Scrolling through her notes on her computer, Jess Tomes is apologetic: “last night I went through all the files and I looked out the ones that reference women – I’m sorry that there's not that many.” 

Jess spent her sabbatical researching the history of the RSPB’s Operation Osprey, a vital nest protection programme kicked off in the 1950s, which led to the Establishment of the Loch Garten Osprey Centre. Now known as the Loch Garten Nature Centre, the RSPB still welcome 20,000 visitors a year to this special place, deep in Abernethy Forest, in the Northern end of the Cairngorms Connect partnership area. 

I’m here to find out more about some people that don’t feature as much in the official books and diaries Jess has researched.  

We look at a black and white photograph, showing a smiling group of young adults. It’s the initial group who set up camp here to watch over the Osprey nest. There are two women in the photo – Betty Garden and Valerie Thom. 

^{Image: the 1958 team in Abernethy Forest, with Betty Garden on the Vespa!}

“Betty Garden was particularly well thought of”, says Jess. “She was the main cook-caterer, as well as being a well-respected ornithologist. She's the one sat astride the Vespa scooter. I look at her and I think - rock on, Betty!” 

The Osprey nest had to be watched by wardens day and night, which meant the team had to live on site. Jess’s notes on the camp describe a succession of female cook-caterers that kept the camp running. 

“Yeah”, says Jess, reading the log. “female cook-caterer. Doesn't say males at all. There's something.” 

There was a real division of labour: the domestic tasks were almost entirely carried out by women. During the day, women and men could go on watch, but only men were allowed to go at night.  

Project notes also explicitly stated that there must always be a male RSPB member in charge of the operation. 

“I think that maybe the threat of egg collecting meant that they were reluctant to put women in that position”, says Jess.  

“They totally expected physical combat if someone was stealing the eggs. Whatever it took: throwing a punch, whacking over the head with a cosh.” 

The team were on constant alert that egg collectors would climb the tree to steal the eggs from the Osprey nest, and the cosh in question belonged to Betty Garden. It seemed a very dramatic, exciting and important place to work. 

Jess reads aloud from a newspaper extract about another very influential woman in the project: “Miss MacDonald, the rosy-faced host at Inchdrein, where they are camped, regards them placidly as an extension of her own foster family of boys.” 

Isabella MacDonald, as well as fostering many young boys, hosted the Osprey camp on her land from 1959.  

“Bella offering her land was an exceptional thing to do, but she did it willingly. She loved having them around.” 

Jess goes on: “I read a document where it says ‘thank god we have the women, to keep us right’.  

“Women were essential to the smooth running of the thing,” says Jess. “But Betty and Valerie were also highly respected ornithologists, and would have been listened to.” 

“You can still buy Scottish bird books that have Valerie as the author.” 

We’re working off reports typed up by men, for men. So it’s always going to be hard to work out to what extent – as well as doing the cooking and the cleaning – these women might have contributed. 

“I get the impression”, says Jess “that Betty was very well respected. I think it’s fair to say that she would have been a part of the inner circle – and possibly Valerie as well”  

I ask Jess why she chose to do all this research on Operation Osprey. 

“It’s just such a great story. I just wish I’d met loads of characters.” 

^{Images: (left) the group re-enact the catching of an egg thief! (right) one of the cook-caterers of the camp (credit: Alastair McCook)}

I wonder how the women back then would feel about women being in senior positions in ecology now. 

“Things are definitely evening out; there’s no doubt about it.” 

In the Cairngorms Connect support team, we’re nearly all women - and there’s a great mix of people I work with across the partnership day-to-day. Looking back at this history is a reminder that there have always been important people of all genders working for nature here in the Cairngorms. 

Operation Osprey was a unique project that required living, eating and sleeping on site. Because of the traditional gender roles of the time, this meant that women were required to be there. It’s an unusual but important example of women working in the landscape at the time.  

Jess lends me a book to take away, The Scottish Ospreys. I open it up to the first page: 

This book is dedicated, in affection and high regard, to Miss Isabel MacDonald of Inchdrein, a remarkable lady who foster-mothered dozens of lucky children, yet still found time to welcome so many of us who watched over the Ospreys. 

Betty Garden, Valerie Thom and Isabella MacDonald may not feature a huge amount in the project documents, but it’s clear they had a huge impact on the Ospreys, the landscape, and those - like me - being inspired by them today.