Budget cuts have forced some of Dundee’s most popular children’s activities to be slashed from the annual events calendar.
The Dundee Countryside Rangers have been forced to abandon large parts of their annual summer events programme, including the much-loved wildlife club.
Organisers said they had done so with regret, but were unable to continue with the regular level of service due to a swingeing cut in staffing.
City mums and dads have been quick to express sadness that the activities, walks and talks their youngsters love will now be scaled back.
The Ranger Service said its staff would be doing their best to continue offering events with the support of community partners.
Labour education spokesman, Councillor Laurie Bidwell, said the cuts were representative of short-term thinking and would harm children’s learning experiences.
They were imposed as a result of the most testing budget-setting in Dundee City Council’s history, which saw the administration forced to find £23 million of savings.
In a statement, the service told parents: “Recent cuts to city council services have had a direct impact on the Ranger Service and have resulted in a reduction in our staffing levels.
“This means that we cannot commit to the full events programme we would normally deliver.
“However, we will continue to work with partners such as Dundee Libraries and Friends of Barnhill Rock Garden to attend and deliver a variety of events across Dundee.”
In response, one parent wrote: “That’s very sad as we as a family and my sister and her kids often come to your events.”
Another said: “We too are gutted that our wildlife club will no longer be able to happen.”
“It is counterproductive to make these cutbacks,” said Mr Bidwell.
“It is yet another example of the way services valued by the public are being whittled away by budget reductions year after year.”
Dundee City Council said: “As part of the savings made in the budget setting process in February the summer programme provided by Countryside Rangers will not be delivered as it was in previous years.
“We are continuing to look at external funding opportunities and partnership in order to encourage our citizens into our parks and open space.”
Details of all the Dundee Ranger Service’s activities are available on its Facebook page.
The next event takes place on Friday at 1pm, when the bugs that inhabit Dundee’s Trottick nature reserve will be the stars of a junior story-time session.
Anyone wishing to take part should gather at the ponds.