TCV Scotland Network Bulletin Autumn/Winter 2019

www.tcv.org.uk/scotland

netw rk bulletin Autumn/Winter 2019

for TCV Scotland’s community Network

Inside It’s tree planting season!

Community network member

The Community Woods in Maryculter From monoculture to blossoming biodiversity By Ed Thorogood, Chair, Maryculter Woodlands Trust PHOTOS: ED THOROGOOD

Work party volunteers congregrate at the covered noticeboard for a well-earned cup of tea.

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he Maryculter Woodlands Trust, a local charity, owns and maintains a 67 hectare community wood in Maryculter, Aberdeenshire. We purchased the wood in 2016 from Forestry Commission Scotland thanks to generous donations from the local community and businesses, Aberdeenshire Council and the Scottish Land Fund. Our principle aim is to restore biodiversity to our wood after it had spent the previous 80 years as a commercial conifer plantation. It is a task that will take decades, but it is breathtaking how fast biodiversity has improved since we bought the wood: more bird song, more animal trails, more snuffle holes, more frog spawn, more raptors overhead and a rapid greening of the forest floor (including by ancient woodland indicator species).

We have also been delighted by how much can be achieved with volunteers and the support of local organisations.

As soon as we bought the wood, the Board of the Maryculter Woodlands Trust (all volunteers) decided to start monthly volunteer work parties to help create a wider feeling of community ownership for the restoration project.

We decided to allow only professional contractors to handle the remaining

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commercially planted trees, so that meant that our insurance, arranged through our membership of TCV’s Community Network, would only need to cover hand tool use. Our work parties are attended by local community members covering a wide range of age and physical fitness.

We typically get 10-20 volunteers per month, but the record is over 50 people.

They have taken on all manner of tasks including tree planting (over 2,500 trees so far), bridge building, pond digging, ditch clearing, gorse bashing, planting an orchard and generally maintaining areas where we would prefer not to use large and heavy machines e.g. on the heather moor.

Many local organisations have benefitted from using the wood including the Mucky Boots Forest School (which operates 3 days a week in the wood), the local Scout Group, the local horse-riding school (Redwing), a fitness club (RebelPT) and Maryculter Carriage Driving for the Disabled. They all help us attract volunteers for our restoration project.

Our close proximity to the School of Biological Sciences at Aberdeen University, has enabled master’s students to easily

conduct research in the wood. An investigation of woodland types (National Vegetation Classification) and a pollen analysis of a bog core taken in the wood indicated that upland and wetland birch woodland would be suitable target habitats for restoration. Other student studies have helped us better understand the natural regeneration in the wood, the mammal species present, including red squirrel and pine marten, and all have helped shape our restoration plan.

A collaboration with the Vice-County Recorders of the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) gave us lots of data on what plants we had in the wood – over 220 species as it turns out and still counting! A collaboration with local ecologists who live in the area has given us

The Nest, by artist Stan Brooks.

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a list of all the moths present in the wood, including a nationally rare species, the Northern Marble moth, and 5 others listed as rapidly declining in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.

We are also pleased to now have a collaboration with Gray’s School of Art, part of Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. One of their recent master’s students, the artist Stan Brooks, has built a public participation sculpture, ‘The Nest’, which also serves as an extremely large insect hotel. Stick bundles were placed in the structure by yet more volunteers, this time from the local Lairhillock Primary School, and yes, it took the entire school to complete the task. The Nest also provides a wonderful enclosed space for people to experience.

The key message… is that the benefits of our community wood for wildlife and for the local communities have exceeded our expectations in ways that would have been difficult to predict.

Local businesses in the community have come forward to donate time, materials and equipment to improve the amenity value of the wood. This has included the construction of a bridge over our local Crynoch Burn, creating a tiered meeting place, installing a storage container for tools and materials, and building a covered noticeboard with sedum roof at the main pedestrian entrance.

The key message from the above is that the benefits of our community wood for wildlife and for the local communities have exceeded our expectations in ways that would have been difficult to predict. A further pleasant surprise was discovering how much relevant expertise was present in the local area to help with our goals.

Before and after: Volunteers removed encroaching gorse and birch saplings from the heather moor.

We continue to raise funds through grant applications and organising community events. Our thinning operations have also generated an income from timber sales. All the timber stands have now had at least a first thinning and some areas are already entirely restored to native species, including an area by the Crynoch Burn (pictured).

The next tasks to improve the habitat mix still further are restoring the wetland areas and expanding the small area of Scots Pine and Ericoid Heath, habitats normally dominated by heathers, in our case Calluna vulgaris and Erica cincerea. We will also continue with the refurbishment of the

forest roads to improve accessibility for visitors.

We are just one of many community woods in the country and we are hardly unique in wishing to transform a wood from conifer monoculture back to native woodland.

That said, we hope our story so far might help others start or get involved in similar projects. If our experience is anything to go by you will find rapid rewards for your efforts to the lasting benefit of your local area. Leaving your bit of the planet in a better state than when you started really is something well worth achieving.

One of the refurbished forest roads.

The valley of the Crynoch Burn.

Website: www.maryculterwoods.com Facebook page: Maryculter Woods Email: mwt@maryculterwoods.com paul barclay

Red squirrels are a welcome sight in Maryculter Wood. The native Red squirrel has seen a dramatic decline in recent decades with numbers in the UK down to approximately 140,000, of which 75% are present in Scotland. The fall in numbers is largely due to the non-native Grey squirrel which out-competes the Red squirrel for food, and in many areas also carries the squirrelpox which although harmless to the Grey can be deadly to the Red. Efforts to reverse the decline north of the border are being led by the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project. Find out more about their work and how you can get involved at www.scottishsquirrels.org.uk

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Busy in Cumbernauld The team at Cumbernauld Living Landscape has recently been joined by David Walsh, Senior Project Officer, for whom it’s already been a busy few months, as he explains: become overgrown and impenetrable, so we set up a volunteer day for parents, pupils and our own local volunteers. This event involved coppicing, general tidying-up, and building new planters. It was an amazing day with 35 volunteers – a community chipping in to create a vibrant outdoor space where pupils can experience the wonders and benefits of food growing. The project was such a success that we now have two more schools interested in taking part in similar grounds’ improvement events.

This highlights the benefits of the integrated workspace and partnership working that happens within Cumbernauld Living Landscape.

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have recently been installed as ‘unlocking community capacity’ officer with the project. My role is very exciting and aims to utilise the skills within local communities and put these towards improving Cumbernauld’s green spaces. My first few months have been hectic to say the least!

We have set up two new volunteer groups which have been busy installing wildflower meadows and tackling invasive dogwood within the town, and in the next few months we will be planting 1500 trees!

Learning in Latvia One of the Cumbernauld team, Project Officer Paul Barclay, recently travelled to Latvia to share his experiences, as he explains: On the 24th September, I was lucky enough to be invited to present a case study to the Europarc 2019 conference in Jurmala, Latvia. The Europarc Federation is the representative body for Europe’s Protected Areas, bringing together culture, heritage and nature and highlighting the importance of conservation and the environment to the fabric of society.

At the conference, which I attended with support from Scottish Natural Heritage, I talked about the Wild Ways Well mental wellbeing work that we run as part of Cumbernauld Living Landscape. photos: PAUL BARCLAY

David and young volunteers building planters at St Margaret of Scotland Primary School.

At the time of writing we’re about to run our annual big Halloween event in Cumbernauld

Glen that normally draws a huge crowd. This event is a delight for people of all ages and is usually the most fun day in the calendar for the Cumbernauld team, involving plenty of games and spooky goings on!

A wonderful view over the Great Kemeri Bog and boardwalk.

We have a new trainee. Grant Fleming was formerly a Volunteer Officer with the project who has shown brilliant aptitude and has progressed to the well-deserved post of trainee with the Scottish Wildlife Trust. Along with Grant, I have been setting up community consultation stalls within the town centre. These one-to-ones help to gauge what abilities are out there and how we can harness these energies towards helping Cumbernauld’s greenspaces. It has also provided an excellent opportunity to meet the public and promote the project’s awesome work within the community.

A large part of the project also involves outdoor education and we’ve recently developed close ties with St Margaret of Scotland Primary School in the Carbrain district of the town. Their garden had

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The 2019 EUROPARC conference.

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Jurmala is a famous European health resort, specialising in using nature as a therapy and it was obvious from my brief visit that the people of Latvia value nature and its health-giving effects in a very different way to ourselves in Scotland. Buildings here are designed in harmony with the surrounding trees, even in the busiest urban areas. I was amazed to find a mature woodland in the city centre, full of well-maintained paths, leisure, retail and relaxation areas – imagine that in Glasgow’s George Square!

I visited real wild places too. I took my shoes off and walked a 2km long ‘barefoot’ trail over a variety of natural surfaces, including knee deep in a river! We also went on a 4km boardwalk hike over the Great Kemeri Bog. This is a spectacular site attracting some 200,000 visitors a year and where locals go swimming in the sulphur pools for their apparent health-giving properties. And I was fascinated to discover that parks across Latvia have a network of colour coded walking routes through them, designed so that doctors can prescribe standardised walks to their patients.

It was wonderful to see so many people at the conference itself, our hosts described us all collectively as the ‘green tribe’ working to put nature and conservation at the heart of European life and it did feel like a vast melting point of ideas and viewpoints. For my own presentation I had attendees from all over the world, hearing about the work we are doing in Cumbernauld. Afterwards we workshopped some of the themes and it was wonderful to see that the power of nature as a tool for healing is really moving to the forefront of environmental and health agendas.

Having left home at 4am on Tuesday I arrived home at midnight on Friday, tired but re-energised – which was lucky as I spent that Saturday and Sunday attending events in Cumbernauld, delivering green health and not just talking about it!

The Cumbernauld Living Landscape programme aims to reinforce and expand existing green networks and reconnect the people of the town to their natural environment. The project is led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, North Lanarkshire Council, The Conservation Volunteers, James Hutton Institute and Sanctuary Scotland, and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Past, Present and Future TCV’s 60th Anniversary was highlighted during a special event held in Maryhill Burgh Halls, Glasgow, on 20 September. This was an opportunity to celebrate the tremendous work of our volunteers, and to thank our partner organisations in supporting TCV’s vital work to protect green spaces – creating healthier, happier communities. The event showcased our ‘Past, Present and Future’ to demonstrate the range of conservation, education and nature-based health projects we have worked on and continue to develop with our amazing volunteers.

Following a welcome from Debbie Adams (TCV Director Scotland and Northern Ireland) there were contributions from Sue Hilder (Glasgow City Council and TCV Ambassador), Michael Duncan (RBS), Max Hislop (GCV Green Network Partnership), plus TCV’s Amy Styles with her WildSkills programme trainees (see page 15). And Michelle Munro from Glasgow spoke about why she volunteers with TCV, which she neatly summed up as – “Join in, feel good.”

Many thanks to everyone who joined us in Maryhill, and here’s looking forward to the next 60 years!

New faces TCV has recently appointed new staff members to develop opportunities for volunteers and other participants, particularly around health-based nature projects: • Rob Walsh is delivering Green Gyms for patients, staff and the wider community at Ayr and Ailsa Hospital.

• Adaica Rodriguez is running the new Healthy Active Journeys project in North Ayrshire which involves running Green Gyms and walking groups in Irvine and Kilwinning.

• Josh Lawton has been appointed to develop the Natural Health programme in Dundee, which will feature Green Gyms and other green health activities.

• Andy Johnson has taken on the running of Tollcross Green Gym in Glasgow, and the Neilston Schools Green Gym in East Renfrewshire – see page 11.

• David Walsh has re-joined TCV to run two new volunteer groups as part of Cumbernauld Living Landscape – see opposite.

The TCV website has up-to-date details of the activities being run by the above, along with our long-established groups.

Moving on: Senior Project Officer Lauren Lochrie has recently left TCV “after a great 3 years leading the Glasgow Midweek team. It’s been tough, wonderful, hands-on, inspiring and a joy to have been with TCV over this time – getting to know excellent people all round, staff and volunteers alike! It has been a real pleasure to get to know and work with such creative and inspiring people! TCV has been a fantastic steppingstone for me, playing to and further developing my strengths in outdoor education, conservation and people management. Using this knowledge I’ve decided to pursue my outdoor education and natural wellness interests – www.herbalhomestead.org” Lauren took this selfie in her last week with the regular Glasgow volunteers. We wish her well in her new career.

www.cumbernauldlivinglandscape.org.uk

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Building Roots

Rainbow Muslim Women’s Group

A very wet day in late September didn’t dampen the spirits of all those who gathered at beautiful Newhailes House and Gardens, by Musselburgh, East Lothian, for the official launch and celebration of TCV’s ‘Building Roots’. Any excuse for a picnic!

JULIA DUNCAN

“I brought my friend with me to the Hen Shed. She’s always stuck in the house, by herself. But she came with me. It was a lovely day. She said it’s so lovely here.

She enjoyed the flowers. She felt good about herself. She was happy.” Rehana

Debbie Adams, TCV Scotland Director, with volunteer Tarek Awad.

Building Roots is a two-year programme of nature-based heritage visits, activities and learning for Syrian refugee families living in Central Scotland. The programme aims to introduce the families to many of our special natural and historic places, whilst helping them put down roots in a new country. Building Roots is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund with support from partner organisations including Historic Environment Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and the National Trust for Scotland.

The families and other guests were welcomed to the Newhailes celebration

by Debbie Adams, TCV Scotland Director, followed with some words of support from Stuart Maxwell of the National Trust for Scotland and Craig Fletcher of Historic Environment Scotland.

Tarek continued his speech in Arabic, through translator Jalal AbuDiab: “We want to reflect our background and culture, to show that Syrian people are open to others, and at the same time we would love to integrate and learn of the background and culture of others.

Generally, the main aim and goal of the Building Roots project is to get us introduced to Scottish heritage, culture and

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history. The great thing is that the activities target all ages and backgrounds so everyone can participate. If you are asking about suggestions and new places to go – we would love to go further, for longer, and discover new places.”

“We want to reflect our background and culture, to show that Syrian people are open to others…”

And remarking on the torrential rain, Tarek said: “We know you are doing the best you can, and it is very appreciated, but from our end we need to always be ready to go out. And because we are living in Scotland we need to get used to the weather – at the end of the day we are living here so we need to get used to it.” [Spoken like a true Scot!]

Building Roots is run by TCV Senior Project Officers Tina Reuter and Doro Richter, who jointly commented: “It is such an honour to run this project and to be able to provide interesting, engaging and enjoyable activities to Syrian individuals and families. The people we have met on this programme have been wonderful, and they have loved learning about and exploring places they would otherwise not have been able to see”.

“I really enjoyed the fresh air there, the environment, the work we do, and that garden. It’s amazing. We grow fruits and vegs and then the next time you go there, they’ve all grown, the flowers are coming out. It’s very special. it’s amazing to see what we have grown.

Also special is cooking on the wood fire like in Pakistan. It reminds me of my childhood. When we make food on the woodfire, it’s like a special smell and it’s amazing. The TCV staff are friendly and so nice. We enjoy the woodwork as well.

It’s amazing to go there. It’s amazing to work at the Jupiter. I love every moment when I go there.” Samina “Earlier this week we had a lovely day at the Jupiter centre. The newly built clay oven is almost ready for use! So, we are planning to have a big picnic day at the Jupiter centre where we will be making food using the clay oven!”

Group Facebook post www.rainbowmuslimwomensgroup.org RMWG

Tarek Awad, a Syrian volunteer with the programme also made a contribution, which he began in English: “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming today. The programme Building Roots helps Syrian families to spend time outdoors and learn about Scotland.”

Rainbow Muslim Women’s Group are a Falkirk-based organisation aiming to provide social and educational opportunities for women from ethnic minority backgrounds. They are regular visitors to TCV’s Hen Shed project at Jupiter Urban Wildlife Centre, Grangemouth. Here, some of the group members provide some feedback:

Enjoying the results of the new clay oven.

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More trees please

Trees are nature’s true multi-taskers – they provide a home for a myriad of living things from birds, animals and insects to fungi and lichens. Trees can alleviate flooding and provide shade and shelter for livestock. In urban areas they act as filters for noise and pollutants and soften the hard-edged built environment. Trees are a source of fuel and provide timber for industry, house building and construction, furniture making and a host of crafts. And, trees absorb carbon dioxide, one of the main greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. Even when dead, trees and fallen timber can provide an important micro-habitat for a wide range of bugs and beasties, mushrooms and mammals. What’s not to like about trees?

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t’s estimated that 1.5 billion trees need to be planted in the UK to help reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Planting trees alone won’t stop climate change, but it can make a significant contribution. Scotland currently has about 19% of its landmass with forest cover, which the Scottish Government has targeted to increase to 21% by 2032. While much of this will be commercial forestry, conservation organisations and community groups have an important role to play.

Do your bit – get planting!

Depending on the space available, you may plant a single tree, small copse or your very own woodland. For conservation purposes it’s usually recommended to plant native UK species whenever possible, as these generally provide the most welcoming habitats for our other indigenous flora and fauna. Native trees include oak, ash, hazel, rowan, birch, willow and Scot’s pine.

Tree types Trees for planting come in different types: Young tree saplings, also called whips, come as bare root stock or cell-grown in containers with the roots in a small plug of compost. They are usually one or 2 years

old and vary in height up to about 80cm.

They are usually bought in bundles of a single species or in packs of mixed species for particular purposes eg a copse mix or for their enhanced wildlife value etc.

Larger (older) trees are supplied as bare root, in a container, or with a root ball of soil protected by sacking or plastic.

Biggest isn’t necessarily best Small saplings don’t look very impressive when first planted but they do become established better in the longer term than large trees. They are also cheaper! The main advantage of planting large trees is to provide an immediate impact eg if your project has a tree planting ceremony with a celebrity or dignitary such as the local provost.

NB. Before you start planting trees consider whether your planned site may be prone to vandalism or other hazards eg overly enthusiastic maintenance mowers!

How? Young saplings are usually planted in a slit or ‘L’ shaped notch made with a spade. The sapling is placed in the gap (which you may need to lever open with the spade) so that the sapling’s root collar is level with the soil surface. The root collar is where the roots join the main stem or trunk and is marked by a slight change in colour. The sapling may need a little shake to spread the roots evenly. The soil around the sapling is then gently firmed up with your sole to remove any air pockets, before usually adding a tree guard or shelter/tube (see below).

Large trees are planted in a hole, just deep and wide enough for the roots to spread out, before backfilling the soil. Gently shake the tree to settle the soil around the roots,

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and then drive in a stake and secure to the tree with a tree tie. Alternatively, place the stake in the pit first before the tree and soil. Gently firm up the soil with your sole – don’t stamp! The original turf is divided and replaced upside down around the base of the tree. To discourage competing plants and grasses, a mulch mat or tree bark (or similar product) is sometimes placed around the tree base. The stake will provide support to the tree for the first few years, after which it should be removed.

To prevent damage from nibbling animals such as voles, rabbits and deer, newly planted trees are often protected by tree guards or shelters – usually made of plastic. These can give trees a significantly increased chance of survival in their early years. Spiral tree guards are usually used on smaller trees with a supporting cane placed inside. Larger whips may require a bigger shelter or tube which are attached to a wooden support stake with a tree tie. It’s claimed that bio-degradable tree guards will eventually break down into the surrounding vegetation and soil, although how long this will take is open to question.

With current concerns about the damaging effect of plastic on the environment you may want to minimise or avoid plastic tree 1

2 slide plant into notch

move back and forth to open notch

2nd cut 1st cut

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close notch

Notch planting

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guards altogether – if the planting site and conditions allow. Another downside of tree guards are their high visibility which may attract the attention of vandals.

Whatever their age or size, newly planted trees will benefit from a good watering, especially if planted during a dry spell.

When?

The planting season for bare root stock is generally between late autumn and early spring, when the trees are dormant and can be moved with less chance of damage or stress. Cell or container grown trees have more latitude and can be planted throughout the year but avoid planting trees in extreme conditions eg when the ground is frozen or waterlogged.

One to plant: The Rowan

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Suppliers Tree suppliers include: • Alba Trees: www.albatrees.co.uk • Craigmarloch Nurseries: www.craigmarloch.co.uk • Scottish Fruit Trees: www.scottishfruittrees.com • British Hardwood Tree Nursery: www.britishhardwood.co.uk • The Woodland Trust: www.woodlandtrust.org.uk Other native tree suppliers are listed at: www.floralocale.org

Grow your own

heavily scented flowers provide nectar and pollen for bees and other pollinating insects, and the leaves are eaten by many species of moth caterpillars.

People have traditionally used Rowan for carving, tool handles etc and it’s good for firewood. The berries are bitter to the taste but can be used in a jelly, usually served with game meats. It was once planted beside houses to ward off witches, and here in Scotland it was widely considered taboo to cut a Rowan down.

Randen Pedersen

The Rowan is a native deciduous tree growing mainly in the north and west of the UK, and throughout Scotland.

Growing up to 15 metres the Rowan is popular for planting in urban streets and gardens. It is also called the Mountain Ash, so named because it grows at higher altitudes than other native trees.

Its leaves are also similar to the Ash tree, although the two species are not actually related. The Rowan’s most distinctive feature are its scarlet berries which in Autumn and Winter attract birds such as the thrush and blackbird, and Scandinavian winter migrants including the fieldfare and waxwing (pictured). The

Using plastic tree guards has both advantages and disadvantages.

Rowan saplings are one of the species supplied as part of the I Dig Trees campaign (see page 10).

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Grow your own It’s possible to collect and grow your own tree seeds, including acorns and hazelnuts, which can be a good project for school children. At its simplest this can involve placing the seeds with compost in a pot or tray, put outside in a sheltered spot, and with a little watering watch them grow! You might cover the pot or tray with some netting to keep the birds off. Once the seedlings have emerged in spring and put on some growth they may need to be placed in a bigger pot for a further period, before planting them out in your chosen site. These activities could tie into Seed Gathering Season (see overleaf).

Tree seed collection and growing advice is available at: • www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees/ advice/how-seed • treegrowing.tcv.org.uk/grow

Fruitful trees Fruit trees can be a welcome addition to a community garden, school or greenspace – providing a tasty harvest for people and wildlife. Apple, pear, plum, cherry and damson trees can be grown individually, or why not create your very own orchard?

As little as five fruit trees can constitute an orchard, so you may need less space than you think.

Dozens of fruit trees are available, including many Scottish ‘heritage’ varieties with wonderful names such as Beauty of Moray, Lass O’Gowrie and Scotch Dumpling (all apple trees).

Coppicing Coppicing, or cutting down a tree to produce new growth, has been a way of harvesting wood for thousands of years. Far from being destructive, coppicing has been the reason why many woodlands have survived, because the woodland had an economic value.

Coppicing rejuvenates the tree, so some coppice stumps or ‘stools’ are hundreds of years old and are an important genetic link back to the ancient woodlands.

In the past, coppice products were used for building, fencing, fuel, furniture and many other uses. Nothing was wasted.

Many of these traditional products are still needed, and new products and markets have been developed.

Coppicing requires only simple hand tools and produces material which can be manually handled, the reason for its importance in the past and its relevance today.

Practical Coppicing Course 28 November Stoneheap Wood, West Lothian If you would like to get some hands-on coppicing experience this TCV course, in conjunction with the owners of Stoneheap Wood, can provide an ideal introduction. Thanks to players of the People’s Postcode Lottery the course is offered at a special offer price. Details are available at TCV Scotland’s Eventbrite page: tinyurl.com/coppicingcourse

Fruit trees and bushes are usually grown from rooted stock, and preferably placed in a sunny, sheltered position. If space is tight, ‘espalier’ apple or pear trees are ‘trained’ to grow on a wall or fence.

Take care If you have ordered bare root trees don’t let the roots dry out! After delivery keep the roots moist, or temporarily dig or ‘heel in’ the trees into soil until they are ready for planting.

Trees will benefit from weeding around their base in the first few years to remove other plants and grasses competing for nutrients.

An apple tree planted beside the Summerhouse at Gartnavel Community Garden, Glasgow.

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Further information and resources A number of organisations offer a wealth of knowledge and resources to appreciate our trees and encourage more planting: • Woodland Trust: www.woodlandtrust.org.uk • Tree Council: www.treecouncil.org.uk • Community Woodlands Association: www.communitywoods.org • Reforesting Scotland: www.reforestingscotland.org

the 2019 Corporate Social Responsibility Project in the 20th annual Charity Times Awards.

It’s back! The I Dig Trees campaign is running again during the 2019/20 tree planting season. Over the past four planting seasons the campaign, organised

by TCV and OVO Energy, has provided free tree packs to hundreds of schools and community groups throughout the UK. During 2018/19, 160,000 trees were planted, of which 23,000 were planted by 67 groups the length and breadth of Scotland. The I Dig Trees campaign won

• Land and Forestry Scotland: www.forestryandland.gov.scot • Royal Horticultural Society: www.rhs.org.uk

Details are available at www.tcv.org.uk/community/i-dig-trees

Tree Planting and Aftercare © Dave Conner

Tree dressing at the Clootie Well, Munlochy, near Inverness.

National Tree Week and Seed Gathering Season are both promoted by the Tree Council: www.treecouncil.org.uk

planting day will be held with events across the country. Details available at www.woodlandtrust.org.uk

The Big Climate Fightback The Woodland Trust is calling on one million people to pledge to plant a tree to help fight the climate emergency. This year, on 30 November, a mass participation tree

Tree Dressing Day falls on the first weekend of December and was initiated

by Common Ground in 1990 as ‘a chance for the whole community to gather and celebrate the leafy friends we all have in common. It’s also a chance for communities to reflect on the social and cultural history of their local area, and the role trees have played in shaping this story.’ www.commonground.org.uk Apple Day was established by Common Ground and is held annually on or around 21 October and is a great opportunity to celebrate one of our most popular fruits and its place in our landscape and culture: www.commonground.org.uk/apple-day

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• Scottish Forestry: www.forestry.gov.scot

During the coming planting season we hope to plant a whopping 350,000 trees!

Community organisations are invited to order their tree packs now, with delivery from mid-November until April 2020.

National Tree Week is the annual UKwide tree planting campaign which actually runs over ten days in late November/early December.

Collecting acorns is a good start to growing an oak from seed.

• Royal Scottish Forestry Society: www.rsfs.org.uk

Open for applications!

More campaigns:

Seed Gathering Season each Autumn encourages people to collect and grow tree seeds.

• Trees for Life: www.treesforlife.org.uk

published by TCV This comprehensive handbook gives clear advice on choosing, planting and caring for young trees to ensure the success of planting schemes, from individual trees to new native woodlands. Detailed information is included on propagating trees from locally collected seeds and cuttings, to produce planting stock of ‘local provenance’ which has special value in maintaining local variations in species. Information is included on establishing woodland ground flora and encouraging natural regeneration of trees.

Tree Planting and Aftercare is one of a series of TCV practical handbooks available online for a small subscription.

Details at: www.conservationhandbooks.com The print version is available from Summerfield Books: www.summerfieldbooks.com This feature includes information which first appeared in the Autumn 2017 Network Bulletin.

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Volunteer to Senior Project Officer Many people working for TCV start out as volunteers themselves. A recent example is Andy Johnson who explains his journey here from volunteer to staff member.

How did you get interested in conservation?

I got an entry-level job in a warehouse for a company that distributed concrete repair materials, and over the course of a few years, worked my way up to be Warehouse, Transport, and Logistics Manager. So, I was basically arranging the shipment of materials that were hazardous to the environment and helping to make the world less safe and uglier, one grey building at a time. I like to think my work with TCV is making up for any damage I may have contributed to in the past. My interest in ecology and conservation really came from reading books and watching wildlife documentaries. We can thank David Attenborough for most of that!

How did you get involved with TCV? I moved to up to Glasgow three years ago and was struggling to find work. I searched online for opportunities where I could work outdoors with nature, and an advert popped up for volunteering with TCV. Obviously, the conservation aspect appealed to me, but it was the human element that sealed the deal.

What did you do as a Volunteer Officer?

After a while as a regular volunteer I became a Volunteer Officer which gave me extra responsibility, and a greater insight into how TCV operates. I assisted several Senior Project Officers on various projects,

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Andy and volunteer Hannah planting bulbs. so over the course of a year I helped make paths and raised beds with the Glasgow Midweek group, planted trees and wildflower patches in Faifley (Clydebank), did craft activities with the Green Gym, and so much more. That’s one of the things I love about TCV – there’s such a huge variety in the activities you can get involved in. There’s something for everyone.

Have you gained any skills?

TCV has been incredible in helping me further my skillset. There is so much support and encouragement within the organisation, and as a Volunteer Officer I went on many training courses, ranging from Outdoor Leadership to Brushcutter Operation, Risk Assessment and Safeguarding to everyone’s favourite – General Data Protection Regulation!

But the main thing that I’ve taken from this, is the confidence I’ve gained, which has not only helped me in my new role but has also improved my day-to-day life.

How did you progress to working for TCV? Whilst acting as a Volunteer Officer on so many different projects, I was able to build relationships with Senior Project Officers and show what I could bring to the team. Someone must have seen my value somewhere, so when an opening became available, I was considered, interviewed, and ultimately invited to become a Senior Project Officer myself.

What’s your role now?

I actually have two part-time roles: one with the Tollcross Park Allotments Green Gym in Glasgow, and the other with the Neilston Schools Green Gym, in East Renfrewshire.

What I love about the Tollcross project is

ANDY JOHNSON

I spent my early childhood living in London’s green belt, so was fortunate enough to have access to many fields and woods to play in. I loved climbing trees and searching for rabbits, so it was there that I really started to appreciate nature, and how everything in the environment was interconnected. I spent the next 25 years in much more urban areas, where there were few trees, and even fewer rabbits, so I always felt uneasy about the impact we were having on the planet.

Some of Andy’s Tollcross regulars – Donald, Lauren and Regina repurposing a wooden pallet into fencing. that I’m helping people cope with some of their problems. It might not seem like much, but just getting out of the house, doing a bit of gardening, and having a chat over a nice cup of tea can really help improve their well-being.

At the schools I work with kids of primary age, so as you can imagine they’re full of the enthusiasm and wonder we often lose as we get older. I spend each lesson teaching them about a different aspect of conservation. Be it the role fungi has in nature, or how to make soap from conkers, it’s nice to think that I can help cement that feeling of awe in them, and help the next generation appreciate how important conservation really is.

Any last words?

Volunteering with TCV has been such a rewarding experience. I urge anyone who has an interest in nature and the environment to come along to a session.

Not only will you meet like-minded people, but you’ll be making a real difference – not only to the planet, but also to your community.

Details of Andy’s Tollcross Green Gym are given on the TCV website.

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Community network member

Erskine Community Garden Originally a small village on the southern banks of the River Clyde, Erskine became one of Scotland’s New Towns in the 1970s with further expansion in the 1980s and 1990s. The town has a number of extensive green spaces and parks, including Barwood Park which is the location of Erskine Community Garden. Here, Heather Clisset, Chairperson of the garden group, outlines their aims and activities:

back some overgrowth, for example. We saw how volunteers were enjoying certain elements of the litter picks, specifically being outside, and being in company.

The garden was born out of the litter picks we have been organising for the last 11 years, primarily to clear litter from the path networks around Erskine. This evolved into some minor conservation work – cutting

We got agreement from Renfrewshire Council who granted our licence and Erskine Community Garden became a reality on 1st July 2018. We got to work immediately, cutting back overgrowth,

The idea started to formulate of developing an area within the town that would get people outdoors – a safe, multi-functional space but with an emphasis on being peaceful and welcoming, but also making it useable for outdoor education, and to show how planting specific types of plants can make a positive impact on our wildlife neighbours.

discovering a long-forgotten path, sorting out various species of plants, setting up a fairy village to engage children, and working on a plan to create flowerbeds to add colour, etc. We were gifted plants from local residents and the nearby Caulders Garden Centre. The Erskine Rotary Club donated 8 fruit trees and veterans at Erskine Hospital also donated trees and plants. Bravehound, which supports former servicemen and women, likewise donated plants and other items including a raised bed which we made into a children’s play plant station where children can plant things and see how, and if, they grow.

It’s a fantastic place to come – we absolutely enjoy working in it and we love it when people come by and have a chat with us. We hope we’re making an impact in the community in a good, positive way – whether it’s for people who want to come here and sit down and relax, or for people who just want a reason to get out of the house. We have activities for children and for those that are children at heart.

The garden work is all done by volunteers.

Whether it’s digging a vegetable patch, cutting the grass, looking after the plants and flowers, planting trees, monitoring wildlife visitors, sweeping the path, installing bug hotels, making a labyrinth, painting benches... there’s a lot to do!

Young volunteers Abigail, Ryan and Connor with their mum Carole during a litter pick.

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We hold various events in the garden throughout the year. These have included a

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HEATHER CLISSET

Volunteers planting fruit trees.

HEATHER CLISSET

Chairperson Heather and husband Daniel checking one the fruit trees.

At all times, volunteers of all ages are a huge help, support and necessary to make the garden work.

We get great assistance not just from the community but local businesses, and Renfrewshire Council have also been great and we’re part of its ‘Team Up to Clean Up’ litter campaign. This has put us in contact with like-minded local volunteer groups and helps us to support each other.

It’s important we involve young people here – that we can support them, and they can support us, and we can learn from each other. Especially at this moment, young people like Greta Thunberg have such a strong, powerful voice for the environment.

And they’re so enthusiastic. It’s fantastic we have great young people within Erskine and the amount of fun and positivity that they bring – I think it’s quite infectious.

people are doing, you can get ideas, and they have some training in things which we’re hoping to do in the future too.

Looking ahead Plans for the future are to keep on working as a community group, to get more people involved, and to always be open to everyone. And to also do some education about why we need to care for our environment – whether it’s the garden, the trees or anywhere else within our community.

A colourful visitor to the garden, the Red Admiral is one of our most widespread and identifiable butterflies with its distinctive red bands and white spots. It likes flowery habitats and is mainly a migrant visitor from North Africa and the continent.

www.erskinecommunitygarden.co.uk facebook.com/ErskineCommunityGarden Email: enquiries@erskinecommunitygarden.co.uk

TCV I’ve known about TCV for quite some time, so they were always there, and it is good to have a wee look at what projects they were doing, like the Green Gym. I saw we could join TCV as a group and it’s been great – you can network, you can see what other

Autumn/Winter 2019

The garden’s storage container decorated by local artist Steve Blackmore (Bmore Sketchy artwork).

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HEATHER CLISSET

Summer party, pooch party, Wave of Light vigil, Remembrance Sunday, Holocaust Memorial Day, and Christmas party. These and other events give support to our community and encourage local people to get out and be in the company of others.

Ta-da!

Congratulations to our Heroes!

To help celebrate TCV’s 60th anniversary in 2019, our Hero Awards have been held to recognise many of our great projects and people, and their brilliant work in communities and green spaces across the UK. In Scotland we’re delighted that several of our volunteers and projects were winners or runners-up, as voted by TCV staff, in three of the Hero Awards categories and major themes of TCV activity.

Debbie Adams, Director Scotland & Northern Ireland, with Scotland Counts’ Amanda and Kirsty.

MARK SLATER

MARK SLATER

MARK SLATER

Seven Lochs volunteer Stacey (right) with her group leader Ali Lawson.

Falkirk stalwarts Craig and Henry.

Ralph Walker

MARK SLATER

The WildSkills team: Liam, Nicola, Johnny and Craig (minus Claire who couldn’t make the ceremony).

London City Hall overlooking Tower Bridge was the spectacular setting for the Awards.

The 60th Anniversary Hero Awards were possible thanks to funding from players of the People’s Postcode Lottery and their Postcode Green Trust.

Learning and Skills TCV Star of the Future Award Winner – Stacey Allan, Seven Lochs Employability Programme Runner-up – WildSkills Programme, Stirling – see opposite

The worthy Awards winners and runnersup are: Health and Wellbeing TCV Outdoor and Active Award Winner – Lisa Bedford, Leeds Runner-up – Lavender Pond, London Community TCV Heart of the Community Award Winner – Knockbracken Community Allotments, Belfast Runners-up – Craig Stirling and Henry Bell, Falkirk Environment TCV Green Hero Award Winner – Scotland Counts project with Amanda Malcolm and Kirsty Crawford Runner-up – Owen Johnson, Sussex

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People’s Postcode Lottery Volunteer of the Year Award Winner – Colin Goldsack, Hastings Runner-up – Dave Lawson, Watford A President’s Award was given to Chris Murray and a Special Recognition AWARD was presented to Penge Green Gym. The Awards winners, along with TCV staff and guests, came together for a special event at City Hall, London on 23 October.

During the event, short films were shown highlighting the fantastic work and dedication of all the Award winners. These films can be viewed on the TCV website and youtube.com/tcvfilms

Commenting on the Awards, Debbie Adams, TCV Director Scotland and Northern Ireland, said:

“It is fantastic to be able to recognise the contribution of these volunteers and the staff who support them.

They represent the breadth of individual, community and environmental transformation TCV makes across the UK. We have some great runners up and winners in Scotland and I’d encourage you to look at the videos. They are inspiring.

This work has been supported by many funders and partners and I thank them for their support. These winners are also your winners.” networkbulletin

Since March 2019, a group of five young people has been part of TCV’s WildSkills programme and Community Jobs Scotland, which is delivered by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) working in partnership with the Scottish Government and Scotland’s voluntary sector.

“I have acquired a lot of knowledge and skills from my time with TCV and have had training in things as varied as First Aid at Work and making a clay oven. I’ve also built steps, boardwalks, paths, dead hedges and raised beds, and been involved in community engagement. These experiences will definitely improve my prospects - I think anything that you take care with and love doing will help you move forward and climb up the ladder to where you want to be in the future. Without TCV none of this would be possible, so thanks to everyone involved. It means a lot to me and my family to have this opportunity to leave my mark on this world.”

Johnny Short

Here, the trainees outline their WildSkills experience up until now: “I have really enjoyed the traineeship so far, and feel it is benefiting both me and my CV. I have carried out various practical conservation tasks, such as removing invasive species, path improvement work and creating a wildflower meadow. I have gained skills using both hand and power tools and made raised beds, pallet stools, and bug hotels. My species identification skills have improved largely from spending more time outdoors interacting with nature, but also from taking part in various species identification workshops. One of the highlights of the traineeship so far has been making a clay oven at the Jupiter Centre, and then reaping the rewards in the form of pizza!” Nicola Dempster “My time so far with TCV has been rewarding as well as great fun. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed learning a variety of new skills as well as working alongside my fellow trainees, project officers and team leaders. A highlight was assisting Butterfly Conservation with the removal of invasive spruce and rhododendron from peat bogs on Islay. We were lucky with the weather and the scenery was stunning… and the whisky distilleries weren’t bad either.

“I’ve picked up numerous skills and knowledge from all the TCV Staff I’ve worked with such as leadership and carpentry skills. This is on top of training courses such as First Aid at Work, Mental Health First Aid and Drystone Dyking. I think this traineeship has helped give me the experience and knowledge necessary to get a job in conservation. However, the transferrable skills such as IT and leadership will stand me in good stead for future

Autumn/Winter 2019

photos: AMY STYLES

Young people develop their WildSkills

“Well, things have been sensational so far and I’m expecting it to be the same throughout the reminder of my traineeship. I have learned so much and intend continuing to do so. There have been many highlights, the biggest being the Hero Awards ceremony in London [described opposite]. It was by far not just the highlight of my time with TCV but my life so far! Just being in the same room with so many inspirational people with different backstory’s was really heart-warming.

employment with any organisation. I’m looking forward to the second part of my traineeship and to hopefully take more of a leading role in the planning and execution of sessions.” Liam Morton “Things have gone very well, and I have gained new skills and experiences in many new areas. Highlights have included leading the Stirling midweek group at Cardowan Moss, 10 spot pot beetle surveying in the Black Wood of Rannoch and building the clay oven at the Jupiter Centre.

“I have gained lots of new skills and knowledge including leadership, First Aid training, clay oven building, boardwalk assembly, safeguarding training, planning sessions and weekly schedules, as well as learning how to do tool and safety talks for the volunteer groups. The programme will definitely improve my prospects as I feel the skills I’m learning will help improve my chances of future employment, as well as giving me more confidence in myself. I’m looking forward to the remainder of the traineeship and hope to further gain and develop new skills as well as build on the skills I have already picked up so far.”

Craig Thomson

“Time has flown by so far trying to prioritise training courses, activity sessions, events and trips away! Particular highlights have included: • Finding a type of hoverfly that hadn’t been found in Glasgow before during a bioblitz at Kelvingrove and getting the credit from Richard Weddle of the Glasgow Natural History Society.

• A trip to Islay with Butterfly Conservation to remove invasive species for a week during which we had a couple of days off to explore (distilleries, Kildalton Cross, American monument, a broch, pristine beaches) and see the wildlife (choughs, red deer, seals). The weather was so sunny I even got sunburned.

• Running my own session at the Gartnavel Garden project.

• Helping a mole in a car park and moving it to safety. I’d never seen a live one before.

• Hedgehog First Aid at Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue where I learned a lot and got to hold a couple of hedgehogs.

• Becoming a hedgehog champion for Hogwatch.

• Attending a Mammal Tracking course.

• Working with TCV’s volunteer groups.

“During this time, I’ve learned how to use hand tools and power tools to build planters, hedgehog homes, wooden stools, plant pot holders etc. I’ve also improved my plant, tree and other species ID skills. I think the WildSkills programme will massively improve my prospects. I was looking to get into the sector for a while and didn’t know where to start, but now I think I’ve got enough experience and knowledge down to apply for jobs.” Claire MacKenzie

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2019: Free Community Network membership!

The Network Bulletin is produced three times annually and contains news and features on Community Network member groups, plus TCV Scotland projects, programmes and volunteers.

Follow us online8 youtube.com/tcvfilms

twitter.com/tcvscotland #JoinInFeelGood

TCV Scotland Head Office 24 Allan Park Stirling FK8 2QG T 01786 479697 E scotland@tcv.org.uk

Chestnut Fund • Discounts from TCV suppliers of tools, trees, and forest school equipment • Mini handbooks to download free • Up-to-date resources including health and safety and risk assessments • Access to the Community Hub – an online tool to record volunteer records, task information, collate data and create reports • Quarterly UK newsletters – which offer information, news, updates and stories from members of the Community Network

• Discounted Practical Handbooks • Additional information and support to groups in Scotland

Unit M1 143 Charles Street Glasgow G21 2QA T 0141 552 5294 E glasgow@tcv.org.uk

This offer is open to existing and new members, and has been made possible through the generous support provided by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery. Eligible groups include community organisations, Friends of groups, schools, wildlife groups, allotment and growing projects etc. Details of this great offer and an application form are available at: www.tcv.org.uk/communities

Jupiter Urban Wildlife Centre Wood Street Grangemouth FK3 8LH T 01324 471600 E a.hamilton@tcv.org.uk

MARK SLATER

facebook.com/tcvscotland The Network Bulletin is published by TCV Scotland.

Views and opinions expressed in the Bulletin do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or of The Conservation Volunteers.

St Joseph’s Academy Grassyards Road Kilmarnock KA3 7SL T 01563 544304 E j.grant@tcv.org.uk 9 West Gorgie Park Hutchinson Road Edinburgh EH14 1UT T 0131 664 6170 E edinburgh@tcv.org.uk

Editor Graham Burns E g.burns@tcv.org.uk ©The Conservation Volunteers 2019. Charity registered in Scotland SC039302, and England 261009. TM The Green Gym programme is registered and protected across the UK and the EU.

Unit 7C Henderson Road Longman Industrial Estate Inverness IV1 1SN T 01463 811 967 E inverness@tcv.org.uk

It’s in the bag with Community Network members Erskine Community Garden – see page 12.

Free Community Network membership!

It’s great to be here! The Scottish contingent at the TCV 60th Anniversary Hero Awards in London. See page 14.

TCV UK Head Office Sedum House Mallard Way Doncaster DN4 8DB T 01302 388883 E information@tcv.org.uk [NetBul-Autumn/Winter-19/GB/RB]

• Discounted insurance through Zurich Municipal • Access to the Grantfinder funding database and to the

HEATHER CLISSET

As part of TCV’s 60th anniversary celebrations during 2019 we are offering eligible groups a year’s free membership of the TCV Community Network, which encourages and supports community groups and organisations to enhance their local greenspaces. Community Network membership provides a number of benefits:

TCV Scotland’s community, health and environmental volunteering activities are supported by:

nature.scot

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