Wildlife ranger hoodie
Get into nature and take home a memory of your time in the Scottish Borders with a super-comfy Go Wild Scotland wildlife ranger hoodie
February 24, 2024
Join a wildlife ranger on an expedition to explore the ecosystem of the Scottish borders woods and riverbank.
We’ll be wandering the woods and heading out along the banks of the Ettrick Water as it flows east towards the River Tweed and on to the North Sea.
Along the way we’ll be looking out for birds such as great spotted woodpecker, kingfisher, sparrowhawk – and hoping that we might get lucky and catch sight of the elusive otters.
Our starting point for the day is Mauldsheugh Wood, our own community wildlife project, where we have been improving the habitat to make it home to a wider range of wildlife. We were pretty happy when we spotted our first pine marten and red squirrel last year!
You might catch sight of the roe deer that live in and around the wood and won’t be able to miss the birdsong.
The wood is home to a great variety of species including great spotted woodpecker (we’ve seen green woodpecker too), tawny owl, sparrowhawk, nuthatch, buzzard, moorhen, blackcap, treecreeper, chiff chaff and all manner of finches and tits.
From Mauldsheugh we’ll head over the river to stroll along the banks of the Ettrick Water, keeping an eye out for herons, dippers, salmon and maybe even a glimpse of osprey in season.
At the Golden Eagle information centre we learn about the release programme for these magnificent birds. Depending on the time of year, we’ll also look for salmon moving up the fish ladder to the next level of the river.
After a stop for lunch at the Waterwheel Cafe we’ll return along an old mill lade, hoping to catch a glimpse of the kingfishers that are regularly spotted there.
The rest of the day involves incorporates activities from our Woodland Wellbeing experience – including a woodland walk, topping up the bird feeders, a craft activity and a bit of conservation volunteering.
Prices start at £340 for a private group session for up to four people. Additional adults are £80pp, with children £60pp. Please note that prices are based on the use of your own transport: we can arrange minibus, coach or luxury vehicles at an additional cost. Contact us for details.
We run our nature walks to give more people a chance to enjoy the wildlife of southern Scotland and to help cover the cost of our community nature and wildlife projects. All profits go back into the community interest company to enable us to continue to operate Mauldsheugh Wood, along with nature clubs, school visits and collaborations with other community groups.
Extend your activity for an hour with one of our add-on packages and pick up a souvenir of your visit
Get into nature and take home a memory of your time in the Scottish Borders with a super-comfy Go Wild Scotland wildlife ranger hoodie
Make the most of your nature crafting session by building a bird box – take it home or put it up in our Scottish Borders woodland
Order a nature journal for your nature experience and our wildlife ranger will show you how to use it to record your observations
Our nature club is a fantastic way for children to spend time outdoors and engage with nature.
Combine the wildlife-friendly country sport of clay pigeon shooting with a Scottish Borders woodland wellbeing experience
Become a wildlife ranger for the day and explore the woods and riverbanks of the Scottish Borders
Take to the treetops, zip wire through the forest canopy and then relax with a Scottish Borders woodland wellbeing experience
Get into nature with a fabulous owl experience and woodland wellbeing session at our Scottish Borders community woodland