NatureScot Board Meeting - 25 August 2021

ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY- THIRD MEETING OF THE BOARD OF NATURESCOT
CAIRNDALE HOTEL, DUMFRIES, 25 AUGUST 2021
OPEN SESSION CONFIRMED MINUTES

MEMBERS PRESENT

Mike Cantlay                           Chair

Cath Denholm                         Deputy Chair

Kate Broughton                       Member

Ian Gambles                            Member

Peter Higgins                          Member

Jackie Hyland                          Member

David Johnstone                      Member

Colin McPhail                          Member

Wayne Powell                         Member

Heather Reid                           Member

Nikki Yoxall                             Member

IN ATTENDANCE

Francesca Osowska                 Chief Executive

Nick Halfhide                           Director of Nature and Climate Change

Robbie Kernahan                    Director of Sustainable Growth

Stuart MacQuarrie                 Deputy Director of Business Services & Transformation

Claudia Rowse                         Deputy Director of Sustainable Growth

Eileen Stuart                            Deputy Director of Nature and Climate Change

Jason Ormiston                       Head of External Affairs

Kevin Quinlan                          Director of Environment and Forestry, Scottish Government

Graham Boyle                         Chief of Staff

Sara Lewis                              Governance Support Manager (minutes)                 

APOLOGIES

Aoife Martin                           Member

Jane Macdonald                      Director of Business Services & Transformation

AGENDA ITEM 1:  OPENING REMARKS AND APOLOGIES

1. The Chair opened the meeting by welcoming everyone to the one hundred and ninety-third meeting of the Board of NatureScot. Particular welcome was given to Kevin Quinlan, Director of Environment and Forestry for Scottish Government.

2.   Apologies were noted from Aoife Martin, Board member, and the Director of Business Services and Transformation, Jane Macdonald.

3.   The Chair invited Kevin Quinlan to update members on current Scottish Government (SG) business. These included progress on the coalition approach to climate change and biodiversity loss by the Scottish National Party and the Scottish Green Party, the National Environment Bill, and planned consultations on marine environment. Current issues being considered by SG were stated as the mitigation, adaptation and repair to climate change, improving biodiversity, and green jobs.

4.   Kevin Quinlan discussed the role of NatureScot in the land use transformation challenge, and the just transition.

AGENDA ITEM 2:  DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

5.   There were no declarations of interest.

AGENDA ITEM 3:  MINUTES AND ACTION POINTS FROM 30 JUNE 2021

6.   Board members were content to approve the minutes of the Board of NatureScot Meeting on the 30 June 2021.

Action Points

7.   The actions points were discussed:

• Action Point (AP13/181) (Future Options for Kinloch Castle) Board members acknowledged that this action remains ongoing.
• Action Point (AP02/188) (Update to Board Members on Development of Green Finance) Board members acknowledged that this action remains ongoing.
• Action Point (AP01/192) (SG Commission to NatureScot on Peatland Restoration) An update was received that the commission document had been shared with Board members. It was therefore agreed to discharge this action point.
• Action Point (AP02/192) (NatureScot Action Plan for Nature-Based Jobs) An update was received that the action plan had been circulated to Board members. It was therefore agreed to discharge this action point.
• Action Point (AP03/192) (Plan for Board Engagement with Staff) An update was received that the Senior Leadership Team were consulting with Activity Managers on the practicalities of a plan. Members acknowledged that this action point remains ongoing.
• Action Point (AP04/192) (Details on COP Activities) An update was received that a briefing with these details had been circulated to Board members. It was therefore agreed to discharge this action point.
• Action Point (AP05/192) (Board Member Access to eRDMS) An update was received that functionality had been set up for Board members, and that they had been issued with training videos and protocols. It was therefore agreed to discharge this action point.

AGENDA ITEM 4:  MATTERS ARISING

8.   There were no matters arising.

AGENDA ITEM 5: STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT ORAL UPDATE

9.   Stuart MacQuarrie provided an overview of the organisational design timescale, which will culminate in the final draft of the next corporate plan being presented to the Board at the December 2021 meeting. The ambition for the future design of the organisation will challenge current resources, and the Board will be engaged on options to address this.

10. YoungScot are informally engaging with NatureScot to help inform reasons for low levels of engagement of young people with the priorities for nature in Scotland. Language used by NatureScot had previously been identified as a potential barrier, resulting in a narrative being produced for use at engagement workshops with young people.

11. Chair added that the annual appraisal objectives currently being agreed with Board members would contribute to strategic development. In addition, he highlighted that 4 Board members were due to end their present terms of office in March 2022. Work was underway with SG to request extensions for those members wishing to be considered.

AGENDA ITEM 6: Q1 PERFORMANCE REPORTS

12. Stuart MacQuarrie presented the Quarter 1 reports to the Board, which address delivery of NatureScot corporate priorities by reviewing the alignment of outcome performance against the Business Plan, progress towards maximising the available budget, assessing risks for delivery, and reviewing people information supporting the resourcing of NatureScot work.

13. The Board were asked to:

• Note the overall performance of the priorities and the actions being taken to recover key deliverables that are slipping (Performance Report).
• Note the position of the operating and capital budgets (Finance Report).
• Note the corporate risk updates and proposals.
• Note the performance of the people measures and actions (People Report).

14. The highlights of the reports were:

• Performance for 9 of the 10 priorities rated as ‘on-track’.
• Corporate risk 586 ‘Structural Funds – failure of programme delivery and/or funding mechanism’ had increased from medium to high since Q4 2020/21.
• Two new corporate risks were proposed – 646 ‘Weakened Reputation’, and 645 ‘Biodiversity Loss’.
• Both Operating and Capital budgets expected to outturn at year end within tolerance.
• Peatland restoration budget forecasting full spend of £10.890m, but there are concerns that committing the full 2021/22 budget will be challenging. This is due to low numbers of applications, and staffing pressures.
• The People report shows 4 out of 10 indicators on track. 3 have experienced minor slippage, and 3 are being monitored.

Outcome 1 & 2 – Nick Halfhide

15. In addition to the detail of performance in the paper, Nick provided the Board with an update on current concerns:

• Scale of the climate change and biodiversity loss crises.
• How to determine what success looks like for biodiversity by 2030 and 2045.
• How to empower the private sector to take action on the climate emergency.

16. Members discussed with Kevin Quinlan the pace and scale required in order to deliver in addressing the climate emergency, and how NatureScot is designing the organisation to meet their emerging ambitions. Adaptive management, and the importance of clear communication with land owners were also discussed.

Outcome 3 – Robbie Kernahan

17. In addition to the detail of performance in the paper, Robbie provided the Board with an update on current concerns:

• How to resource the future reformed Agri-Environment schemes.
• The need to take land owners on the journey in transforming land use.
• Ensuring that NatureScot adds the most value possible with the capacity available.
• The licencing review and judicial review on control of Beavers will result in demands on NatureScot resources.

Wayne Powell joins the meeting.

18. Board members queried what plans were in place to respond to the peatland restoration commission received from SG, and subsequently involving the Board. Robbie confirmed that Chair and Chief Executive were integral to agreeing a bold approach to the commission, along with associated risks and timescale, prior to the October Board meeting. The suggested response to SG will be shared with the Board at the October meeting before submission.

Outcome 4 – Stuart MacQuarrie

19. In addition to the detail of performance in the paper, Stuart provided the Board with an update on current concerns:

• Rapid pace continues on organisational design, however currently meeting timetable.
• The threat to cyber-security remains live, work currently in progress to test the recovery process involved in moving data to the Cloud.

Finance

20. Stuart MacQuarrie updated members that Finance is currently rated amber due to a delay in receiving confirmation on the budget allocation for the Biodiversity Challenge Fund. The Chief Executive added that financial accountability needed to be finalised on a number of funds that NatureScot administer, and that as Accountable Officer she was seeking a letter of comfort from SG.

Risk

21. Stuart MacQuarrie highlighted the two risks proposed for escalation to the Corporate Risk Register, 646 ‘Weakened Reputation’ and 645 ‘Biodiversity Loss’, which had been discussed at the August Audit and Risk Committee meeting.

People

22. Board members noted minor slippage in the areas of work-life balance, use of holiday leave, and low staff turnover. It was also noted that the retirement profile is being actively monitored.

23. The Board were content to note the contents of the Q1 performance reports.

INFORMATION PAPERS

AGENDA ITEM 7:  CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT

24. Board members noted the contents of the Chief Executive’s report, in particular the following key themes:

• Ongoing negotiations for a formal coalition agreement between the Scottish National Party and the Green Party, expected to significantly impact on the work of NatureScot.
• Continuing work on organisational design.
• COPs 15/26.
• Publication of 2020 Tayside Beaver Survey and Management Reports.
• Land use and land management issues.

AGENDA ITEM 8:  PEOPLE SURVEY 2021 - UPDATE

25. Members noted the contents of this paper, which highlighted the areas on which to focus in response to the People Survey following discussions at the July Senior Leadership Team meeting. The board welcomed the overall significant improvement in staff morale presented via the paper in comparison with the last survey.

26. Various reasons for the improvements noted were discussed, including improved communication of NatureScot’s purpose, and the role that staff play in the delivery of the organisation’s priorities.

AGENDA ITEM 9: NATIONAL NATURE RESERVE VISITOR MANAGEMENT SUPPORT

27. This paper summarised the action taken to address visitor management issues on National Nature Reserves (NNR) during 2021.

28. The Board recognised the acute issues faced by nature reserve staff, and were impressed by their response to them. The success of work by area teams, seasonal NNR colleagues, and public facing campaigns was also seen as integral to visitor management. It was suggested that the Chair attend the autumn gathering of NNR staff in order to convey thanks on behalf of the Board.

AGENDA ITEM 10: AUDIT AND RISK COMMITTEE QUARTERLY UPDATE

29. This paper updated the Board on the work of the Audit and Risk Committee (ARC) during the period June to August 2021.

30. Kate also highlighted the longer term risk associated with the considerable value of future claims combined with significant delays of payments by the MA. This has the capacity to weaken NatureScot’s reputation from the perspective of those organisations waiting for claims to be paid, therefore work is ongoing with the managing authority to address this risk.

31. The Board noted the work of the ARC between June and August 2021.

AGENDA ITEM 11: DRAFT AGENDA FOR 06 OCTOBER MEETING

32. Members noted the draft agenda for the Board meeting taking place on 06 October 2021.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

33. None.

Date of Next Meeting

34. The next Board of NatureScot meeting is planned to take place on 06 October, at a location to be confirmed.

35. The Chair thanked all those in attendance, particularly Kevin Quinlan from Scottish Government. The meeting was closed.

END

One Hundred and Ninety-Third meeting of the Board of NatureScot - 25 August 2021

1. Welcome, apologies and Chair Opening remarks - Mike Cantlay

2. Declarations of Interest

3. Minutes and action points

4. Matters arising       

5. Strategic Development Oral Update - Stuart MacQuarrie

Incl. presentation

6. Q1 Performance Reports - Stuart MacQuarrie

INFORMATION PAPERS

7. Chief Executive’s Report (Official-Sensitive) - Francesca Osowska

8. People Survey 2021 – Update - Jane Macdonald

9. NNR Visitor Management Support - Nick Halfhide

10. ARC Quarterly Update (Official-Sensitive) - Kate Broughton

11. Draft agenda for 06 October meeting - Graham Boyle

ANY OTHER BUSINESS (AOB)

CLOSE

Title: Strategic Development (Oral Update)
Date: 25 August 2021

This paper is part of a bundle for the NatureScot Board meeting - 25 August 2021

People Survey 2021 Update

Date: 25 August 2021

Purpose

1. The purpose of this paper is to provide Board with the results of the 2021 People Survey and to note the recommendations from SLT.

Introduction

1. Through a new platform, Hive, we undertook the 2021 People Survey from 7th –28th May. The survey ran for 3 weeks, to allow employees on annual leave an opportunity to contribute. We had a 67% response rate, which is a good result. As a result of the 2018 People survey, and wider engagement work at that time, we created our Organisational Development Framework. It focused on three key, interconnected areas we wanted to see improvement in; leadership, wellbeing and the way we work. The survey feedback suggests improvements in all areas since 2018 and a positive picture overall. There is still work to do to achieve our ambitions around NatureScot as an employer of choice.

1. SLT have been presented with the People Survey 2021 results, through an information paper and a subsequent discussion at their 20th July meeting. SLT made suggestions in terms of the proposed communications to the wider organisation, and agreed to follow up with their teams on next steps over the summer.

1. The full People Survey report is now also available on the intranet, with a supporting video blog from Francesca, and we are running a small number of Hive-led workshops to support staff to understand the results in advance of their subsequent Activity Team discussions.

Headline results

1. There was very positive feedback in relation to NatureScot’s response to Covid-19, the importance we place on health & safety, and agreeing that NatureScot is an inclusive workplace. Our people are more confident in the leadership provided by senior leaders. They feel more able to take control of their work wellbeing than they did in 2018 and are more likely to recommend NatureScot as a good place to work. Similar to previous surveys, there is a consistently high level of confidence in line managers.

1. There are areas we would like to improve on. Some people do not feel well informed about what we are doing as an organisation and how decisions are being made and communicated. Some are also still concerned about how change is being managed. There are also ongoing issues around workloads and whether staff are able to take time to undertake the learning and development required for the job and to develop skills across different areas of the business.

1. Three key themes to address have been identified by Hive and are similar to those we have focused on since the last survey. These are noted below:

• Strategic leadership
• Investment in people (feeling valued, opportunity for learning and development)
• Health & wellbeing (the way we work, work/life balance)

1. More detailed information is included at Annex 1. The full Hive People Survey report is also available on request from People & Organisational Development.

Forward look

1. The focus now is on what we do next to improve NatureScot as a place to work. There is a strong steer from Hive and SLT that we should use the survey results as a positive opportunity to improve experiences working in the organisation, and focus less on the data itself. According to Hive ‘there is scope for NatureScot to improve the employee experience further’. This includes improving our understanding of why there are different experiences in different parts of NatureScot and what we can do to address this. To reflect this the key question to be considered as part of the Activity & Area Team discussions is - How can we improve our experience in NatureScot?

1. SLT agreed on the need to focus on the 3 themes identified by Hive (para. 7), with Investment in People and Health and Wellbeing identified as priorities for further action. People & OD have been driving forward major pieces of work on these themes. Further work will be integrated within the organisational design work, and will focus on continuing to engage employees in the development of the future organisation and ways of working.

1. We have introduced a monthly focus on key topics to address issues and improve the NatureScot employee experience. We will be using regular pulse surveys to monitor progress and trends following the 2018 and 2021 surveys and to identify further areas for improvement. In 2023 we will assess whether another large survey is required or whether these more regular pulse surveys and continued development of our engagement work are better meeting our needs.

1. A survey plan for the next two years will evolve as we learn more from our engagement. We have established a plan focused on the areas of improvement identified from the 2021 survey results, and with strengthened links with the Health & Wellbeing calendar themes.

Engagement Plan

1. The full timetable for People Survey 2021 engagement is shown in the table below. Some of these steps have already been undertaken:

Timetable for engagement in 2021/22

Conclusions/Recommendations:

14. The Board is asked to note:

• The People Survey 2021 Headlines (see Annex 1)
• The agreed focus in response to the results and next steps (see para. 9-12).

Annex 1 - People Survey 2021: June 2021

Headlines

a) The survey received a moderate average score of 6.6 and a positive engagement index score of 7^[1].

b) The overall employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) shows us whether people are likely to recommend NatureScot as a good place to work. Our eNPS is 1^[2]. Anything between -10 and +20 is considered as typical/ normal range.

c) There has been an increased positivity from 2018 in response to questions around leadership accessibility and visibility.

d) There was very positive feedback in relation to NatureScot’s response to Covid-19, especially in relation to technology, equipment, and wellbeing. Health & safety also scored highly.

e) There were positive scores in response to questions around dignity and respect and NatureScot being an inclusive workplace. 

f) There have been mixed views on the benefits that have been derived to date from the introduction of the Change Partner network, which will be considered as this role is developed going forward. Covid-19 has impacted on the ability to realise some of the initial ambitions for the network.

g) Key areas for improvement are around better promoting what NatureScot is doing, our decision-making process and change management.

h) There are issues around workloads and the ability for employees to take time to undertake the learning and development required for the job. There were also low scores associated with opportunities across different areas of the business.

i) Across the survey overall, the most positive responses came from employees in the 18-24 age bracket. There were also positive responses in the 65+ age group and from those who have joined in the last 2 years. This is similar to the 2018 survey findings.

j) The lowest scores came those in the older age groups (especially the 55-64 group), employees at C and D grade, and those who have been in the organisation for 3-5 years. Biodiversity & Geodiversity and Workplace Facilities & Services scored least positive.

k) Issues raised in response to the only open text question ‘How might NatureScot help you do your job more effectively?’ included issues around resourcing & workloads; opportunities; positive discrimination of the younger employees and older employees feeling devalued; and Learning & Development.

l) There were 95 anonymised ‘suggestions’ submitted. These covered a wide range of issues.

Employee engagement

The overall survey response rate was 67%. This compares to a response rate of 84% in 2018. The highest response rates were from Chief Executive Group (85%) and Outcome 1 (80%) and the lowest rate from Outcome 3 (63%).

The lower response rate compared to 2018 may be caused by a degree of survey fatigue or may reflect the increasing number of ways employees have to engage with organisational thinking since 2018, including the regular wellbeing surveys over lockdown and the Winter Carnival. Alternatively it could be that employees don’t see anything changing in response to their survey inputs so are less willing to engage. This needs further exploration as part of Team discussions.

The positive engagement index score of 7 compares to an index score of 54% in 2018. Based on an analysis of the three questions used to calculate the index score by Hive, 7 equates to 74%. This shows an improvement in employee engagement when compared to 54% in 2018. However it is worth noting that the questions used to calculate the questions are different across the two surveys.

Comparison of results between 2018 and 2021

There are variations in engagement index scores across the organisation. By Activity, the highest engagement scores were found in Executive Office (8), Communications (7.8) and People & Organisational Development (7.7). The lowest scores related to Biodiversity & Geodiversity (5.5) and Workplace Facilities and Services (5.4). ‘I am proud to work for this organisation’ was slightly lower in the older age groups but still positive overall (72%). Outcome 2 scored lowest at 64%. The other Outcomes all scored around 80% positivity.

The eNPS score is 1, which falls within the normal range. There is no 2018 figure to compare it to. As above for the engagement index score, there is a wide variation in scores across the organisation. Those with the lowest engagement scores also scored lowest eNPS scores. This suggests a difference in experiences across the organisation that needs to be explored more at the Activity and team level.

Comparison to 2018 survey

A comparison between 2018 and 2021 responses show improvements across all areas, particularly around decision making and leadership. However it is important to note that this is not a direct comparison. The scale used in 2018 ranged from 0-5 and Hive uses a 0-10 scale. Hive identify anything above 5 is positive, where 2018 judged anything above 3 as positive. It is also important to note that, despite the improvements, change management and decision-making are still amongst the lowest scoring in 2021. In general, lower scoring from employees in Outcome 2 and those in the older age groups is similar to the 2018 survey.

Positive vs least positive average scores

Suggestion themes

National Nature Reserve visitor management support during 2021

Date: 25 August 2021

Purpose

1. This paper provides a brief overview of the action taken to address visitor management issues on our National Nature Reserves (NNRs) during the current year, and provides an early insight into longer term requirements.

The national Visitor Management Strategy

2. A co-ordinated national Visitor Management Strategy (VMS) is being implemented to address the visitor pressures that arose last year across Scotland, and visitor management on NNRs is set in this wider context.

3. The national VMS is being taken forward on a multi-agency basis and is led by VisitScotland, with substantial input from NatureScot. Key elements of this include:

• Co-ordinated campaigns to promote sustainable tourism and responsible behaviour in line with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code (SOAC). The SOAC campaign is led by NatureScot and has been targeted geographically at hot spot areas and run dynamically over the season, refreshed every two weeks in response to the latest feedback from the visitor management groups. This adaptive process has, for example, allowed us to incorporate messaging about responsible access to inland water, and in light of recent accidents, discussion is also underway with partners to include water safety messages.

• Additional support for new and temporary visitor infrastructure and services through the VisitScotland Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund and NatureScot’s Better Places Fund. This is supporting rapid improvements such as extending car parks and providing more bins, toilets and signage. The £3.1m Better Places Fund has created more than 60 new jobs, including 47 new seasonal ranger posts to help manage sites and give visitors the best possible outdoors experience. Projects at 35 locations are already complete and a further 92 projects are currently underway.

• Improved co-ordination of visitor management on the ground in hotspot areas, including ranger/police patrols and traffic management, led by Police Scotland.

4. Experience so far during this summer suggests that although visitor pressures are once again extremely high, these measures are all helping to improve behaviours, reduce adverse impacts and enhance visitor experience - with the increased number of rangers and other staff on the ground attracting particularly positive feedback. There remain problems in visitor hotspots with traffic management and fires which are being managed locally. The most significant new challenges at a national level are linked to the continued growth of water-based recreation, with some wildlife disturbance, user conflict and safety concerns.

Visitor management on NNRs

5. We manage 29 NNRs, in whole or part, from the northernmost point of Shetland to the Solway Coast.  As part of the national effort outlined above we have implemented various additional measures on these sites to prepare for the current summer season. These include:

• an NNR resilience strategy covering staffing, visitor management and visitor facilities; this includes an assessment of adequacy of facilities and forward-planner for investment;

• guidance and training developed with NNR staff to clarify roles and responsibilities in managing visitor behaviour on NNRs;
• NNR seasonal staff and ranger recruited using an additional £400K provided by SG:
  • 16 additional seasonal NNR staff, on full or part time contracts, plus contract extensions for 4 existing seasonal staff. Recruited to support existing staff and help welcome visitors to our reserves, encourage good behaviour and work with partners.
  • 2 ranger placements from UHI on our NNRs this summer to support NNR staff, with 5 others potentially available to cover other sites
• £350K from SG is supporting maintenance and visitor management works on reserves including path repairs, additional cleaning and new signage costs;
• toilets and car parks are all open with enhanced levels of cleaning (a call-off contract in place for any clean-up works required because of high visitor pressure);
• facilitating stronger liaison between NNR staff and local police contacts;
• a weekly survey of visitor pressures to inform communications activity (to highlight issues on specific NNRs) and adaptive management if required, and
• SLT members have been ‘partnered’ with specific NNRs to provide visible support to staff on the ground.

Issues arising on NNRs during 2021

6. Nearly all of our NNRs have seen increased visit numbers through 2020 and 2021, sometimes more than doubling.  About one third of our NNRs are under significant pressures with weekly monitoring providing a clear overview of the issues arising.

• Fire remains our greatest concern, as a wildfire could be far more rapidly destructive than all the other pressures combined (as illustrated by the fire in the Caledonian pinewood of Loch Maree Islands in 2020).  In line with the revised national messaging we have developed collectively, we have adopted a firmer, clearer line on our NNRs and are encouraging campers to use stoves rather than light open fires or use disposable BBQs.  While fire scars indicate that some people persist in having open fires, no extensive damage has occurred on our NNR land, though there have been some been wildfires this year on land immediately adjacent to Cairnsmore of Fleet and Tentsmuir.

• Aggression to staff fortunately continues to be quite rare and without serious incident so far.  Staff have been provided with conflict avoidance training and where possible (for public engagement) paired working is preferred.  Flashpoints have been around car parking frustrations and being asked to cease damaging activities (such as fires, camping and water access in sensitive areas). The more active engagement of police at several of our NNRs has also provided further reassurance to staff.

• Car parking is the most obvious capacity issue and several of the 17 reserve car parks we manage are full by mid-morning at weekends and on better weekdays.  The most acute issues have been at St Cyrus and we are looking to increase parking capacity here, but parking on verges is frequent at many other reserves.

• The nationwide increase in water-based recreation has been reflected at our NNRs, with substantial increases in stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, canoeing, play rafts, and swimming at Loch Leven, Muir of Dinnet and Beinn Eighe/Loch Maree Islands.  We now have locally agreed access arrangements at each of these sites (in June, and following consultation, we extended informal limitations on water access at Muir of Dinnet to include Loch Kinord until 31 August) to protect the breeding birds.  To date, these restrictions on access have attracted one formal complaint from a member of the public.

• Campervan/motorhome overnight parking has been very frequent, and has risen during June-July. It is less affected by weather than other pressures. The highest numbers of vans have been at Creag Meagaidh and Beinn Eighe (sometimes >20 vans/night) with lower numbers at most other NNRs.   Apart from the sometimes significant issues of poor parking and obstruction of multiple parking bays, few associated problems have been reported (irresponsible disposal of black waste being the most concerning).  Proposals to better cater for overnight parking have been implemented at Muir of Dinnet and are in preparation for St Cyrus, Loch Leven and Loch Fleet.

• Littering, flytipping and dirty camping are all occurring but not at extreme levels, and wider national feedback suggests that our behavioural campaigns may be having some traction. In line with national experience, increased staff presence and engagement also appear to be having positive effects on behaviour and visitor experience.

Conclusions

7. The combination of national and local visitor management activity has so far been broadly effective, giving grounds for cautious optimism for the rest of the summer.  Nevertheless, visitor pressures remain significant on several of our NNRs and we cannot take for granted that a more serious incident will not occur at some point.  As always, it is important to emphasise that most people are well-intentioned, have no wish to cause harm and will respond to reasonable advice. Significant problems most often relate to the behaviour of a small minority. The volume of visitors, however, has led to concerns on some sites of the balance between access and nature. We will need to take stock and review the longer term implications of this once the season is behind us.

8. Our NNRs are for people and for nature. The past 18 months have seen more people visiting our sites and from new demographics. On the one hand this presents great opportunities to foster greater connection with nature but on the other it places great pressure on our reserves and staff. The additional support from Scottish Government over the past year has been essential but has also highlighted long-term resourcing and investment issues that we need to address across our suite of NNRs in the future. We will undertake a review of our visitor management approaches in Q3, so we can learn lessons for the future. Early assessment indicates that key points will include:

• The need for clear, targeted and responsive messaging
• The importance of co-ordination across organisations – particularly in hotspots
• Improved traffic management, including reduced dependency on cars
• Importance of staff presence to promote responsible access
• Exploring opportunities for greater income generation

9. The national Visitor Management process has so far been predominantly reactive, but is now shifting to a proactive focus on more strategic issues, including future funding for visitor management, improved transport provision and fostering a stronger sustainability culture among visitors and the tourism sector. There will be a particular opportunity for NNRs to build on the increase in outdoor visits to foster a stronger, more positive, connection with nature built around the key principles of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code - respect, care and responsibility.