stories like this.”

Money from the sale of the book will go back into helping young people at the social enterprise plus a number of copies will be gifted to local care homes.

If you would like to contribute to the book please contact lisa@tullochan.org or call 07398 204845. ... See MoreSee Less

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5 days ago

Nature on the Hoof by Paul Murdoch

Buzzards - Part 1

Whenever I get a chance to climb a little higher above the hassles of the towns and cities, I always look out for one of my favourite birds of prey - the buzzard. You’ll most probably see it in one of three different situations...

High on a perch, like a telegraph pole or treetop, it will scan its surroundings for prey; down on the ground, hunting for worms and insects or picking at something already dead.
Finally, it’s probably one of the birds most misidentified as an eagle, it’s silhouette dark against the sky, soaring, searching and sometimes hovering like a clumsy kestrel.

So what is the difference between an eagle and buzzard in flight? Apart from an eagle being more than twice the size which, from a distance, is hard to establish, the eagle has a straighter, less fanned tail and its neck and head protrude a bit further from its wings.

I still get confused at times but when I really see an eagle, especially through my binoculars, I usually get that whoaw factor. You’re suddenly aware of the shear size and grandeur of the bird and are just blown away.

I’ve only ever seen a golden eagle once in West Dumbartonshire, and that was a good few years ago now.

Other birds it may be mixed up with are red kites, which have a forked tail and ospreys which have a much longer wing and much more white in their colouration.

Read more here: www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/wildlife-and-the-law/wildbird-crime/birdcrime-report-2019/ ... See MoreSee Less

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6 days ago

Can you capture Spring through a lens?

For full entry details visit: clydesider.org/competition/

Good Luck! ... See MoreSee Less

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