Busy summer as a Countryside Ranger for Kristian

As a Countryside Ranger, Kristian Purchase has a wide range of duties but promoting fire safety during the summer months is one of the most important.

The danger posed to our coastal sites by campfires and barbecues is growing as climate change brings increasingly hot and dry conditions at a time when visitor numbers are at their highest.

With responsibility for Levenhall Links and Musselburgh Lagoons, Kristian is dedicated to protecting the amazing array of wildlife and habitats under his care.

To help deliver the fire safety message, he mounts joint patrols in these areas with Musselburgh-based members of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), offering practical advice to those enjoying the county’s natural beauty.

He said: “We have an invaluable partnership with the fire service and it’s a real benefit to have them on site and taking part in regular walk arounds. Together we can engage with the public and try to reduce the risk of wildfires.”

Kristian has been a Countryside Ranger in Levenhall/Musselburgh since 2023. As a Seasonal Ranger in 2021, the Dunbar resident brought a wealth of experience in the conservation and environment sectors to the role, including working in Saughton Park and Gardens for City of Edinburgh Council.

Prior to that, he worked with the Northumberland Wildlife Trust on conservation and volunteering activities, as a zookeeper for the Wild Fowl and Wetland Trust at Slimbridge, and at the London Wetland Centre and Washington Wetland Centre in Tyne and Wear.

He studied zoology at Newcastle University and was working for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) before becoming one of our a Countryside Rangers.

Kristian said: “As a Ranger, my area covers Levenhall Links and Musselburgh Lagoons as well as the wider Musselburgh area so that’s up the Esk at Fisherrow and out to Prestongrange Heritage Park. However, most of my work is focused on at the lagoons at Levenhall Links.

“There are 11 different water bodies which are maintained and managed at the Links for wading birds like ducks, geese and swans. We see so many variations through the seasons with breeding birds arriving in the summer like swallows, swifts, and skylarks while winter brings peak use of the site by waders when, for instance, we have ten per cent of all the oyster catchers in the Firth and Forth using Levenhall to roost.

“There are deer, weasels, rabbits and a huge array of plant species with several miles of hedgerow to manage too. It’s a really diverse site which we describe as a mosaic of habitats.”

Kristian also works closely with Musselburgh Grammar School to provide conservation activities and wildlife surveys for pupils to carry out.

Advising visitors

He said: “During the busy summer period, we have the joint patrols with SFRS to engage with visitors to Levenhall Links where we don’t encourage fires at all. It’s not a sensible place for barbecues and people are better of heading to other coastal sites, such as the beach at Fisherrow, for that. A fire in the dunes, grassland or woodland can be very dangerous, especially in the tinder dry conditions we’ve seen recently.

“In general, we advise visitors who want a fire to have it on sand then put it out with lots and lots of water and never bury it afterwards.

“With any form of open fire, including disposable barbecues, they can look like they’re out with no flames, but just because there aren’t flames doesn’t mean the heat has gone. Fires can catch from the heated ground which creates a means of combustion.

“People should also remember there are many ways to have a picnic and enjoy the countryside without a fire or barbecue.”

Passionate about the environment or planning a visit to any of our coast or countryside sites? Find out more about our Ranger service, outdoor access, volunteering opportunities and the wildlife and biodiversity in our area from our website.