The event which took place on Sunday 29 July 2012 was well attended, with lots of families bringing their children along to see what they could see on the lowland raised peat bog site.

To kick things off the group walked up to the recently improved wildflower meadow site to try and have a look at some of the bees, butterflies and moths which rely on wildflowers to survive and are in the midst of a national decline. The children were excited to catch lots of micro moths and even a ringlet butterfly. At the main drainage channel the group netted for water invertebrates finding some big dragonfly larvae and pond beetles amongst the sphagnum. In the old car park there were spiders aplenty and the find of the day was caught – a grasshopper, British grasshoppers barely reach 15mm in length and are grass green so finding one was an excellent way to end the day.

Friends volunteer Erik Paterson who organised the event said: “Events like these where children and families get to be hands-on with wildlife and the environment are essential for healthy development and it's fantastic to see so many smiling faces at the end of a fun day.”

The Friends have many more events which local people can come along to and are always open to welcome new volunteers regardless of their skills and knowledge, to find out more check out the FOLM website or find them on Facebook.

The Friends' 2012 events programme comes as they received £30,000 from Viridor Credits Environmental company through the landfill communities fund, £30,000 from South lanarkshire Council's renewable energy fund and £41,000 from Heritage Lottery Fund as part of their Langlands Moss Access & Engagement project.

Colin McLean, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund Scotland, said: “The Heritage Lottery Fund is delighted to support a project which will stimulate people’s interest in nature. Through the Langlands Moss Access & Engagement project, the community can learn new skills, discover new passions and play their part as custodians of our wonderful natural heritage.

“The Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland is always keen to hear from other groups in South Lanarkshire who are interested in funding for similar projects, or in exploring other aspects of their heritage. Any interested groups should contact us on Scotland@hlf.org.uk.”

Notes to editors

About Viridor Credits
Viridor credits Environmental Company distributes funding through the Landfill Communities Fund. Funding is available for community and environmental projects within 10 miles of an active Viridor landfill Site. Since its inception Viridor credits has allocated over £70million to over a thousand projects across the UK.

For further information on how to apply for funding, please call Viridor Credits on 01823 624 656.