TEEING-UP TIES BETWEEN THE ACADEMY AND ST ANDREWS

ROYAL Dornoch Golf Club has welcomed growing ties between the local secondary school and the University of St Andrews.

The club has been supporting pioneering work on the salt marshes near the Struie Course spearheaded by the Green Shores team at the University of St Andrews, supported by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, managed by NatureScot.

General manager Neil Hampton said: “As a club with strong ties to the local community it’s great to have the Academy closely involved and benefiting from this award-winning project.”

The Dornoch Firth salt marshes project is the only one of its kind in the Highlands.

“The team at Royal Dornoch Golf Club have been very supportive, as have the pupils and staff at Dornoch Academy,” said Green Shores salt marsh specialist Dr Clare Maynard.

“They are on an exciting research and development journey with us.

“It all began when I was invited by a teacher and former St Andrews student to speak to the youngsters about the Dornoch Firth habitat and how it has shaped the community.

“The town’s wonderful golf courses wouldn’t be there without the tides and wonderful sediment which created the links.

“The salt marshes by the Struie Course aren’t in great shape so we have been patching them up to mitigate the impact of flooding and erosion.

“There is already evidence that transplanting is being successful, helped by chestnut fencing which has been buried deep by the greenkeepers to tackle shoreline erosion.

“Their efforts have hugely reduced the wash out rate from winter storms and the latest funding has helped us buy another 2.5km of fencing for vulnerable shoreline.

“None of this would be possible without the input from Eoin Riddell, Scott Aitchison and the Royal Dornoch greenkeeping team and it has been lovely to see their efforts being recognised with sustainability awards from the golf industry.

“Ali Rennie at NatureScot has been a great champion for the project.

“Academy pupils have been digging out donor plants on the salt marshes but we were aware new plants would be required in huge quantities to make the project sustainable.

“On this scale – we are covering 1000 square metres on the shoreline – thousands of young plants are needed to give the natural salt marshes a helping hand to sustain themselves and flourish.

“With the completion of a new storm-proof polytunnel in the school grounds, thousands of saltmarsh transplants will be brought on.

“The pupils will be out on the salt marshes again next year with plants they have grown themselves.”

Norman Ross, head teacher at Dornoch Academy, has welcomed the links forged with Green Shores and the University of St Andrews.

“The school is very keen on promoting the local environment, ecology and the sustainability message to our pupils, working within the community and partnering with other educational institutions,” he said.

“Biology teacher John Robinson and other members of staff have been closely involved.

“This tie-up with the university has encouraged us to take a fresh look at our facilities.

“Our old polytunnel was in dire need of refurbishment so this project has really spurred us on.

“The new tunnel is going to be a fabulous resource.”