CHCT is working on a biodiversity management plan (BMP) to complement the Calton Hill Management Plan of 2017 — a comprehensive document for the hill that covered almost everything — except wildlife.
Calton Hill is important for nature because of its easy city centre accessibility, but also because of the wildness of its western areas. Together with Arthur’s Seat it is a site of special scientific interest (SSSI 91) for both geology and botany.
The biodiversity management plan will involve surveys of the vegetation, invertebrates, birdlife and animals to assess the present condition of the hill. We will use a geographic information system (or GIS), to analyse and display the data and make it it available to the general public.
The plan will help us look forward to see what interventions are appropriate to the site, such as planting, as well as any necessary removal of invasive species — other than Homo sapiens sapiens!
We have applied for funding for this project.