Westray Tour
Where: Meet at the Rapness pier
When: 8.45am Thursday 19 May
With: Westraak Tours
Cost: £80
Booking required: Yes. Maximum 8 people. Contact Westraak Tours to book.
You will also need to book your own ferry travel with Orkney Ferries
Contact: Westraak - Email: [email protected] Telephone: 01857 677777 Mobile: 07793 216922
Spend a day in Westray as guests of local guides who will take you to a variety of sites ranging from Atlantic wave swept cliffs to a coastal viking settlement site, to the imposing Noltland Castle and the clifftop highlight of Noup Head, home to a spectacular collection of fulmars, kittiwakes, gannets, razor bills and guillemots - Westray’s emblem bird, known locally as the Aak. You might even be lucky enough to spot a puffin!
Refreshments and a home cooked lunch included.
Graemsay Trip FULLY BOOKED
Where: Meet at Stromness pier for 10am ferry to Graemsay
When: 9.45am Thursday 19 May
With: Orkney Native Wildlife Project
Cost: Free
Booking required: Yes FULLY BOOKED
You will also need to book your own ferry travel with Orkney Ferries
Contact: ONWP - Email: [email protected] Telephone: 01856 881451
Visit one of Orkney’s smaller islands with our knowledgeable tour guide, Douggie Beaumont, ONWP Assistant Biosecurity Officer. Douggie will meet you on the Graemsay ferry in Stromness and will take you on a guided walk around Graemsay, showing you all the natural hidden gems that the island has to offer. The tour will take you round the edge of the island along a path that is not well travelled so sensible footwear and a reasonable level of fitness will be required. Once you have received a booking confirmation you will need to book yourself onto the 10:00 ferry from Stromness to Graemsay, and the return sailing at 16:15 from Graemsay to Stromness.
Beginner's Birdwatching
Where: The Loons hide
When: 10am - 1pm Thursday 19 May
With: RSPB Scotland
Cost: Free
Booking required: No. Drop in on the day.
Contact: RSPB Orkney - Email: [email protected] Mobile: 07554 331138
If you are new to birdwatching, drop in for some basic help from RSPB Scotland. If you are more advanced, come along to chat birds and spend some time birdwatching with us.
Hoy Highlights 
Where: Dwarfie Stone Car Park, Rackwick Road, Hoy
When: 10am - 4pm Thursday 19 May
With: RSPB Scotland
Cost: Free
Booking required: No. Drop in on the day.
Contact: RSPB Orkney - Email: [email protected] Mobile: 07554 331138
RSPB Scotland is launching a new information point at the Dwarfie Stone car park this Spring to help people get the most out of their visit to our Hoy nature reserve. Drop in and meet staff and volunteers who are keen to share Hoy highlights for sights not to miss, answer any questions, and help spot passing wildlife.
Shorewatch Taster Session 
Where: Ness Point, Stromness. Meet at the large bunker on Guardhouse Park road https://goo.gl/maps/8eigHNLk7jcbv7pq6
When: 2pm - 4pm Thursday 19 May
With: Whale and Dolphin Conservation
Cost: Free
Booking required: No
Contact: Emma Steel - Email: [email protected]
Join Whale and Dolphin Conservation for a taster Shorewatch session and to look out for whales and dolphins around Orkney. Binoculars will be provided, and Emma Steel will be there to guide you through some hints and tips for spotting marine wildlife. If you’re interested in learning how to identify different species and how to carry out a dedicated Shorewatch survey, Emma will be on hand to tell you more and answer any questions.
Finding wildlife from DNA in the environment 
Where: Orkney Fossil & Heritage Centre
When: 5pm Thursday 19 May
With: Orkney Fossil & Heritage Centre
Cost: £4.50
Booking required: Yes - Email [email protected]
Contact: Orkney Fossil & Heritage Centre - Email: [email protected] Telephone: 01856 731255
Dr Molly Clavey from NatureMetrics, is at the cutting edge of biodiversity monitoring. She will talk through the process and collection of eDNA, how it is being used globally before taking you through what her and the P1/2 class of Burray Primary School found when taking samples from our shores.
A unique opportunity to join a biodiversity scientist in Burray, as they show you the latest techniques for finding wildlife using the DNA that animals leave behind in the environment. This is a session of learning and discovery, and you’ll be equipped with the latest knowledge on how we can turn nature into data using DNA, helping us to properly manage our natural resources.
Rockpooling in Birsay
Where: The Brough of Birsay
When: 4.30pm - 7.30pm Thursday 19 May
With: RSPB Scotland
Cost: Free
Booking required: Advised but not essential.
Contact: RSPB Orkney - Email: [email protected] Mobile: 07554 331138
Join RSPB Scotland and local experts for a fun family event exploring the rockpools around the Brough of Birsay and discovering the creatures within them. A limited number of rockpooling kits available or bring your own equipment.
Biosecurity Talk
Where: Orkney Native Wildlife Project office, Kirkwall
When: 7pm Thursday 19 May
With: Orkney Native Wildlife Project
Cost: Free
Booking required: Yes. Book here
Contact: ONWP - Email: [email protected] Telephone: 01856 881451
Join the Orkney Native Wildlife Project’s Biosecurity Officer, Chris Bell, as he talks all things island biosecurity. He will explain how stoats can negatively affect native species, as well as explaining how we can all help to ensure Orkney doesn’t fall victim to further stoat incursions.
Islands of Abandonment with Cal Flyn LIMITED SPACES
Where: MacGillivray Room, Kirkwall Library
When: 7pm - 8pm Thursday 19 May
With: Orkney Library & Archive
Cost: Free
Booking required: Yes. Phone library too book on 01856 873166
Contact: Orkney Library - Telephone: 01856 873166
Cal Flyn’s Islands of Abandonment is a book about abandoned places: ghost towns and exclusion zones, no man’s lands and post-industrial hinterlands – and what happens when nature is allowed to reclaim its place.