Mauldsheugh Wood is a community wildlife project overseen by Go Wild Scotland in Selkirk, situated in the heart of the Scottish Borders. The project's objective is to enhance the habitat for local wildlife and facilitate visitors' enjoyment of nature within the wood. It encompasses a demonstrative nature trail, a wildlife pond, bird hide, and woodland school. The 20-acre wood serves as a habitat for badgers, foxes, roe deer, and various small mammals like stoats, hedgehogs, and voles. While red squirrels have been sighted in and around the wood, they are not yet established as residents.
Go Wild Scotland, a community interest company, unites individuals with nature and seeks to enhance access to the natural environment for the mutual benefit of both wildlife and people. Located in Selkirk within the Scottish Borders, this not-for-profit organization encourages community engagement in wildlife, nature, and conservation initiatives. At Mauldsheugh Wood in Selkirk, they have developed a physical and digital demonstration nature trail. Looking ahead, the company is eager to collaborate with other community groups in the vicinity to expand and enhance their endeavors.
To enrich the habitat, more than 100 oak saplings have been planted, sourced from the Save The Oaks campaign and procured through a partnership with the Sawday's travel guide. An additional 70 rowan trees, cultivated from seed by a neighbor, have been introduced, and a tree sponsorship program is being developed to provide funding for this work. A wildlife pond has been established, and efforts are underway to plant the surrounding area, making it a more appealing habitat for wildlife. Wildflower seeds and pond-edge seeds have been sown. The pond's shallow edges render it suitable for children and accessible to all forms of wildlife. An open bird hide has been erected to facilitate observations of regular bird feeder visitors, including great spotted woodpeckers, nuthatches, goldfinches, great tits, coal tits, blue tits, chaffinches, robins, and blackbirds. Within a clearing, a small woodland school zone has been established using donated wood from a felled tree. Eight benches encircle a central nature table, which is a work in progress. Through funding from the Arnold Clarke Community Fund, an art board has been installed in the wood, showcasing paintings created by young visitors. Supported by financing from Scottish Borders Council's Build Back a Better Borders fund, a physical and digital nature trail has been created within the wood. This trail features both physical nature tables and digital content encompassing trail camera videos, birdsong, and nature quizzes.
Visitors can access the pages by simply tapping their phones on the nature tables, facilitated by Near Field Communication tags, or by scanning a QR code. The nature tables are crafted from wood harvested from fallen trees. Rubbing boards have also been integrated to allow younger visitors to take home keepsakes of their favorite creatures. Magnifying posts have been installed to enable visitors to observe the smaller creatures found in the miniature animal shelters established to accommodate insects and small woodland creatures.
The project continually seeks volunteers to assist in managing Mauldsheugh Wood. Whether refilling bird feeders, participating in tree planting, or monitoring the wood's wildlife, greater involvement is always encouraged. Those interested can also lend support to the project by contributing a donation or sponsoring a tree, a thoughtful gesture for nature enthusiasts that also aids the local environment.