August Ramble & Chat

On the 9th August, we will meet for a woodland walk in the Community Woods and Garden, Polbeth and West Calder for our monthly Ramble and Chat. Weather permitting, we are also aiming to take part in Butterfly Conservation Trusts Big Butteurfly Count (which runs from 17 July to 9 August this year). Everyone is welcome, children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

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July Ramble & Chat

A male white-tailed bumblebee It's finally summer and who doesn't love that deep buzzing sound of a bumblebee on a warm sunny afternoon! We're going to the woods at Easter Breich Community Woodland to survey these fascinating animals for the Bumblebee Conservation Trusts BeeWalk scheme. On this walk we'll talk about the different bumblebee species and how to identify them, and share what we know about why they're such important pollinators and the different pressures that these amazing little creatures face.

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World Localization Day - June 21

World Localization Day is an annual celebration on June 21. Local Futures and Global Partners host events to highlight localization.

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June Ramble & Chat

Join us on Sunday 14 June for a nature walk around Campbridge Pond, in Muireston. We will take a slow paced walk around the pond, noticing and recording wildlife. We will have a pond dipping kit with us too and we can watch pond life from the viewing platforms around the pond. Everyone is welcome, children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

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May Ramble & Chat

Join us for a wander along a flower rich path through a large woodland to search for spring butterflies! We will be going to Woodmuir, a Scottish Forestry plantation, which sits off of the A704, near the village of Breich. A male orange-tip butterfly We'll be taking our nets and plastic pots along to try and get a closer look at some of the spring butterflies on the wing.

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April Ramble & Chat

This April we will Ramble & Chat through Almondell Country Park, searching for wild flowers and still on the lookout for Signs of Spring. When: Sunday 12th February, 2-3;30pm Where:  Almondell Country Park. We’ll meet at the South Gate just off East Calder Main Street What 3 Words: ///hack.alongside.firming Google Maps: How to get there…

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March Ramble & Chat

Join us on Sunday 08 March for a nature walk with a focus on learning to identify trees. The event is suitable for beginners, and children are welcome when accompanied by a responsible adult. Meeting point: We will meet at the path next to Howden House Google Maps: What3words:///length.zoom.elaborate Time: 14:00 - 15:30 Route: We will follow a circular route, starting near Howden House, following the paths around some pockets of woodland and a stop at Howden Walled Garden.

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February Ramble & Chat

We’re back in Almond Park, Craigshill for our walk this month. We’ll be on the lookout for signs of spring - like snowdrop flowers and tiny hazel catkins - and hoping for a good blether as well. When: Sunday 8th February, 2-3.30pm Where:  Almond Park in Craigshill. We’ll meet at the bridge below Livingston Rugby Club What 3 Words…

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January R&C walk report

What a month January can be! For the first time we had to postpone one of our Ramble&Chats due to a yellow weather warning. We managed to meet up on the following Sunday when it was cold and overcast but at least didn't rain and we were able to spend an hour watching and identifying lots of different species of birds out on the water at the Almond Pools!

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Big Garden Birdwatch

Big Garden Birdwatch is the world’s largest garden wildlife survey. Every year, hundreds of thousands of nature lovers like you take part, helping to build a picture of how garden birds are faring.

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Winter citizen science and nature activities

December can be a busy month for many, and the colder weather and shorter days might provide less opportunities to go out for a walk and explore the green spaces around us. However, there is lots to see, hear and notice even during the winter months. From winter visitors, to winter blooms, taking a short walk in nature can have multiple benefits for both our physical and mental health.

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January 2026 Ramble&Chat

Come birding with us! We're visiting the River Almond pools for our January outing. Bring along your bird ID books and binoculars (your bins in birding talk!) and we'll try to identify the different species and contribute some biological records while we're there. We'll use the ornithology trusts app BirdTrack to add a list of all the birds we identify. You can find out more about bird recording using the app: …

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November R&C walk report – looking for aliens at Dechmont Law

When the day of our usual monthly walk fell on the exact anniversary of the Dechmont UFO Incident we had to visit the woods around Dechmont Law, on the lookout for aliens! * * aka. non-native and invasive species We met at the Eastwood Park entrance and started with a climb up the side of the Law, following the…

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November Ramble & Chat –  looking for aliens at Dechmont Law

This month the second Sunday falls on the exact anniversary of the Dechmont UFO Incident! So obviously we’re heading to Dechmont Law to search for aliens!!! (aka. non-native and invasive spec…

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November Ramble & Chat –  looking for aliens at Dechmont Law

This month the second Sunday falls on the exact anniversary of the Dechmont UFO Incident! So obviously we're heading to Dechmont Law to search for aliens!!! (aka. non-native and invasive species) 🌳👽🌳 When: Sunday 9th November, 2 to 3:30pm Meeting point: Eastwood Park car park, near Deans Community High School. Google maps:  What 3 Words: …

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October Ramble and Chat report

Our October walk took us to Calderwood, a Site of Scientific Interest, near Mid Calder. Following the marked, circular hazel trail, the group practiced tree identification skills, focusing on autumn nuts and berries as clues. Although, we were too late for any hazelnuts - the squirrels must have got them all already. The autumn colours were in full display, and the abundant bracken created a beautiful scene.

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October Ramble & Chat

Autumnal walk in Calderwood Join us for a slow paced walk in Calderwood, Mid Calder on Sunday 12 October 2025. This is an opportunity to spend some time in nature, exploring this ancient woodland and enjoying the beautiful autumnal colours. We will meet at the Mid Calder entrance to Almondell and Calderwood Country park, just off the car park. We will then follow the path towards Calderwood and explore the circular, yellow waymarked hazel Trail.

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August Ramble and Chat Report

Learn about pollinators workshop On Sunday 17/08/2025 we joined Melissa from Buglife -The Invertebrate Conservation Trust, for a pollinator workshop at Almondell Country Park, in East Calder. The aim of the workshop was to train participants to monitor pollinators by conducting Flower-Insect Timed counts. This 10 minute survey, that can be done in gardens and parks, collects important data on the changes of pollinator numbers visiting flowers.

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September Ramble & Chat

In September our Ramble&Chat will take us to the woodland near Bellsquarry called Wilderness. This diverse Woodland Trust site has good habitats for various wildlife and plants. When: Sunday 14th September, 2-3:30pm Meeting point: the path on the East side of Bellsquarry Primary School, 52 Calder Road, Bellsquarry, EH54 9AD Google maps:  What 3 Words…

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