Success StoriesCaerlaverock Visitor Centre, Dumfries - Showing visitors there is more to wetlands than just water |
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"As a visitor attraction and nature reserve Caerlaverock is trying to be sustainable in a lot of different ways."
John Doherty, Centre Manager |
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| The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) use sites such as Caerlaverock to show the value of wetlands. Their centre-based environmental education work puts a lot of emphasis on the relationship between wetlands and visitors everyday lives. For example, explaining the difference that people can make by using environmentally friendly washing up liquid. |
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The fields are managed for the barnacle geese that make Caerlaverock their winter home from September to May. Cattle and sheep belonging to local farmers in summer graze the fields. This helps to keep the area attractive for the geese and means that visitors are pretty well guaranteed to get good views of the birds from the many hides that have been installed. By attracting the geese to fields under a management agreement there is less chance of damage to nearby crops by hungry geese.
The management system is not certified organic, but involves the minimal use of fertilisers, and very minimal use of herbicides, which results in high numbers and varieties of insects and wildflowers. This all adds to the variety of wildlife that visitors can see on the reserve. |
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A lower admission rate is charged to the centre for anyone who arrives at the centre on foot, bike or by public transport. If guests are staying at the reserves self-catering farmhouse arrive by train then they are offered a lift to their accommodation.
The Trust are planning to install a reed-bed sewerage system. This will avoid the need for large septic tanks and the associated risk of pollution if the tanks leak or during emptying. |
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The centre staff is involved in many other, smaller scale activities, which they hope will contribute towards sustainability. For example:
Biodegradable cleaning products are used Fairly traded tea, coffee and sugar are used in the café to add a social dimension to the centres promotion of sustainable tourism. Paper, card, glass, aluminium cans and steel tins are all recycled The centre office is trying to be as paper-free as possible but is finding this difficult like many other offices. However, by making sure paper is used on both sides and reducing the number of copies made they are making good progress. |
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| The WWT have joined forces with Historic Scotland who look after the nearby Caerlaverock Castle and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) who have a statutory responsibility for National Nature Reserves (NNRs) such as Caerlaverock. Between them they have produced a joint information leaflet under the heading 'The Caerlaverock Experience' that promotes the castle, the WWT's centre and the Caerlaverock NNR. This example of joint working reduces time, cost and paper for all partners involved. |
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For further information about the WWT's Caerlaverock Centre please contact:
Richard Hesketh Tel: 01387 770200 Photos courtesy of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust |
Contact Us
Sustainable Tourism Manager,
VisitScotland,
Cowan House,
Inverness.
IV2 7GF.
Tel: 01463 244671
enquiries@greentourism.org.uk