Kirkmaiden Natural History Group

Next meeting

There will be no Group meeting in April 2012 owing to the Easter holiday, but we aim to have a field trip locally within the next few weeks.

Watch this space

Or email for details – see below

Phone or email for details. 01776 840573

Photo of the week

Click to enlarge

Danish scurvy grass

Cochlearia danica

Image © Jeff Wells 2012

Drive along any local road near the sea at this time of year and you can’t fail to see this pretty white-flowered plant. Scurvy grass is so-called because it was eaten by sailors to try and prevent scurvy and its use was known in Roman times. The plant is a brassica (member of the cabbage family) and so contains vitamin C. In about 1700 Martin Martin, a doctor, wrote; “The natives eat it frequently, as well boiled as raw: two of them told me that they happened to be confined [on an island] for a space of thirty hours by a contrary wind; and being without victuals, fell to eating this scurvy-grass, and finding it of a sweet taste, they ate a large basketful of it, which did abundantly satisfy their appetites until their return home. They told me also that it was not in the least windy, or any other way troublesome to them.”

Record your 2012 sightings online here.

Calendar of events.

• Photo gallery

• Birds of our area

• Unusual Shell found in Luce Bay

• Links to other natural history sites

The Great Drummore Moth Trap 2011

List of species seen locally - coming soon!

Kirkmaiden is a parish in the South Rhinns of Galloway, South West Scotland, incorporating the villages of Drummore and Port Logan and the hamlet of Kirkmaiden.

Kirkmaiden Natural History Group is based in Drummore. We hold indoor meetings monthly and run field outings throughout the year .

The Group is indebted to the dedication, knowledge and expertise of founder-member Pauline Swettenham, without whose encouragement we may well not have got going.

We need your help! Please report any local wildlife sightings to us using the form on this page, or use our facebook page. Just click on the link below.

Meeting reports from 2009

Meeting reports from 2010

• February 2010 Ian Burrett

• March 2010 Mark Pollitt - Amphibians

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Where is Kirkmaiden?

See Kirkmaiden on a map here.