The Fife Air Cadets Conservation Group
Report by Caroline Burt on Projects undertaken during 2008 / 2009
The projects listed are the main projects undertaken by FACCG during 2008 and 2009. Obtaining funding to purchase a minibus has made a major impact on how the group operates. Young volunteers who previously could not attend projects due to transport and cost issues, or who could only attend if parents were able to transport them, are now able to take part in all group projects without the worries of how to get there or how to get home again. The bus allows the young volunteers to travel as a team and allows them to have a connected experience during their journey, because it offers the opportunity to observe different villages, towns, cities and countryside in the UK and to share and discuss their observations. FACCG young volunteers are encouraged to take pride in their ‘Green Bus’ and are requested to keep the bus clean and litter free, and they regularly take part in hovering, washing and cleaning the bus. Overall the Green Bus has made a considerable impact to all the volunteers of FACCG by ensuring that their volunteer experience is thoroughly enjoyable and stress free!
JANUARY 2008
Falkland Estate
On a nice cold crisp Sunday in January over 30 group volunteers took part in the first of a two day project on Falkland Estate to clear out and expose the cascades on the Mill Burn which had become silted up over many years. The project was part of the Falkland Stewards Pond Project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Volunteers spent the day clearing away large amounts of vegetation that had become extremely overgrown and this allowed the water to run more freely through the cascades. The second date for this project was to take place in February.
The Colin Burt Reserve for Wildlife Conservation
Late January saw a journey up to The Colin Burt Reserve for Wildlife Conservation in Glen Dochart to carry out various practical conservation tasks. The weather was fantastic with blue skies and sun much of the day. Ongoing work was carried out on the timber bird hide and the woodland boardwalk. Strainers were erected for the deer fence, bridge repairs were carried out and 100 metres of hedging was planted in addition to the ongoing task of tree maintenance throughout the reserve. As always the visit was extremely enjoyable and lots of fun for all the volunteers involved.
FEBRUARY 2008
Falkland Estate
The second date for the Mill Burn project on Falkland Estate was held on the first Saturday of the month. A large group of volunteers met on the Estate to continue with the task of clearing the cascades on the Mill Burn. Volunteers worked extremely hard on a very cold winter day which saw a light flurry of snow falling. The Avant tractor belonging to Falkland Stewards was put to work to tow numerous trailer loads of densely rooted vegetation to a site further away from the burn. Group volunteers worked very hard throughout the day to dig the vegetation out from the edges of the burn and used wheelbarrows to transport the vegetation to another area to dry out. Removing the vegetation involved wading in the burn with wellingtons to reach some of the thick-rooted sections! A large area adjacent to the burn was strimmed and cleared. The outcome of the 2 day Mill Burn project resulted in a very clear and exposed burn with a faster flow of water travelling down through the beautiful cascades and into the pond.
Woodcraft Weekend
The following weekend five young volunteers and two staff took part in a pilot educational woodcraft weekend funded by FACCG and lead by Dave McKeen from Hollytree Woodcrafts. The volunteers spent a Saturday and Sunday working with Dave in his workshop and learning about the safe use of various different machines and tools for crafting wood. They were shown how to make footstools from timber such as Yew, Oak and Beech by using traditional woodcraft techniques and skills. The weekend was a huge success and resulted in a grant application being submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund to run an 18 month project called Treecycle that will focus on the lifecycle of a tree and will involve woodland management, crafting timber into various items and processing timber to make an ‘A’ frame building for the Estate.
Flisk Wood
Late February saw approximately 30 group volunteers carry out woodland management at Flisk Wood near Balmerino, Fife with Simon Lockwood from Scottish Native Woods. Simon gave the volunteers a very educational talk about the woodlands and explained the need to thin out the Ash. Volunteers worked very hard during this project and made a considerable impact to the woodland. Throughout the weekend a large volume of litter was collected and put into black bags. On the Saturday evening the group volunteers had a sleepover in the Town Hall at The Gauldry. The whole weekend was extremely successful and the young volunteers increased their knowledge of woodland management and its importance for wildlife and biodiversity.
MARCH 2008
SNH Sharing Good Practice
Five group volunteers attended the annual Sharing Group Practice training event in Aviemore which was organised by Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Countryside Rangers Association. The theme of the event this year was Rocks and Fossils. Volunteers took part in various workshops throughout the day which focused on subjects such as Geology, Fossil Fuels, Stone Carving, education packs for teachers and practical educational activities to engage young people in learning about geology. The training event was very educational and group volunteers were inspired with new ideas and knowledge that could be passed on to other members of the group through activities and workshops.
National Trust for Scotland
The first practical conservation day of the month was a project for the National Trust for Scotland at Kellie Castle, Pittenweem in Fife. The day was organised and lead by Mark Armour, Head Gardener at Kellie Castle and a staff volunteer with the Group. Mark gave an educational talk about the woodland and its ecology and explained why wild flowers were to be planted in the extensive area of grassland. Different teams of volunteers carried out tasks such as woodland management by removing the natural plant regeneration, planting wild flower plugs, tidying the composting area, planting, staking and tubing young trees and burning brash. The weather was very mixed with periods of heavy downpours followed by bright interludes, but the volunteers were not deterred by the rain and worked very hard throughout the whole day. This project allowed volunteers to increase their knowledge and skills relating to woodland and wildflower habitats.
Chancefield, Falkland Estate
Over two evenings volunteers moved 40 tonnes of road shavings and aggregate delivered to Chancefield to help improve the drainage and the hard standing areas for better access and timber storage during project Treecycle.
The Scottish Deer Centre
The Scottish Deer Centre in Cupar was the venue of a weekend residential project in the middle of the month. Alistair McLeod who is employed at the Deer Centre and is also a long-standing FACCG volunteer organised the whole weekend for the volunteers. The theme of the weekend was Hunter/Gatherers and volunteers took part in various evening educational activities focusing on this theme. During both days a large amount of practical conservation work was undertaken. Volunteers worked very hard to dig out a mud wallow for the deer. The pond was completely cleared out as it was extremely over-grown with vegetation. An area of ground was fenced off so that trees could be planted in the deer enclosure. Volunteers also took part in an educational tractor tour to see the deer, were given a talk about the wolves and observed a superb falconry display about the conservation of birds of prey. The whole weekend was very educational and worthwhile and as well as completing a large volume of practical work group volunteers also enhanced their knowledge about the lives of the ancient Hunter/Gatherers and also about the important conservation of various different species of wildlife.
The Lake District “Cumbrian Challenge 1”
Two minibuses and a landrover with a trailer took a long journey to the Lake District at the end of March for the Group’s bi-annual residential expedition “Cumbrian Challenge 1” to work with the National Trust based at the High Wray Base Camp near Ambleside. Volunteers carried out various conservation projects such as clearing and burning rhododendron at Harrowslack on the shores of Lake Windermere and laying slate edging in the Victorian Garden at Monk Coniston as part of an ongoing restoration project being carried out by the National Trust. This project involved considerable expertise and skill to lay the large slabs of slate evenly and straight. Volunteers learned many new skills from this project and will hopefully return to the garden on a future residential. As well as numerous evening workshops and craft activities the young volunteers also took part in hill walking to discover and explore the surrounding area, mountain biking, and educational visits to Sellafield Nuclear Power Station and Muncaster Castle. As always the expedition was superb and for a large number of the young volunteers it was their first trip to the Lakes! Needless to say they are all enthusiastic and motivated to take part in future expeditions.
APRIL 2008
Dalgety Bay Community Woodland
The beginning of April saw a gathering of volunteers for a project at Dalgety Community Woodland. The day began with an educational walk/talk about woodland ecology and management, and many volunteers were interested to learn about the varied soil types in different areas of the woodland. The woodland had been heavily felled by contractors and a large amount of the timber was causing obstruction to access for the local people. Group volunteers spent the rest of the day tidying up areas within the woodland by making timber stacks of various lengths and constructing brash piles around the trees. Although there was a considerable amount of work still to be carried out, the volunteers made a huge impact to the future ecology of the woodland as well as improving access for the local community.
Potato Workshop (by John Marshall WCF Phoenix)
The Sunday following the Group’s return from the Lake District was the date for a very interesting talk and workshop given by John Marshall of WCF Phoenix about the history of the potato and its consumption, progressing through to the present day. After listening to the excellent and very informative presentation, group volunteers took part in various workshops and competitions and then enjoyed a delicious potato meal cooked by Ena Band. The volunteers then headed to the Secret Garden in Falkland and spent the afternoon planting various varieties of seed potatoes that John Marshall donated to the group for its potato project to celebrate the 2008 International Year of the Potato.
The Colin Burt Reserve for Wildlife Conservation (Glen Dochart)
Once again group volunteers travelled up to the beautiful and picturesque area of Glen Dochart to visit their wildlife reserve and carry out more conservation tasks on the site. The first visit for Spring! A large amount of work was achieved that day and the numerous tasks were undertaken such as: more work on the bird hide, the boardwalk was extended by a further 2 sections, woodland work to tidy up an area felled by British Telecom for the installation of a new phone line, turf was laid around the newly created wildlife pond and Scots Pine were planted in the areas where the turf was removed. The weather was changeable at first with blue skies and sun and then heavy showers but throughout the day the blue skies prevailed and made the surrounding landscape look spectacular. The journey to the reserve resulted in a wonderful day in the outdoors and a lot of work being achieved.
MAY 2008
‘Grow Your Own’ Project, Sugar Acre, Falkland
During May the Group’s ‘Grow Your Own’ project resumed with volunteers meeting every few Wednesdays at the Secret Garden in Sugar Acre, Falkland. Group volunteers worked through a programme of planting vegetables which included additional varieties of potatoes, vegetables such as lettuces, spring onions, cucumbers, tomatoes and much more. The young volunteers learned about methods of organic gardening and the difference in growth rates when planting produce in outdoor beds compared to planting in the polytunnel. Fencing was erected around the FACCG garden area. Volunteers also carried out numerous tasks such as grass cutting, hedge trimming and weeding to help Falkland in Bloom keep the main garden area neat and tidy. This project will be ongoing throughout the summer months.
Alva Woodland Park, Clackmannanshire
A new project for the group was organised for the last weekend in May. Clackmannanshire Biodiversity Officer, Woodland Officer and the Ranger Service invited FACCG volunteers to carry out woodland management within Alva Woodland Park in Clackmannanshire. The idea for the event was to help promote youth volunteering for Scottish Biodiversity Week and on the second day of the project members from the local community were encouraged to join in. All group costs for this project were funded by the Clackmannanshire Council and the Group also received a donation to group funds. The main task of the weekend was to remove the very invasive rhododendron bushes from a large area of hillside within the woodland. Volunteers worked hard cutting, sawing and burning the large limbs of the bush. At the end of the weekend everyone was amazed at how much work had been achieved by FACCG volunteers. The hillside was completely cleared of rhododendron which will allow more species of flowers and plants to grow and therefore increase the biodiversity of the woodland. Both days were dry with sunshine and overall the project was extremely successful and enjoyable for all volunteers. Clackmannanshire Council has invited the group back to Alva later in the year to carry out more conservation work.
Donation from Bill Sweenie
Bill Sweenie (volunteer group staff member) made a very kind donation to the group after winning a competition run by his employers Exxon Mobil. Over the last two years FACCG has carried out various conservation projects for Exxon Mobil at their Mossmorran plant near Burntisland. Bill presented his winnings of £200 to Mark Pearson, Group Chairman, to be used for the benefit of all the volunteers. Mark thanked Bill for his very kind gesture and assured the donation was very much appreciated by everyone.
JUNE 2008
Donation from Carillion Construction
Throughout this month small groups of volunteers visited two sites of Carillion Construction located in Edinburgh to collect various items of waste materials that were originally destined for landfill. The materials are then re-used in various future conservation projects carried out by the group throughout Fife and at their own reserve in Glendochart. The partnership between FACCG and Carillion Construction dates back to early 2007 when Mark Pearson (Group Chairman) made a chance visit to the Carillion site in Markinch asking if they had any unwanted railways sleepers. Since then FACCG has diverted approximately 90 tonnes of waste material from landfill by working in partnership with Carillion thereby reducing the environmental impact landfill waste proposes and proving how positive the partnership is.
‘Grow Your Own’ Project, Sugar Acre, Falkland
The ‘Grow Your Own’ project at Sugaracre has been continuing every Wednesday evening and has been extremely successful with 20 or more volunteers turning out each time. The Wednesday evening project takes place at Sugaracre and then Chancefield every alternate Wednesday. The gardening evenings at Sugaracre have resulted in a lot of tasks being completed in addition to the usual tasks such as grass cutting, weeding, etc. Recently the willow teepee was trimmed and tidied, a new gate was erected for the Groups garden area, the composting area was re-located and tidied and more herbs and wildflower seeds were planted.
Chancefield, Falkland Estate
During the evening projects at Chancefield on Falkland Estate a lot of tidying and improvement of the site has been carried out. Fencing and a gate was erected at the entrance to Chancefield and an interpretation hut was sited outside the gate so that information will be available to passers by about the users of Chancefield and the projects taking place there.
‘Treecycle’ Official Launch
During June FACCG held the official Launch of its new ‘Treecycle Project’ which is funded by the Heritage Lottery ‘Young Roots’ Programme and is a partnership project between FACCG and the Falkland Heritage Trust. The project is youth lead and is open to anyone who wishes to become involved. The focus of the project is the lifecycle of trees which will involve growing trees from seed, planting, woodland management, crafting items from timber, processing timber to make a traditional ‘A’ frame building and much more. The launch was very successful with many young and adult volunteers attending as well as representatives from various other environmental groups and organisations. Various tasks were carried out around Chancefield and everyone posed for a photo shoot to promote the project.
The Colin Burt Reserve for Wildlife Conservation
Once again a small group of volunteers took a trip to The Colin Burt Reserve for Wildlife Conservation in Glen Dochart to carry out more work and tasks on the site. A large amount of tree maintenance was carried out and this is an ongoing task for future visits. A trailer full of materials was off-loaded and stored on the site and some spare fencing and a gate was taken from the site for projects back in Fife. The visit was a productive but also fairly relaxing one with some guided walks taking place around the reserve for a few volunteers who were visiting for their first time.
Training Courses
On the training front staff and young volunteers have taken courses in First Aid at work so we now have another six fully qualified First Aiders when we are out on projects. A staff member has also now qualified as a Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme (MiDAS) trainer and assessor that will allow us to train and assess our own drivers. This will save the Group around £800 initially doing this course/qualification within the Group. To drive our minibus all drivers must have the MiDAS certificate and for most council provided minibuses it is required. If any volunteer staff from other organisations require the certificate they can contact the Group to enquire when the next course will be run.
Compost Toilet, Chancefield
In mid June we also opened our compost toilet on Falkland Estate that has been constructed for all volunteers working on the estate to use instead of having to head back to the main estate office, or at weekends the toilets in the centre of the village.
JULY 2008
The Big Tent Festival, Falkland Estate
The group had a large set up at the Big Tent Festival (Scotlands first festival of Stewardship) on the 26th and 27th July that helped to promote youth volunteering in the local community by providing the opportunity for young volunteers to share their experiences with others. Young volunteers, Air Cadets and Explorer Scouts spoke to members of the public about the many environmental projects they had carried out in Fife and beyond and how through their volunteer experience they had gained new skills and knowledge and greater self esteem, and also made many new friends. During the two days FACCG also worked together with other organisations such as Scottish Native Woods to promote the groups Heritage Lottery funded Treecycle project, and John Marshall from WCF Phoenix to promote the International Year of the Potato and the groups own ‘Grown Your Own’ Project (sponsored by John Marshall), as well as the newly appointed Master Composter Project Officer for North East Fife to promote home composting and how young people can become involved as Master Composter Volunteers. During the week preceding the festival FACCG volunteers helped the festival organisers with many logistical tasks involved in setting up the festival, and during the festival young and adult volunteers carried out car parking duties and numerous litter picks throughout the site. Volunteers were also on hand for many days after the festival to help with the clearing up process.
Visit to Carillion Construction for donation of Timber
Once again a group of volunteers travelled to one of Carillion’s work sites in Edinburgh to collect waste timber for recycling on the group’s ‘Project Recycle’. This project is an additional part of the Treecycle project where young volunteers learn how to design and construct bridges from recycled timber.
AUGUST 2008
First Treecycle Weekend
The first official weekend of the Treecycle project started in August. Young volunteers took part in a woodcraft workshop with Dave McKeen of Hollytree Woodcrafts and learnt how to craft wooden stools using traditional techniques and tools. In addition to the workshop woodland work was carried out on Falkland Estate where the volunteers were taking off heavy stakes and rubber fasteners that had started to strangle the growing trees, and also clearing dead timber out of the Mill Burn.
Britain in Bloom, Falkland
A group of volunteers took part in the Britain in Bloom judging day for Falkland in Bloom at Sugar Acre Garden in Falkland. The young volunteers carried out various tasks in the garden such as planting, weeding, harvesting and tidying that helped to promote the partnership of FACCG and Falkland in Bloom. During the judges visit they walked around the garden and chatted to the young people about their work in at Sugar Acre. The group also gave a presentation to the judges.
Innerwick Outdoor Education Centre
A group of volunteers travelled to Dunbar to visit John Muir’s birthplace and learn about his life and his passion for the countryside. All of the volunteers in FACCG work towards their John Muir Award and many have already achieved the four awards (Discover, Explore, Conserve and Share). After visiting Dunbar everyone attended a beach party and had time to discover the area and learn a bit about coastal wildlife and then took part in beach games and competitions. The accommodation for the Saturday evening was the Innerwick Outdoor Education Centre and on the journey back home on the Sunday volunteers paid a visit to the Scottish Seabird Centre. This visit was very educational and in return for an excellent day the group volunteers agreed to carry out conservation work for the Seabird Centre on a future visit.
GNAS Archery Leaders Course
Two adult group volunteers completed the GNAS Archery Leaders course at Craggan in Aviemore. The course involves 4 days of intense training and written work with a final practical assessment on the last day. Once qualified the two adult volunteers were able to run archery sessions for the younger members of the group. This proved to be a very enjoyable activity for the youngsters.
SEPTEMBER 2008
Treecycle – Woodland Work
The first project of the month was a day spent on Falkland Estate carrying out work in the policy woodlands as part of the Treecycle project. Volunteers were given a talk about thinning woodland habitats with a practical demonstration of the correct method of cutting down a tree. A large amount of work was achieved as the spruce was felled and snedded and the brash was burnt while the trees were cut into lengths for habitat piles.
Treecycle – Making a Wooden Bench
A small group of volunteers helped to construct a wooden bench made from recycled timber.
OCTOBER 2008
Lake District – ‘Lakeland Restoration’
In October FACCG volunteers made their second trip to the Lake District to stay at the National Trust High Wray Base Camp and carry out various conservation tasks and take part in numerous outdoor activities and educational visits. Volunteers worked at Monk Coniston once again carrying out essential footpath work to make a woodland walk which will provide an enjoyable and educational outdoor experience for visitors to the property. Volunteers also visited a woodland called Ash Landing and clear felled a large area creating habitat piles and burning the brash. The woodland management for this area is to open up the woodland floor and encourage a greater diversity of plant and tree species. More conservation work was undertaken at High Wray castle with the creation of a footpath and reinstating two large Bore Test Holes.
As always additional activities included woodcraft workshops, archery sessions, quiz nights, a visit to the Lakes Wildlife Park, mountain biking, hill-walking, evening wildlife walks using the night vision binoculars and a shopping day at Keswick.
Make a Difference Day (MADD) – Alva Woodland, Clackmannanshire
In October a group of approximately 45 volunteers headed back to Alva Country Park for Make a Difference Day to work with the Clackmannanshire Biodiversity Officer and Woodland Officer and continued with the management of the Rhododendron on the hill-side. A lot of Rhododendron was cut back and removed and burnt on bonfires, and the large group of volunteers made a considerable impact by clearing the woodland floor from the fast spreading plant.
NOVEMBER 2008
Treecycle Visit – Lochore Meadows Country Park
As part of ‘Treecycle’, volunteers attended a woodland visit at Lochore Meadows hosted by Dallas Seawright, Countryside Ranger. The day began with an educational talk/presentation about woodland management and coppicing. The volunteers then headed outdoors to collect acorns for planting in the tree nursery. Various woodland tasks were undertaken throughout the day and in the evening everyone went out for a night walk to meet the woodland nightlife! The skills and knowledge gained from this visit will be used by the volunteers on Falkland Estate during future ‘Treecycle’ projects
Exxon Mobil, Mossmorran Plant
FACCG is part of a partnership project with Exxon Mobil at its Mossmorran plant in Fife. The project involves undertaking numerous environmental tasks on the Exxon Mobil site. This project was attended by a large number of volunteers and many different tasks were carried out, such as, tree planting, path work, pond clearing, wildflower planting and hedge planting. The aim of the project is to enhance existing habitats on site and create new habitats that will encourage more wildlife to flourish. A large number of schools visit the site for educational purposes and carry out activities such as pond-dipping. Volunteers were treated to a fantastic lunch of sandwiches and hot soup courtesy of Exxon Mobil and the day was extremely successful.
DECEMBER 2008
Expedition "Christmas Pudding", Fordell Firs, Dunfermline
About 30 volunteers attended the Christmas residential, carrying out woodland work and access work with Simon Lockwood (Scottish Native Woods) at Dalgety Bay / Crossgates on the Saturday. Everyone enjoyed a fantastic Christmas dinner and a disco in the evening. On the Sunday volunteers took part in outdoor activities around the centre such as climbing, archery, crate climbing and gladiators. The outdoor activities help to promote team working and leadership among the young people.
Treecycle – Woodcraft Course and Woodland Management, Falkland Estate
After many days of festive celebrations group volunteers were keen to venture outdoors and take part in the Treecycle project over three days at the end of December. Various different activities and tasks took place. A group of volunteers completed a traditional woodcraft course with Dave McKeen from Hollytree Woodcrafts and learned how to craft small wooden stools from Beech, Yew and Oak using traditional tools and techniques. The course helped to increase their confidence and self-esteem and allowed volunteers to be creative in making their own design of stool. A talk and practical demonstration on the safe use of a woodmiser machine and the young volunteers learnt how wood is processed into usable lengths from its natural state. Another volunteer group headed to the policy woodlands to carry out woodland management that involved clearing, cutting, snedding and brashing. The brashing was burnt and the trees were cut into lengths to form habitat piles.
JANUARY 2009
A Walk of Discovery and Exploration
A minibus drive up to Glen Dochart in Perthshire on a crisp frosty winter morning with blue sky and sunshine saw 17 volunteers begin their journey of Discovery and Exploration of the countryside. Starting their walk at Lochearnhead they followed the National Network 7 route (a disused railway line) over the hill towards Killin. Many different species of wildlife were spotted such as owls and deer and the young volunteers were encouraged to look at various habitats to observe how they change during the winter months. An interesting observation was the numerous icicles hanging from rock faces en route and the largest icicle spotted was over a metre long! Along the last stretch of the walk it was an opportunity to observe the groups wildlife reserve in Glen Dochart from many different viewpoints which provided a new perspective of the surrounding landscape.
Treecycle – Felling Trees at Lochore Meadows
A project day was carried out with Dallas Seawright at Lochore Meadows as part of the Treecycle (Woodland Visits) project. Three groups of volunteers spread out over an area in Harran Hill wood and felled a large amount of trees using bow saws. The trees were then processed using saws and loppers and the smaller branches and brash were burnt on large bonfires while the main timber from the trees was cut into smaller lengths and stacked around the woodland to form habitat piles. It was a chilly cold winter day but the large bonfires provided warmth for the hard working volunteers.
Conservation Weekend, Wallace Monument, Stirling
This project took place over two days and the group worked under instruction from Jane Begg (Woodlands Officer, Stirling Council). The conservation tasks included clearing brash and previously felled trees from Abbeycraig Wood that is part of the grounds of the Wallace Monument overlooking Stirling. Once areas were cleared in the woodland numerous native tree species were planted. The weekend provided the opportunity to discover and explore different woodland and to learn about the history of the Wallace monument by attending a talk and exploring the monument itself. On the Saturday evening everyone paid a visit to the local cinema and returned to Travelodge accommodation in Stirling.
Treecycle – Felling in Policy Woodland, Falkland Estate
A day was spent felling trees by chainsaw on Falkland Estate in preparation for a future date where group volunteers would process the felled trees for burning and habitat piles. The two volunteers who carried out the chainsaw felling had recently completed a four day Chainsaw training course funded by a GO4 Volunteering Grant.
FEBRUARY 2009
Treecycle – Woodland Work, Falkland Estate
A continuation of the tree felling, brashing and burning was carried out over another project day on Falkland Estate. Previously volunteers had been given practical demonstrations on felling trees using bow saws and processing them for burning etc., so everyone applied these additional skills to carry on with the seasonal woodland management on the Estate. One young volunteer also learnt how to use the groups routing machine and spent the day making timber signs for a future project at Craggan in Aviemore
Trip to ‘Colin Burt Reserve for Wildlife Conservation’ Glen Dochart
The first trip of the year to the group’s wildlife reserve involved a minibus full of volunteers travelling the two hour journey to Glen Dochart on a cold February morning. Numerous tasks were undertaken such as extensive tree maintenance to approx 1500 young trees on the reserve, a recycled timber bridge (made as part of the Treecycle project) was located and secured in place in the spruce woodland and timber fencing and materials were moved the storage area on the reserve. There were a few new volunteers on the project who had not visited the reserve before and they were given a tour to look at the reserve boundaries, wildlife and habitats and previous projects undertaken.
Treecycle – Woodcraft Course and Woodland Management, Falkland Estate
Continuing with the Treecycle work programme more group volunteers attended another weekend on Falkland Estate. Dave McKeen organised a woodcraft workshop and group staff volunteers supervised the construction of a recycled timber bridge that would be transported to a project in Aviemore later in the month. Further training and practical demonstrations on the woodmiser were lead by Simon Lockwood of Scottish Native Woods and volunteers also carried out more clearing and burning work in the policy woodlands.
Craggan Outdoor Activity Centre, near Granton on Spey
An invite from Craggan Outdoor Centre was extended to FACCG to spend three days helping to build a wildlife trail and make improvements to their surrounding land. In return for the volunteers hard work over the three days they were provided with accommodation in the centre bunkhouse and offered the opportunity to take part in the high level ropes course designed to promote team work and communication among the volunteers. Various tasks were undertaken such as installing a recycled timber bridge (constructed during one of the Treecycle projects), woodland management, installation of nesting boxes for birds, bats, owls and hedgehogs, and erecting signs for the wildlife trail crafted by a young volunteer during the Treecycle project. This project allowed volunteers to discover, explore and conserve a new place in the Cairngorms National Park and improve the environment for the existing wildlife.
Talks and Presentations
Always keen to spread the message about environmental volunteering and how the youngsters work together to achieve so much staff and a small number of young volunteers have been out and about giving presentations to community groups, WRI’s, Rotary Clubs and other youth groups.