Plantlife

Minister for Public Finance cc. Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy 10 March 2026 Save Coul Links – Six months since Reporters’ Recommendations sent to Scottish Government The Conservation Coalition, made up of Buglife Scotland, Butterfly Conservation, Marine Conservation Society, National Trust for Scotland, Plantlife Scotland, RSPB Scotland and Scottish Wildlife Trust, is again writing to you in your role as minister with responsibility for planning. We appreciate your response to our last letter in November 2025 in relation to the proposed golf course at Coul Links. It is now over six months since the Reporters’ recommendations on Coul Links was passed to Ministers to decide the outcome. Tens of thousands of people have voiced their concerns about this development which would cause unacceptable harm to a unique and beautiful place for nature. The proposed development would do irreparable damage to the Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet Ramsar site, a rare coastal sand dune habitat of international importance, as well as to a Special Protection Area (SPA) and the Loch Fleet Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). NatureScot has also objected due to the predicted damage to the protected habitats found at Coul Links. All developments should be well-sited and designed to avoid the most sensitive places for wildlife and ensure that they leave nature in a better state than before, in line with the ambition and policies of the National Planning Framework and to contribute to Scotland’s nature recovery. We were delighted that the Scottish Parliament recently decided to agree to give enhanced protection to Ramsar sites in the Natural Environment Bill. While this additional legal protection will not come into force immediately, we hope that the Scottish Government will show that they are consistent in working towards the protection and restoration of nature in Scotland and refuse this harmful application. Yours Sincerely, The Conservation Coalition

It’s been 6 months since the report on Coul Links went to ministers for them to decide its fate.

Many thousands of people have spoken out to protect this unique and beautiful place from the irreparable damage the proposed golf development would do. 🦆🪰 🦋

Today we sent a letter to ministers 👇

Stop scrolling! Spring is around the corner🌸

And we can’t wait! What’s your favourite thing about spring?🌱

#Spring #BritishWildflowers

Close-up of a White Dead-nettle plant with clusters of small white tubular flowers, surrounded by serrated green leaves and a blurred green background.

Close-up of a cluster of Sweet Violet flowers with deep purple petals and small green leaves, set against a softly blurred natural background.

Close-up of a cluster of \Scurvygrass with small white four‑petalled flowers growing densely among bright green foliage, captured in soft natural light.

Close-up of white Wood Anemone flowers with yellow centres, surrounded by green leaves and set against a softly blurred natural background.

March is the month everything starts to stir…🌱

Fresh shoots are pushing through the soil and early flowers are opening up. Maybe you’ve even spotted your first bumblebee out on its daily commute! 🐝

Check out these species popping up at the moment 👇

Have you spotted any?

#Wildflowers #Spring

Campaigners, overlooking Parliament in London, holding placards calling for an end to peat sales

Five people in front of No 10 Downing Street holding a petition box

Person in a bog costume with a box holding 16,742 signatures

Campaigners, overlooking Parliament in London, holding placards calling for an end to peat sales

We’re telling the Government to put an end to peat sales now! 📢

The destruction of peatlands has got to stop! We've handed in a petition with 16,000 signatures, calling for the government to ban peat sales in 2026.⚠️

Read more👇
https://loom.ly/KMRiz34

& email your MP to support

Celandine, yellow flower

Celandines in grass

Pretty & yellow 💛

A perfect time for #CelandineDay as they’ve started popping up among the winter gloom.

🤔Did you know the Lesser Celandine was Wordsworth’s favourite wildflower - & not Daffodil!

For more facts to impress your friends on a winter walk 👉 https://loom.ly/-PGl6yg
#Wildflowers

DYK… Tree Lungwort isn’t just one organism — it’s multiple living together as one!

A fungus provides the structure while an algae inside makes the food.

Together, they create the bright green leafy lichen you see on the tree!🍃

#TreeLungwort #Lichen

Find out more - https://loom.ly/nVD6XL4

Orchid, Lady's Slipper with a yellow slipper-like pouch is surrounded by rich ribbons of dark maroon petals.

Pink Waxcaps with a water droplet hanging from the conical waxy cap.

Fen Orchid with pretty pale yellow flowers.

Expert Dave Lamacraft helps to translocate a small patch of Scrambled Egg Lichen by reattaching it to its new home using a combination of water and bookbinding glue.

Over the weekend it was #ReversetheRedDay, so today we’re celebrating the rare species we’ve been helping to protect and restore:

🔴Orchid, Lady’s-slipper

⚪Pink Waxcap

🟡Fen Orchid

🟢Scrambled Egg Lichen

Donate today to help endangered species survive - https://joinplantlife.org/4klFJCV

A cluster of bright yellow Winter Aconite flowers blooming close to the ground, with sunlight highlighting the petals.

A close-up of a delicate white Snowdrop flower hanging from a curved green stem, softly lit against a warm, blurred background of yellow and green tones.

A close-up of pale yellow Primrose flowers with soft yellow centres, blooming among green leaves against a muted natural background.

A cluster of bright yellow Wild Daffodils with trumpet-shaped blooms and long green leaves, growing outdoors against a soft, blurred green background.

#February may still feel wintry, but look closely…new colours and fresh growth are already emerging!🌱

Tiny blooms, early leaves, and subtle shifts in the landscape are quietly signalling that spring is on its way. Take a look at what's appearing 👇

A roadside verge bursting with Oxeye daisies curves alongside the road, leading toward a bridge where several cars are passing through.

Calling all Councils📢

Eager to make a change for nature in your local area? Join the #NoMowMovement in 2026 and reimagine how we see road verges and green spaces, to help native wildflowers, pollinators and animals.

Register your local authority today - https://loom.ly/42T23DU

Did you catch this traitorous fungus on BBC Winterwatch last night?🍄

The Scarlet Caterpillar Club infects moth larvae or pupae, grows inside, then sends up bright orange fruiting bodies to release spores. Nature loves a plot twist!

📷 Tomasztc, Edward Butter

#ScarletCaterpillarClub #Fungi

Glad you got to see it! :)

Great question! Both the adults and their larvae feed on slugs, including the Tree Slug and the Ash-black Slug.

It's Wistman’s Wood, an ancient oak woodland on Dartmoor. Its centuries‑old trees, along with fragile mosses and lichens, make it a delicate habitat. Visitors are therefore asked to appreciate and photograph the woodland from the edges.

📷: NERYX, Nigel Burley, Will Tudor

A metallic Blue Ground Beetle with long legs and textured wing cases crawling across bright green moss.

Rotting wood partially covered by vivid green moss.

A dense, moss‑covered woodland with twisted, lichen‑clad tree branches and large mossy boulders, creating a lush, damp temperate rainforest scene.

A close-up of a metallic Blue Ground Beetle with large pincers at the front.

Meet one of the UK’s rarest beetles that has been found in some temperate rainforests in the South West! 💙🪲

It loves damp woodlands, with lots of veteran trees and deadwood, which provide the sheltered hiding places it depends on.

Are you one of the lucky few to have seen one?

#BlueMonday

Rare hair ice phenomenon in bright white color looking like feathers in the sunlight with dark black shadows.

Close-up of hair ice forming on a piece of wood. Thin, white, silky strands of ice are clustered together, resembling fine hair or cotton candy. The background is blurred, highlighting the delicate texture of the ice.

Close-up of hair ice growing on a small branch. The ice appears as a fluffy, cotton-like cluster with soft, rounded shapes, standing out against a blurred background of brown fallen leaves.

Close-up of hair ice on a piece of rotting wood among brown fallen leaves. The ice forms delicate, white, silky strands and curls, creating a fluffy, feathery appearance against the earthy background.

Have you seen any hair ice? 🍭❄️

These silky ice strands form on rotting wood when temperatures dip below 0°C. A certain fungus triggers a process that changes how the water freezes, making it form into fine, hair-like strands instead of solid ice.

📸Ana Ele/Alby DeTweede/K Neville

#HairIce

Snowdrops with their delicate white petals backlit by beautiful early morning sunshine.

Did you know that if you’re born in January, your birth wildflower is a Snowdrop? 👀 This stunning flower is said to symbolise resilience, hope & new beginnings. Usually spotted between January and March, the Latin name translates as ‘milk flower of the snow' ❄️

Learn more-https://loom.ly/BkL-M3s

Merry Christmas!🎄

Some frosty snaps to wake you from the post-lunch nap on Christmas Day…❄️😴

Thank you for everything you’ve done to help us protect plants and fungi in 2025. Let’s get ready for next year!

#Christmas #MerryChristmas

A close‑up of a dried wildflower head covered in delicate frost. The thin stems radiate outward like spokes, each coated in tiny ice crystals against a soft, blurred winter background.

A quiet woodland path covered in fresh snow. Trees on both sides are heavily dusted with snow, their branches creating a soft, wintry canopy under a pale grey sky. The scene feels still and peaceful in the muted winter light.

Macro photo of green leaves coated in frost. Ice crystals form sharp, white edges around each leaf and tiny frozen droplets cover their surfaces, creating a sparkling, textured winter pattern.

Close‑up of several snowdrops in soft golden light. Their white, drooping flowers and slender green leaves stand out against a blurred grassy background, giving a gentle early‑spring feel.

Nature can look so pretty in the winter 😍 ❄️

Happy #WinterSolstice, the shortest day and the longest night of the year.

Whatever you’re doing today, take a moment to think about longer days to come. Spring will be here before we know it! 💚

#Winter #Wildflowers #Solstice

📸 Isobel Hall, Emily Fletcher, Philip Shinton

Bright red and orangey scarlet waxcap with a velvety texture grow among green grass and moss, creating a vivid contrast against the surrounding foliage.

A small parrot waxcap mushroom stands among bright green moss and grass, its smooth, translucent cap glowing warmly in the sunlight. Dewdrops and soft-focus vegetation create a gentle, shimmering background.

Close-up view of a ballerina waxcap mushroom, showing its delicate pale‑pink cap and pronounced, frilled gills. The mushroom stands among green grass with soft natural light highlighting its smooth stem and pastel colouring.

A small golden waxcap mushroom with a bright orange-yellow cap and a slender yellow stem stands among fresh green grass, its surface slightly glossy in the natural light.

You did it! 🎉

#WaxcapWatch has had its best year ever — triple last year’s records! 🍄🤯

Every sighting helps protect species‑rich grasslands and their rare fungi.

Thank you for being part of this amazing community 💚

📷 1, 5, 7 and 8 by Matt Harding, 2, 4 and 6 by Gus Routledge, 3 by Sam Jones

A rugged mountain pass with steep rocky slopes on both sides, leading to a narrow valley. The scene is shrouded in mist and low clouds, creating a dramatic and remote atmosphere. Photo credit: Matt Harding

A small Tufted Saxifrage plant with pale yellow flowers growing among large, rough grey and brown rocks on a mountain slope. Photo credit: Gus Routledge

A steep, rocky mountain slope covered in loose stones, with jagged cliffs rising on the right. Two people can be seen descending the slope. Thick mist and low clouds obscure the background, creating a dramatic and remote atmosphere. Photo credit: Matt Harding

A steep, jagged rock face with deep vertical cracks and patches of green vegetation growing in crevices. Misty clouds obscure the background, giving the scene a rugged and remote mountain feel. Photo credit: Matt Harding

Threatened by climate change and nitrogen pollution, this fragile species needs urgent protection. That’s why monitoring its condition is vital for its survival.

Thanks @naturescot.bsky.social for funding this work 💚

Learn more 👉 www.plantlife.org.uk/plants-and-f...

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A person wearing an orange jacket stands on a narrow, rocky mountain ridge surrounded by thick mist and fog. The ridge is steep and jagged, with ropes visible along the path for safety. Photo credit: Matt Harding

A small Tufted Saxifrage plant with pale yellow flowers growing between large grey rocks in a mountain crevice. Photo credit: Gus Routledge

A steep rocky mountain slope with patches of green grass in the foreground, overlooking a wide valley with rolling hills under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds. Photo credit: Sam Jones

A small Tufted Saxifrage plant with pale yellow flowers growing between large grey rocks in a mountain crevice. Photo credit: Gus Routledge

How high would you climb for a rare wildflower? 🏔️

Our Senior Ecological Advisor Sam Jones, joined botanist mountaineers to survey 7 Scottish peaks, finding 347 Tufted Saxifrage plants – the most detailed checks in decades!

🧵 1/3

Smiling volunteers holding red flags that help fellow surveyors identify where survey species have been located.

Volunteers smiling at the camera as they survey a site.

Over the last decade, they’ve made a big difference to plant conservation, from:

🌼Gathering thousands of records for 37 rare species

🌱Rediscovering historic locations for Spring Speedwell

✍️& collecting data which has informed the @‌BSBI red list

Find out more👉 www.plantlife.org.uk/breckland-fl...

The Breckland Flora volunteer group celebrating their 10th anniversary, smiling as a group and holding up a poster with the number 10 written on it.

Breckland Flora group volunteer taking survey notes. A red flag is next to them indicating the location of a species. A beautiful sunset can be seen behind.

Recording plants and collecting data is really important for conservation. And none of it would be possible without volunteers.

One special group helping us safeguard East Anglia’s rarest plants is the brilliant Breckland Flora Group, who are celebrating their 10th anniversary!!🥳

Thanks for supporting Waxcap Watch! 🍄

A pink waxcap mushroom, which almost looks like it has petals due to the segmentation of its top. This is also called a 'ballerina waxcap', as its cap splits and curls as it grows, resembling a ballerina's tutu. It's nestled in some healthy looking green grass.

This shows two bright red 'scarlet waxcaps', growing side by side in a green lawn. They have very round caps and almost look like berries from a distance.

🌱 Help @plantlifeuk.bsky.social by joining in with Waxcap Watch until 31st December!

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Wales makes up just 8.5% of the UK’s land, yet it hosts a staggering 55% of its grassland fungi species! 🍄

In Scotland, Waxcap Watch data results guide conversations with landowners on restoring & protecting waxcap grasslands in key areas like the Cairngorms National Park.

For Waxcap Watch surveys, data informs local conservation. In Wales, findings are shared with Natural Resources Wales, fungus groups, & other experts for investigation.