The New Ranger
Patti tell us how the first few months in the role have been going
A very special job was advertised early this year, it was a role I had always admired and considered with wonder, and I just couldn’t resist applying even though I didn’t feel I ticked many of the boxes. To me Countryside Rangers are a people apart – linking natural and urban, protecting, discovering, recording, engaging, educating, regenerating, creating, exploring, identifying, learning, blogging, the list goes on and on!
I was fascinated by the job description, and although I’d not interviewed for a job in almost twenty years, I loved the experience. It required me to deliver an exploration of an object found in nature. My idea was to bring a rock with several lichens and mosses attached and give an interpretation of this habitat. However it’s not as easy as you may think to find the perfect specimen, for starters you need the landowner’s permission to remove such objects – and the most perfect ones are always on the other side of a fence!
Also, when an object takes tens or even hundreds of years to have been cultivated by moss and lichen, I found I couldn’t bring myself to disturb it. So, I resorted to the pile of rubble from our old garden wall, found a great lump of stone with two lichen species and a tiny patch of moss on it to be my ‘object’.
My husband and children were equally fascinated by my lichen hunt and before I knew it, we were all heading out on a lichen safari, with a view to photographing as many species as possible on a variety of substrates within a 1-mile radius of our home.
These photos complimented my rock perfectly, and although I wished I had chosen a less weighty specimen (my rock was about 5kg), it worked in my favour as delivering a presentation on the floor (in case the rock damaged the table) made for a relaxed and even enjoyable presentation and I got myself a wonderful job!
The rock was not returned to the stone pile, it has earned a spot in the garden, where I can think of it fondly each time I see it.
I have now entered the captivating and mysterious world of Countryside Rangers, where people gather to enjoy our natural world among plants and creatures’ miniature and giant, ancient and spectacular, protected and endangered. I have been getting stuck into conservation projects, such as protecting the newly planted trees with mulshmatting at Wick and shadowing ranger events, such as the seashore safari at Portmahomack with Marcia O’Hara.
The Countryside Rangers really do offer a huge variety of sessions, from the very accessible to the more challenging and remote and everything in between.
Come and see it for yourself, delight in the variety of life on your doorstep, breathe the clean air, learn, grow, share, you won’t be disappointed!
We invite everyone to participate in our upcoming events and guided walks to experience the natural wonders of The Highland Region firsthand. Whether you are a seasoned wildlife enthusiast or just beginning to explore the outdoors, our Countryside Rangers are here to guide you and share their knowledge.
Stay tuned for updates on our activities, and we hope to see you out in the beautiful landscapes soon.
We have ALL of our activities listed on our webpage:
Don’t miss the BIG POLLINATOR count events coming up this week!
We need your help to count! The Highland 2024 Big Pollinator Count...
Patti Bremner, the Countryside Ranger for East Caithness, is passionate about the natural world and has a unique ability to engage and inspire others with her locally aquired knowledge. With a deep-rooted desire to educate and cultivate communities that care for their environment, Patti brings a compelling and accessible approach to conservation. Her work is driven by a commitment to helong create a connection between people and nature, ensuring that the beauty and diversity of East Caithness are preserved for future generations.