Meet our volunteers

Phil has been controlling American mink in Wester Ross for over 12 years – long before the SISI project began! He is committed to controlling populations of this invasive predator on the island where he lives to help protect local bird populations.

"I started trapping mink due to the loss of ground nesting birds. We first noticed lapwings disappearing – they were suddenly gone from the island. I’m very fond of lapwings, they were my gran’s favourite birds, so I wanted to do something to help them and the only way to do that was to trap the mink.”

Callum has been a member of the Dee and Don INNS team for years but was out with Jan almost every day this year as well as taking on a couple of areas on his own - and still keeping up checks on the two mink rafts he has!

Callum said: ‘I've been a fisherman since I could walk and now find ferreting about in burns and rivers in search of invasive species every bit as satisfying as trying to catch fish. It's a whole lot cheaper too. By volunteering, I get to see places I'd never normally visit and enjoy good exercise in good company for a good cause. It's a great way to learn and justifies the consumption of chocolate. What's not to like?’
 

Maria has been a plant control volunteer on the Conon River since 2022.  She enjoys and appreciates the natural world and feels that taking part in pulling Himalayan balsam helps preserve the riversides for wildlife and future generations.

“Volunteering with SISI is a great opportunity for an invigorating day out in a beautiful location that I might not otherwise get to visit.”

Jess and Alan live in the highlands in what used to be a mink farm about 60 years ago. Legend has it that one day the owner was badly bitten by one of the mink, so he abandoned the idea and set all the mink free! After hearing about the SISI project they decided to get in touch and sign up as mink volunteers.

Jess said: “Living on an old mink farm, we wanted to help amend the mistakes of the past and this motivation was heightened by a recent mink sighting. A friend of mine told me that he had signed up to monitor a mink raft himself, and gave me the contact details for Trudi, the SISI Project Officer for the area. Helping to keep the highlands free of mink will benefit our chickens and ducks as well as the native wildlife.”
 

Mark retired a few years ago and was keen to volunteer for an organisation that included active participation. The SISI project caught his eye for several reasons - it was local to his area of the Spey, involved active control work and, most importantly, allowed Mark to get involved with giant hogweed control.

“Giant hogweed was a personal concern for me as I had some invading my stream at the bottom of my garden. As it happens, the stream was also ideal for a bit of mink trapping, so I have a mink trap on a floating raft in there too.

I thoroughly enjoy the days out spraying hogweed (or half days sometimes as I’m old and tired) and I had my first mink catch recently.  The days out spraying are fun and Karen keeps us organised and enthused. Her lunchtime coffee and biscuits are worth the effort alone!  It’s fine to help make a difference and killing hogweed is just plain fun.”
 

Sarah is a recent graduate from the University of St Andrews where she studied Biology. Her passion for ecology and conservation led her to the Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie Rivers Trust for a 6-month ‘Working with Rivers’ internship. She has started off by working on invasive species with their project officer, Elise, but will also be working on electrofishing, freshwater pearl mussel surveys and the Findhorn Watershed Initiative, which works on catchment-wide river restoration.

“I have always been passionate about nature and understand the importance of ecology and conservation. I want to make a difference and be part of the solution. Working with the Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie Rivers Trust allows me to do this. Plus I get to be outside in nature and work with and meet some wonderful people.”

The Upper Tay Paths Group is working to tackle giant hogweed and Japanese knotweed on the River Tay. This constituted voluntary group, supported by Perth and Kinross council, has been working in partnership with the project since 2020. With group members trained up in safe use of pesticides, the team is working together to eradicate giant hogweed and Japanese knotweed from the upper Tay with support from our local Project Officer.

Pete said: "We have many path users and watersports enthusiasts using the river in our area and we want to get rid of Giant Hogweed urgently so that the plant cannot harm anyone. We have heard about the skin damage that it can cause particularly to children, so when SISI suggested we get involved, it was an easy decision to make. Five of us have been trained and it already feels that we are making a difference with fewer plants appearing each year. Anything we can do to make the paths more accessible and appealing has got to be a good thing."

Karen and Jon work for the NHS and have been living in Scotland for 2 years. They live on an 8-acre property which they manage as naturally as they can to encourage wildlife and native wild plants and trees. Karen has already planted over 400 native broadleaf trees and hedge plants and is currently planting an orchard. They signed up to volunteer after our local Project Officer found signs of mink on their land and approached them for help. 

“We have volunteered for this project as we are passionate about Scotland and its native species. We think the project is a fantastic way to raise awareness of our natural environment and to encourage the countryside to flourish without invasive wildlife and plants forever changing the biodiversity of Scotland.”

Joe is one of our trained volunteers helping with our collaborative project on the River Almond with Perth and Kinross Council. As a resident of the local area, he’s been aware of the giant hogweed problem for years and jumped at the chance to help.

“I had been walking past the Giant Hogweed on the Almond for some time muttering to myself that ‘someone needed to do something about it’! It was only when I saw SISI were looking for help with addressing the problem that I realised that I could, and should, be that someone. It’s a project that’s going to require a focus for a number of years and will give our own native species the opportunity to reclaim the Almond.”
 

Nikki is a Visitor Ranger with Perth and Kinross Council and is passionate about protecting our wildlife and countryside. After hearing about our collaborative River Almond project through the PKC Climate Action Facebook page, Nikki took the opportunity to get involved and signed up as a volunteer. She has been trained up in safe use of pesticides and has been out volunteering with us on the Almond and on the River Tay. 

"I have thoroughly enjoyed partaking in SISI's Giant Hogweed Control programme. Volunteering has made it possible for me to learn new skills and I love giving my time back to such a beautiful place."
 

Alan is one of our most prolific plant control volunteers on the River Dee and the River Don, having logged over 200 volunteer hours in the last 4 years. Alan is involved in all aspects of invasive plant control and oversees other volunteers working alongside us.

“I've lived most of my life near rivers of varied quality but now in retirement I can put some effort into restoration. Spraying or pulling invasive species takes me to remoter parts of beautiful rivers I wouldn’t normally go to, and always in good weather. Everything and everyone benefits from control of invasive species, and I get fresh air, exercise, the occasional biscuit, and to appear on the same webpage as Marigold."

Elise found out about volunteering through her university (UHI) and decided to do her 4th year placement with the SISI project. She started with the project in July working 3 days a week with one of the SISI project officers and continued right through to October. She has helped with cutting giant hogweed flowers, pulling Himalayan balsam and stem injecting Japanese knotweed.

She said "I've really enjoyed it, it's been a great way to spend my summer, I've met lots of new people and had a great banter and also developed my skills for future careers. Before I felt like a sham, studying Environmental Science but I didn't have any experience or stories to tell, but now I do have stories and experiences. It's been really helpful for me doing this work, now I have practical experience. I'm going to do more volunteering."

Elise has also worked with us as a Seasonal Project Officer and is now Project Officer for the Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie catchments.

Calum looks after the Meikleour Fishings on the River Tay. He's been a dedicated mink volunteer for years, monitoring his patch and successfully catching several mink. 

Calum said "Mink have a devastating impact on our local wildlife - I've witnessed it with my own eyes; I once watched a mink raiding a kingfisher nest, it came back again and again, until it had taken every chick out of that nest, it was total devastation."

Three fantastic volunteers from the Angus Canoe club volunteered their services to help SISI make a film about biosecurity.  They were set off to paddle down the river bedecked with helmet cams and kayak mounted 360^o cameras to capture the essence of enjoying the river - something not everyone gets to experience from that angle - and then showed us all the biosecurity practices they do on pulling out of the river to clean out their kayaks and wash down their gear, so they don't run the risk of moving invasive species from one river to another. 

Tom said "We were happy to lend a hand when we were asked if we could feature in the SISI film, cleaning your gear after coming out of the river is really important and something we were happy to help promote."

Amelia is probably our youngest volunteer!

When she read about the mink project in her local paper she really wanted to get involved and help save her local wildlife.  She (under the supervision of her Mum) adopted a mink raft which is on a river within walking distance of her house.  She has also helped SISI staff to make a film about invasive species.

Amelia said "When I heard that mink were harming our wildlife, I wanted to do something to help. I've had mink footprints on my raft and so I've got a trap on it at the moment but we haven't caught anything yet.  They came from America and don't belong here in Scotland, so it's important we do something about it."

Mirella is from Hungary and came to Scotland for an EVS (European Voluntary Service) placement and fell in love with Scotland and stayed. She has been assisting project officer James to clear  dead Japanese knotweed stems, plant trees and spray Giant hogweed. 

She said "It's really important for me to be outdoors, do some useful work and learn new things. I get all this while I am volunteering with SISI.

Controlling invasives sometimes feels like an endless job, but it's good to see the treated areas from last year - there's a big difference compared to the areas which haven't been treated before."

Mirella has since worked with us as a Seasonal Project Officer and is now Project Officer for the Ugie and Ythan catchments.

Ali works as a carer for the eldery and wanted to volunteer with an activity to help the environment. She saw an article about SISI in the newspaper and the rest is history!  Ali monitors two sets of mink monitoring rafts in the Carse of Gowrie and has learnt lots about the birds and wildlife in the area from staff and other volunteers. 

She said; "Feeling that I am participating in a very worthwhile initiative, contributing to conservation efforts in my local environment with the opportunity is really important to me. I've also got some great memories from my volunteering already; I took my visiting family down to the mink rafts to show them how the operation worked, I tried to keep a straight face when my sister slipped and ended up waist deep in the freezing cold water of the reed-bed, at the same time grabbing onto my mum, who then fell on top of her! No injuries were incurred but much embarrassment and some very smelly clothes ..."

Scott has just completed a course in Environmental Science, at the University of Highlands & Islands, and during this time he’s also been out and about volunteering with the Findhorn, Nairn & Lossie Fisheries Trust. He’s helped with a range of tasks; surveying the rivers for invasive species, spraying Giant hogweed and Japanese knotweed and also helping with fisheries work including electro fishing. He's also been able to gain his pesticide spraying qualifiactions while volunteering with the SISI project.

Scott says “I’ve been able to get some really good work experience and loads of practical experience over the last 2 years, I really want to get a job in the outdoors, so helping out has been great for me. It’s also nice to give something back.”

Scott has also worked with us as a Seasonal Project Officer and has since moved on to a role in the environmental sector.

For nearly 10 years Kevin has volunteered with the Deveron, Bogie & Isla Charitable Trust, spraying invasive species along the banks of the Deveron and Isla Rivers. He explained what motivates him;

"For over 30 years the River Deveron had been kind to me and for me to get a chance to be a volunteer was just my way of saying 'thank you' to the river. It has given me so much satisfaction and I wanted to give something back. It's good to see the river, it gets you out of the house and takes you to places you probably haven't been to before. 

I just love it. I get satisfaction at the end - sure, not a lot of people want to go around with a knapsack sprayer on their backs for 4 or 5 miles, but for me if doesn't make any difference. Yeah, it's tiring, but at the end of the day, once you've done it, it's good fun and it's rewarding. I have a sense of pride for doing that."

Adam heard about the project via a social media podcast and thought it would be a good thing to be involved in. He soon got stuck straight in with spraying Giant hogweed along the River Spey under the supervision of project officer James. 

Adam said "I enjoy angling and field sports so I take an active interest in the outdoors, and I wanted to help make a difference in my local environment.  I'm really looking forward to getting more invovled in this project over the coming years."

Ross, currently working in the social care sector, has been volunteering with SISI in Angus since the project kicked off assisting with surveying and herbicide control of INNS. He has also successfully gained his pesticide application qualifications.

Ross shared his experiences and how being involved in the project has benefited him:

"I was suffering from depression and wanted something that would put me back in touch with nature. This project helped me to raise my self esteem and took me to some of the most beautiful hidden surroundings that Scotland has to offer. I'm enjoying making new friends, exploring new places and with the useful skills and qualifications that I gained I now plan to go into this sector as a career."

Marigold is a key volunteer over on the River Deveron catchment, where she spends her days enthusiastically munching her way through a serious Giant hogweed infestation. Unlike her human handlers she isn't bothered by the toxic sap of the plant and finds it's fresh new leaves quite tasty. She's also keen to help the promotion of the project and she has starred in several newspapers and on television!

Marigold said "Baa mheee ba, munch munch, yum, ba ba baaaa"

The University of Aberdeen Conservation Society joined project officer, Karen, for what they describe as the "first of many volunteering days". 

They said "We had an amazing time.  We removed Himalayan balsam from the Water of Cruden, learnt ahout setting up a mink raft and then viewed sea birds at Bullers of Buchan.  We will be returning soon!"

Gordon brought a team of 12 staff from distillery company Chivas Brothers out to work with SISI project officer Al, on the River Deveron.

“We've had a fantastic day removing an invasive species, Himalayan balsam, from the banks of the river Deveron. It's really rewarding to make a contribution to an important environmental project, and we look forward to a continued partnership in the future.”