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ANGUSalive Annual Report 2019-2020
Case Study
Encourage participation for all
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The perfect place to volunteer
Countryside Adventure
All five of our countryside sites offer extensive opportunities for all types of individuals, community groups, schools and organisations to volunteer. The opportunities are varied and conservation based. Some of the groups who take advantage of the volunteering opportunities include: Angus Works, Angus Carers Centre, Welfare to Work Skills Development Scotland, Dundee and Angus College, Craigmill Skill Centre and Duke of Edinburgh. Volunteering continues to make a positive impact.
Tuesday Club
Weekly supervised volunteer sessions took place at Crombie Country Park and then latterly from Monikie Country Park. During 2019/2020 the Tuesday Club helped with general estate management, amenity management, conservation management of the park and helped greatly with preparation for our Christmas events. Volunteers contributed numerous hours of work in return for friendship, fun and of course some tea and biscuits. There is great comradery and skill sharing within the group which helps volunteers maintain a healthy, active and social life; some volunteers have long term health conditions, and this is the only social activity they take part in. Several say it has been life changing and helpful to know they are making a positive impact on their local community.
Wildlife Survey Volunteers
A regular volunteer at Crombie Country Park, Margaret, carried out our Butterfly Transect Survey for 2019/20 and submitted the results to Butterfly Conservation. This research is essential to understand and plan for species habitat management. The Butterfly Survey took place during a 26 week period during April to October 2019. Margaret also carried out the park’s Wildflower Walk Survey. Surveys can only be carried out in good weather so it ensures a nice day out but it is also Margaret’s way of putting even more back into the park in return for the amount of enjoyment she gets from working with the Tuesday Group. Margaret’s flora data is added to a national database.
Midge Allan
Craigmill Skill Centre Volunteers
Adults from the Craigmill Skill Centre volunteered at Crombie and Monikie Country Park assisting the Countryside Rangers with general park maintenance. The volunteers thoroughly enjoyed their connection with the park and seeing the fruits of their labour. They also had the opportunity to learn a little more about the natural environment.
Forfar Loch volunteering
A team of adult volunteers, junior rangers and participants from Angus Works, Forfar Academy, Greenbuds, Enable and Dundee & Angus College amongst others assisted with the management of Forfar Loch Country Park during 2019/20.
Our fantastic volunteers support the Countryside Rangers with the day-to-day running of the park such as undertaking litter picking, general maintenance, managing path edges, woodland management, laying bark on woodland trails, controlling the spread of invasive species, assisting with the management and enhancement of ourwildlife garden, beds and borders.
The junior rangers assisted the countryside rangers with park maintenance, anti-dog fouling campaigns and habitat enhancement as well as carrying out community litter picks twice a year. All of our volunteers have been an asset during periods of high levels of vandalism which have required major clean ups. Our park has benefited greatly due to the assistance of such a devoted group of volunteers.
Did you know?
Species that can be seen in and around Monikie, Crombie and Forfar Loch Country Parks include otter, beaver, red squirrel, badger and roe deer.
Did you know?
There are 12 or more species of butterfly at Forfar and Crombie Country Parks waiting to be discovered. There is so much to see whilst volunteering!
Did you know?
We have volunteers from age 5 to 75 years. You are never too old to try your hand at something new. Contact our Countryside Adventure team direct to enquire.
Colin McMillan, Countryside Adventure Volunteer
