Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie Rivers Trust

The Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie Rivers Trust aims to conserve and enhance native fish stocks in our three rivers through research, habitat restoration, and the education of river users and the wider public.  Our three rivers flow from the Monadhliath Mountains north into the inner Moray Firth through the towns of Nairn, Forres and Elgin.

As part of the SISI project we will be continuing to control invasive plant species such as Giant hogweed, Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam and American Skunk cabbage along our riverbanks to enable native vegetation to flourish once again and improve access to the river and riverside paths.  

We work with local landowners, farmers, volunteers and community groups, including Wild Things!, Green Hive, Forres in Bloom, Findhorn Bay Nature Reserve, and the Sanquhar Pond Group.  We welcome anyone with an interest in improving the habitats around our rivers and can provide full training and support. 

We will also continue to control American Mink. Numbers of these unwelcome predators have declined due to our trapping effort but they are still regularly sighted along the Moray Coast and occasionally further up our three rivers. Please report any sightings of mink in the area as quickly as possible and we would welcome volunteers who could adopt a mink monitoring raft.

The Trust has identified the upstream source of the different invasive plants on our three rivers and mapped the extent of the infestations.  The funding through the Nature Restoration Fund, and  partnership with SISI, will allow us to build further on our invasive plant control work which has been ongoing for ten years as part of our normal river management activities. 

We are beginning to see improvements, but more still needs to be done. The dense Japanese knotweed stands along the upper River Lossie are beginning to die back thanks to years of control, and the Giant hogweed along the River Nairn, River Findhorn, Muckle and Mosset Burns is now very much reduced.

A big thank you to all the volunteers, community groups and landowners who have supported this work so far.  Please get in touch if you are interested in finding out more about the project – and we are always keen to talk to new community groups and individuals.
 

Contact

Bob Laughton (Director):   07887 535986   [email protected]

Elise Cox (SISI Project Officer):   07880 971890    [email protected]