Dear all
BIO would like to invite everyone in the department to the Islet cleaning day on Thursday the 14th of September.
Deadline to register is the 29th of august, at 15:00
REGISTER HERE:
https://skjemaker.app.uib.no/view.php?id=15376785
Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact nina.holland@uib.no
The bus leaves BIO at 09:00, boats will transport us from the docks at Marinbiologisk station to the islets.
The bus back to BIO leaves at 14:45, and we expect to arrive around 15:15
There will be a social gathering at BIO at the end of the day with food and drinks.
Looking forward to seeing you all there!
Attached is more information about the islet cleaning and why it is important.
There will be more detailed information when the day is approaching.
Background
The department was recently given funds by the UIB environmental fund to clean up and clear some of the trees and bushes that have overgrown in some of the seagull territories along the coast. The areas chosen are two small islets outside Espeland Marine Biological station. We invite all employees and students to join the excursion to help the seagull population. This is a social excursion and there will be provided lunch and dinner. The main tasks will be chopping and cutting down unwanted vegetation. Transport to the islet is provided.
The background for this is that removing trees and bushes from the small islets is one of the ways to help restore the breeding habitat for gulls, terns and eiders. 30-40 years ago these were key species to the western coast of Norway, today however, many of the colonies are silent as these species have suffered a rapid decline the last few years, this has caused them to be one the Norwegian red-list. There are multiple reasons for the decline in these species, but one of the major reasons is the overgrowth of islets and other breeding places.
The overgrowth is partly natural and partly because of alien tree species being planted on the islets, this makes the islets partly or entirely inaccessible for the birds that have nested there before.