Rangers Services Across Scotland 2024

Attending

Alison Matheson, NatureScot

Amanda Downie, North Ayrshire Council

James Downie, LLTNPA

Fiona Carswell, Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park

Emma Parker, Hopetoun House Preservation Trust

Stephen Reeves, Senior Ranger, EDF Renewables

Phil Waite, Highland Council

Simon Ovenden, Scottish Land and Estates

Kate Elliott, SCRA

Dougie Pollok, NatureScot

Alison Austin, JMT

Not Attending / Apologies

Malcolm Duce, SG

Stephen Young, SL&E

Robert Nicol, COSLA

Piers de Salis, Hopetoun House Preservation Trust

Pete Rawcliffe, NatureScot

Martin Gray, Historic Environment Scotland

Lesley Forsyth, North Ayrshire Council

Leigh Hamilton, LLTNPA

Bridget Jones, NatureScot

Will Boyd-Wallis, National Trust for Scotland

Elizabeth Tindal, Freelance Ranger

Lucy Hadley, F&LS

George Potts, SCRA

Cathleen Thomas, JMT

Lucy Ford, Cairngorms National Park Authority

Mark Johnston, Crown Estate Scotland

Caz Austin, Woodland Trust Scotland

Summary of Action Points

AP1.  Alison will group the comments for the RDP in the national ranger reporting, and then draft a response which will be agreed by RDP members by correspondence.  This will be available to the ranger services that responded to the survey.

AP2.  Alison will aim to have the ranger reporting infographic updated in June.

AP3. All - let Alison know if you would like a copy of the #outdoorambassadors communications guide.

AP4. All - let Stephen know when new rangers start in post so that SCRA can promote this.

AP5.  Alison to send Stephen and Kate information/resources on climate anxiety as NatureScot has been looking at this.

AP6.  Alison and Amanda to liaise about a NatureScot or North Ayrshire Council blog about the highly successful modern apprenticeship that has been running over the years, to spread the word about what can be done and encourage other local authorities to progress in this area.

AP7.  Alison Matheson and Alison Austin to liaise about a NatureScot or JMT blog about the success of the JMT work on pathways into rangering.  This could expand on the JMT article about this in the Spring 2024 version of SCRAmble.

AP8.  All – please keep sharing new or successful approaches or funds for engaging young people with rangering. 

AP9. (carried forward from previous meeting) Lucy to share information about how CNPA have approached the distinction between paid and volunteer rangers.

AP10. (carried forward from previous meeting) Alison to agree with Martin the wording for a cultural heritage question for 2024 reporting.

Visitor management strategy for Scotland update

Visitor management Strategy news – partners are mainly preparing for start of season.  The RAG monitoring (the rating for how under control visitor management is in key locations ie hot spots) will take place 2 weekly and will gather core metrics data (litter, fires, tents etc) and we have prepared for this to be impacted by reduced numbers of rangers. The Visitor Management Scotland Action Plan is available.

Concern was raised about there being no Better Places Fund in 2024 and a difficult season could be ahead.  Query about how the lack of rangers to contribute to the RAG monitoring visitor pressure metrics will be taken into account and explanation that site managers have been asked to focus on key weekends to report, if resources are limited.  Concern that some site managers won’t have resources even for those key weekends.  The BPF4 evaluation report is available.  Info from attendees included:

• No seasonal ranger at Hopetoun in 2024
• Unlikely to be any JMT seasonal rangers in Glen Nevis (last year and in previous years JMT had 1 seasonal JMT ranger and 3 to 4 seasonal NLP rangers operating in Glen Nevis supported by the John Muir Trust, the Nevis Conservation Officer and Nevis Landscape Partnership Engagement Officer).  John Muir Trust, like many other charities and membership organisations, is operating in a very challenging financial environment which means they are likely to be operating with reduced capacity in core roles.
• Highland Council will have 17 less Access Rangers this year, however they may be able to fund 3 in Sutherland from the Community Regeneration Fund, starting in May.
• 2 less FT Rangers in Renfrewshire this year

There is a new Visitor Management Strategy fires messaging framework which has been developed through the VMS Co-ordination group and Operational sub-group, with approval from the VMS Steering group and the National Access Forum.  This has been circulated to partners but is not on the internet yet.  A NAF/VMS sub group is progressing the update to the NAF 2016 guidance on fires and access rights. They aim to do this over the next 6 months and a sub group will meet shortly to start the work.

Reporting

There has been a good response from ranger services to the 2023 national reporting survey – Alison is checking some figures and tidying up before finalising the infographic.  Common themes in the survey comments for the RDP are on funding and training. 

Communication

NatureScot is promoting #outdoorambassadors and will do more engagement when ranger services promote it. 

SCRA social media takeovers continue to go well and 2024 is full. 

Training – for rangers and allied professionals

LLTNPA hope to be able to offer a Conflict Avoidance and Waterside Responder training session in May.

SCRA hope to offer Mediation Skills.

NatureScot is hoping to develop an Access Rights and SOAC awareness online session.

SCRA is looking at climate anxiety support and training.    

Youth employment and skills

EDF renewables are looking into whether additional rangers at their windfarms would be beneficial, and a ranger apprentice will be joining Stephen soon. JMT has been looking at pathways into rangering via Junior Rangers and the UHI ranger training course.

NatureScot has produced a series of Pathways to Nature Based Careers including one on ranger roles.  It isn’t on our website yet but is available from Alison.  This is part of the work by NatureScot on Nature Based Jobs and Skills.

Junior Rangers

Partners have managed to find £10k to enable SCRA to continue to manage a contract for the Junior Ranger Development role in 24/25.  Jane Evans isn’t able to continue in the role and SCRA are going to seek quotes from alternative providers.  The job plan for 24/25 will be agreed by the Steering Group.  F&LS are unable to contribute financially this year.

HES £3k

NatureScot £4k

LLTNPA £1k

CNPA £1k

CES £1k

AOB

Jim recommends the Visitor Safety Group as a very useful group to engage with.

Kate asked that RDP members let her know of ranger post cuts that may be coming as SCRA is keen to write letters of support for the rangers.

Kate is keen to hear ideas for inspirational speakers for the Ranger Rendezvous gala dinner.

Topic for future discussion

Ranger Managers’ Forum.  SCRA Council have requested that the RDP consider whether a Ranger Managers’ Forum or a conference with both ranger managers and rangers there would be helpful.  Most recent RMF was Jan 2020 and reviewed the updated draft ranger policy.  Discuss a possible theme and timing.  Ideas so far include: Jan 2025, case studies of managers who have prevented ranger service cuts; Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and local authority links and priorities; helping ranger managers know how valuable rangers are in relation to national outcomes and priorities, and how rangers can save money.