About Hopetoun House Ranger Service
The Hopetoun House Ranger Service provides a welcome to visitors and an educational resource based on the wildlife and environment at Hopetoun.
Hopetoun House Ranger Service Description
The rangers are available to provide information and advice to help Hopetouns visitors enjoy their day. They offer guided walks /talks and events throughout the year with seasonal themes from the Snowdrop Festival to Fungi Forays, events even run in the closed season.
Environmental education is also available with workshops suitable for schools /youth groups with various themes including minibeast hunts and nature walks.
These events and activities are open to all abilities.
There are also volunteering opportunities for those wishing to help conserve and maintain Hopetouns grounds and for those wishing to gain experience working as a volunteer ranger.
The variety of services on offer from the Rangers here at Hopetoun are vast, why not contact them and see if your youth /school group, family outing or desire to volunteer can be enhanced by the Hopetoun Ranger Service?
Reviews
The deer also found the recent heat and humidity too much! (close up taken through my binoculars, hence the haze) We also now have 10 calves - too cute!!
Not too bad for a sunny-day lunch seat - especially when I get to be the guinea pig for the great vegan food the Stables chef is practicing 😎🤤
This weeks Wild Wednesday coincided with International Ranger's day. So we printed off our own support poster of all Rangers around the world who often risk their lives protecting nature. And some wonderful finger puppets were made!
Remember to come along to the Wild Wednesday at Peel Park in Livingston this Wednesday, 31st July, 11am - 3pm. The last one for this year is next Wednesday, 7th August, at Almondell and Calderwood Country Park
Along with the Wild Wednesdays, we've been running our own Summer Holiday events for kids. The most recent one last Thursday was Story Making in the woods. These kids have such marvellous creativity!
While the job of ranger is brilliant for being out in nature in general, sometimes its the wee beasties that are the coolest to see! Common Darter (I believe), Orange ladybird Halyzia sedecimguttata, a grasshopper, Forest bug and a one-winged Red-necked Footman moth.
The Hopetoun Green Volunteers were in last Saturday and helped with the new battle against Piri Piri Burr. Only about 0.01% tackled, but its a start!!
This isn't precisely Hopetoun related, but I was so excited to see this wee guy in my neighbours garden when I got home Thursday night that I had to share the pictures I got! 😃
We've been getting out and about with the West Lothian Wild Wednesdays this month. The next one is at Peel Park in Livingston on 31st July. Come and make some finger puppets with us!
Bat monitoring time is upon us! A few (very) late evening shots of the House and grounds just after sunset.
The one-I-made-earlier... If you fancy making these willow spiral bird feeders, we'll be doing this as part of our Natural Crafts event on Thursday 25th July. Booking essential, please see our events page for more details.
A Light Emerald Moth found fluttering in the grounds.
This year Hopetoun House Ranger Service will be at all four Wild Wednesday events hosted by West Lothian Council. First one is this Wednesday at Polkemmet, 11.00 - 15.00. These events are free. For all dates and locations check out the poster.
Nothing quite like a gorgeous sunny day on the drive to work along Society Road ☀️😍
The sun can bring out the Painted Ladies.. any other summer days we have, keep an eye out for these gorgeous butterflies 🦋
Over the last few weeks we've had a couple of House Martin casualties. The House staff have alerted the Ranger Service of the plight of these wee birds (please note, we are not a wildlife rescue/rehabilitation service!) and we've kept them in a dark, warm box to see if they recover enough to fly away. Sadly they both died. I took photos of the second one, and it is amazing to see these agile fliers up close. See if you can spot the louse on the back of this one when it's in the box - I was once told that the size difference would mean it would be like having a large shore crab running around in your underwear 😲 Not a pleasant thought!
We're having babies! Our Red Deer calves are being born, so pop along and play "spot the calf" in this gorgeous weather. We can't guarantee you'll see them as well as we did with the Hopetoun Explorers last Saturday, but they are there :)