Reservoir Ranger Blog: Long Days, Little Lizards and Leaving No Trace

June 21st marked the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, when the Earth's Northern Pole is tilted closest to the sun, giving us our longest day and shortest night of the year. While the North and South Poles experience continuous daylight, the Southern Hemisphere marks its shortest day as it tilts furthest away from the sun.

For many cultures, including our ancestors here in Scotland, the Summer Solstice marked Midsummer and was celebrated with feasts, dancing and bonfires. These traditions were later Christianised as St. John's Eve, but celebrations of both fire and water endured. People visited sacred wells, and morning dew was believed to have healing properties. While volunteering at the Scottish Water stand at Royal Highland Show, I learnt that we each use around 180 litres of water every day at home. Perhaps we could take a leaf out of our ancestors' book and collect a little morning dew to shave a few litres off!

Unlike previous generations, who could rely on more predictable seasonal weather, we are now living with the consequences of human-driven climate change. Scotland experienced a wetter-than-average spring, followed by temperatures reaching near 32°C in June.

These extremes are being intensified by El Niño, a natural climate pattern that warms global temperatures. Combined with already unusually warm oceans following our last La Niña, this year's El Niño is expected to have an even greater impact on weather around the world.

I've already noticed changes in the wildlife at Gladhouse Reservoir. Frogs and toads breed in early spring, and although I spotted a few adults earlier in the year, I've not seen any since, or a single tadpole. A pond that once supported large numbers of tadpoles dried up during last spring's hot weather and has never fully recovered. Common lizards also seem scarcer; where I saw them every few days last year, I've only encountered one this season. I even tried placing artificial refugia, sheets of metal and felt that provide shelter and help regulate temperature, but they remained unused.

We are lucky that many Hedgehogs choose Gladhouse as their home as they frequently appear on our wildlife cameras. However, the deadwood they rely on for food and shelter is often used for firewood and scarce in some spots at Gladhouse. Hedgehogs are a red listed species in the UK and classified as vulnerable to extinction and to help conserve them we have placed some Hedgehog boxes around the site to help protect our prickly friends.

While the sunny weather hasn't brought out many cold-blooded friends, it has brought more visitors to our reservoirs, and unfortunately, more litter. The vast majority of people enjoy our sites responsibly, but a small minority continue to leave waste behind. At the time of writing, I've collected 94 black bags of litter this year, with plastic making up the largest proportion.

From picnic waste to single-use plastics, the litter left behind doesn't simply disappear. It can be carried into our water environment, harming wildlife, affecting water quality and spoiling these special places for everyone.

This #PlasticFreeJuly we're encouraging everyone to Leave No Trace. Please take your litter home, as many of our sites don't have bins. Plan ahead by bringing a bag for your rubbish, secure it so it can't blow away, choose reusable items where possible, and follow site guidance to help protect our reservoirs, wildlife and water for future generations.

I could happily talk about the environment and nature all day, but on to some exciting news, we have two new Rangers at Scottish Water! Please join me in welcoming Grace McAleer and Ed Woodward , who will be covering reservoirs across the west of Scotland. If you see the team out on patrol, make sure to say hello!

With peak visitor season now underway, Ed and Grace's support will make a huge difference across our reservoirs.

I'm looking forward to showing them around Gladhouse too, here's hoping they get to see more lizards and fewer irresponsible visitors!