TCV Scotland Network Bulletin February 2021

www.tcv.org.uk/scotland

netw rk bulletin

February 2021 for TCV Scotland’s community Network

Fife and Kinross Bat Group hedge planting for I Dig Trees.

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netw rk bulletin Contents click to navigate I Dig Trees.........................................................3 Tree petition................................................... 4 The big picture...............................................5 Going online....................................................6 Something for the youngsters...............7 Laptop learning.............................................7

Welcome Welcome to our latest Network Bulletin featuring members of TCV’s Community Network, from the beautiful Isle of Gigha to the greenery of Glasgow’s Linn Park. How have they coped with Covid, and what are they looking forward to when ‘normality’ returns? And what have TCV Scotland’s own staff and volunteers been up to in recent months? We hear from some of them.

Although most conservation volunteer groups, including TCV’s, have been suspended during the latest lockdown, there are still many opportunities available for people to connect with nature – in your garden, on your daily walk, and increasingly online. As well as filling some ‘spare’ time, these activities also provide benefits for people’s physical and mental health and wellbeing. We highlight some of the activities you can take part in, and there are plenty of them!

The view from God’s Isle .........................8 Building Roots through Covid............... 11 Robin Red? Breast..................................... 13 Friends prevail on the southside......... 15 On site and online in Dundee............... 18 Garden volunteers ticking over..........20 Five Ways to Wellbeing.......................... 22 Free membership......................................24

Building nest boxes with Building Roots – page 11. ALICE MCGILLICUDDY 2

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The tree planters at Galston Primary School, East Ayrshire.

The annual I Dig Trees campaign for 2020/21, organised by TCV and OVO Energy, has been another fantastic success, albeit affected somewhat by the Covid pandemic. Now in its 6th year, a total of 370,000 free trees have been delivered, or scheduled for delivery, to 717 groups throughout the UK. Of these 84 are in Scotland, from Orkney in the north to Dumfries and Galloway in the south, and include an incredible diversity of youth, school and community groups, just one example being the Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust – see page 8.

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Tree petition TCV is supporting our I Dig Trees campaign partners, OVO Energy, in their petition for the UK Government to enshrine tree planting in law. Tree planting is integral to tackling the climate crisis. A legally binding target to plant 30,000 hectares of new woodland each year to 2050, has been recommended by the Committee on Climate Change, that considers best sustainable practices in urban and rural tree planting could help increase biodiversity, reconnect people with nature and deliver on our net zero target.

Sign the petition here And the Woodland Trust has a wealth of information on the subject here

The I Dig Trees are all native species in packs of 50 trees suited to particular growing environments. If the latest Covid lockdown has interrupted your group’s planting plans, the trees can be ‘heeled-in’ to the ground for planting later on, if necessary during the next tree planting season. Since the campaign first began in 2015, a total of 1,444,150 trees have been allocated through I Dig Trees.

Pictured on the front cover are members of the Fife and Kinross Bat Group, who were again pleased to take part in the campaign: “I’m pleased to say that we had a fantastic day for our tree planting event, taking care to make sure we adhered to any Covid restrictions! We had 14 people come along to plant a new 200m hedgerow between fields used for grazing. We had a handful of the willow and birch trees left over, so created a small copse in a damp area of the farm for the tree roots to help absorb some of the water. Once again, thanks so much to TCV and I Dig Trees. We really enjoy doing these events, having committed to hedgerow creation and improvement actions in the Fife LBAP (Local Biodiversity Action Plan), so the trees you provide really help us to achieve our aims!”

“All our trees have arrived with lots of them planted and the rest are heeled-in for an area we are waiting for planning permission to clear before we plant them. The whole school and community have helped, and the class have done this as part of their John Muir Award, so are thrilled at the exciting opportunity the trees have given us.”

– Galston Primary School (pictured above)

“We took delivery of our trees on the scheduled delivery date and had 2 days of planting.

Due to the Covid restrictions we decided that the best way forward was with a small team – well actually 2 of us!” – Garthamlock and Craigend Parish Church, Glasgow

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The big picture

FRIENDS OF COVES COMMUNITY NATURE RESERVE

According to Scotland’s Forestry Strategy 2019-2029, Scotland’s forest and woodland cover is approximately 18%, which compares well with Wales (15%), England (10%) and Northern Ireland (8%), but poorly with the European Union average of 38%. So, there’s plenty of scope for more tree planting, and a good reason to take part in the next I Dig Trees! photo: P&A Macdonald/SNH/Wikimedia

“We hosted the event to create a new woodland walk called the James Watt Wander, a legacy project to create a new inclusive space for nature and the community, whilst also helping Scotland achieve its goal to combat climate change through re-forestation. The tree planting event was the grand finale of this project that began in September 2020.

The aim was to involve schools and communities in protecting and improving Coves Local Nature Reserve, in Inverclyde. This event brought together many local organisations including Belville Community Garden, Inverclyde Council, The Watt Institution, HSCP, seven local schools, The Unpaid Work Group, ENABLE Scotland and members of the wider community to work together for sustainable outcomes.

Saplings donated by TCV were planted along with more from The Woodland Trust. Twenty seven people attended the event, and we were able to plant 151 saplings in two hours. We were able to double the attendance and number of trees planted from the previous event in November 2019. It was an amazing feat and really brought the community together!

Many thanks to the TCV/OVO I Dig Trees scheme for making this project a success!”

– Friends of Coves Community Nature Reserve (pictured above)

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Going online Over the past year TCV staff and volunteers have responded to Covid in many ways.

When practicable we have continued to run volunteer activities, safely within the guidelines. However, when ‘face-to-face’ activities have not been possible we have run various activities online, some of which are highlighted over the next few pages.

Zooming in to Cumbernauld Living Landscape In normal times Naomi Tayler is a regular volunteer with the ‘Nature Ninjas’ group organised by Cumbernauld Living Landscape. This innovative project aims to improve Cumbernauld’s many greenspaces for both people and wildlife, and helps everyone in the community connect with the nature on their doorstep. Like many other people over the past year, Naomi has discovered Zoom calls, as she explains: During the first Covid lockdown, Zoom presentations held by the project’s knowledgeable staff gave me a great connection to other folk of similar interests, and I really enjoyed the sociable aspect of meeting on Zoom. Lockdown meant I was mostly restricted to the house with the family, only going out to the supermarket, so to meet-up on Zoom was something special. I felt that I was mixing with folk I had a lot in common with, and I liked the fact that everyone was always looking to learn, which created a nice atmosphere.

Naomi Tayler pictured during more normal times with the Nature Ninjas improving the pathways in Cumbernauld Glen.

Photo: NATURE NINJA VOLUNTEER

I learned new things about our native Scottish wildlife and habitats with every presentation. Even though I had a reasonable knowledge of nature, I always learned something new that surprised or interested me. I took the new information from the presentations and applied them to my local green spaces, starting with my garden.

For instance, how to make the garden more appealing to bees and other pollinators by planting more wildflowers, and what habitats to create for small mammals. More recently we have been learning about winter tree identification, red squirrel ecology and invasive species. I really do enjoy the presentations – it’s the bright spot of my week, as the rest of the time I’m playing referee with the kids or at the supermarket – so the Zoom calls are really, really helpful to me.

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Something for the youngsters

Laptop learning Our regular programme of ‘face-to-face’ training courses has been suspended during the highest levels of lockdown. In their place we have organised a series of online sessions covering topics such as ‘Wildlife Gardening’, ‘Winter Tree Identification’ and ‘Introduction to Bird Song’. And we’ve also featured a few unusual subjects such as ‘Introduction to Fermented Vegetables’, with Josh Lawson – see page 18.

And our online Hedgehog Ecology, Care and Volunteer training courses have been delivered to over 450 people across the UK since May 2020. We’ve had a huge increase in demand for these courses and for people looking to improve their greenspace for wildlife, so look out for more hedgehog courses in 2021. And given their popularity we also designed the HogWatch at Home resource pack

During January we held a Homeschool Week with daily one hour naturebased and environmental learning sessions. These were fun and interactive and led on Zoom by experts covering topics from birds and fungi, to animal tracks. To join in the free sessions the youngsters simply required a few materials from around the house. We are planning to run a similar week of activities on 22–26 February and during the Easter school holidays.

Despite some technical glitches as everyone learns how to use Zoom etc, our online learning ‘offer’ has been very popular, with some events requiring a waiting list – so if you see a topic you’re interested in, book early! If certain topics prove particularly popular, we’ll consider running them again. Most of our online events have been free except for those such as Phase 1 Habitat Surveying which incur extra costs to organise.

We have provisionally scheduled some ‘in-person’ Lantra courses for the summer, although these are obviously subject to cancellation depending on the Covid situation at the time.

Keep in touch Details of upcoming training courses and learning events are given on our Eventbrite page, and are also notified on our Facebook page, so please ‘Like us’ to receive the latest updates.

Photo: Makus Trier/pixabay

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The view from God’s Isle

Photo: ISLE OF GIGHA HERITAGE TRUST

Gigha, pronounced Geea, is the most southerly of the Hebridean islands, situated three miles west of the Kintyre peninsula. Named by the Vikings ‘Gudey’, the Good Isle or God’s Isle, Gigha is seven miles long and a mile and a half mile wide, with a population of over 160. In 2002, Gigha came into community ownership under the Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust. In 2020, the Trust employed a Countryside Ranger, Casey-Jo Zammit, to encourage islanders and visitors alike to enjoy and conserve the island’s natural attractions. Here Casey-Jo gives a flavour of the possibilities, both during and after Covid: Unfortunately, the Covid pandemic has prevented us from carrying out community engagement activities, which I’m sure is the same in a lot of places. But it has given us a great opportunity to become quite creative with getting people engaged with nature 8

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from a distance. It has also been a really good opportunity to meet with young people for an outdoor walk on a one-to-one basis, not just to learn about our wonderful environment here on Gigha, but to improve wellbeing and stay connected.

Most of the engagement has been focused on social media and online outreach, for example promoting national surveys such as the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch. As an island, we have a really exciting mix of seabird species here, such as Eider, Great Northern Diver, Shelduck and Wigeon, and recently we also saw a Hen Harrier.

▲ Sea-borne plastic is a big problem.

CASEY-JO ZAMMIT

▼ Clearance work in Achamore Gardens.

BRYONY WHITE

In the next few weeks I hope to create some ‘build your own bird box’ packs that can be delivered alongside a fact sheet, instructions, and the opportunity to decorate, and these will then be placed in a woodland that is frequently accessed by the public. I’m also creating videos to do small activities at home such as bird feeders, bug hotels, bird baths with some factual information alongside.

We have received 500 native trees through the I Dig Trees campaign (see page 3) which was ever so exciting. We ordered a wide range of species including Oak, Hazel, Blackthorn, Rowan and Silver Birch, so in time these will provide a boost to the island’s biodiversity. Roughly 200 trees will be going in at the north end of the island, where there is little tree coverage around a residential property. The other 300 trees will be planted in Achamore Gardens to replace unsafe, felled trees, and to improve shelter belts. In the meantime, they have been ‘heeled-in’ at the Gardens and are waiting to be planted with the help of some young volunteers when the lockdown eases. So, we’re keeping our fingers crossed!

One of the island’s major attractions, apart from its natural beauty, is Achamore Gardens, a colourful 54 acre gem which includes many unusual plants and trees from around the world. In early 2020, a new Head Gardener, Bryony White, was recruited from TCV to develop a new plan to restore the gardens to their former glory. When the Covid pandemic has finally receded and it is safe to do so, Bryony hopes to again welcome volunteers to the island and help in the Gardens’ renewal.

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Marine litter at this time of year is a really awful problem with the rougher weather and stormier seas. On the west coast of the island the amount of litter washing up is almost unmanageable. We have a real mix of household, agricultural and fishing items washing up, as do many micro-plastics, nurdles, and broken fragments. Collecting it all is very difficult.

However, in late January I undertook some socially distanced clean-ups with one volunteer at a time to comply with the Covid guidelines. In just one morning we collected 30kg!

Going forward, I hope that the restrictions will ease as spring arrives. It would be great to engage children in some island surveys, such as butterfly and bee transects. We have also created a curriculum-based activities pack, so children can apply their science curriculum topics to the natural world – hopefully we can roll this out before school ends in the summer.

Conservation work parties are another thought. Many of the islanders are keen walkers interested in enhancing access, so arranging some volunteer work parties to improve paths, plus beach cleans, tree planting etc will be fantastic!

Discover more about beautiful Gigha at: www.gigha.org.uk A splash of colour in the Gardens. photos: BRYONY WHITE

Isle of Gigha Ranger on Facebook 10

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Visiting the RSPB Loch Leven Nature Reserve. DORO RICHTER

Building Roots through Covid TCV’s Building Roots project offers opportunities for the country’s growing community of Arabic speaking refugees, migrants and asylum seekers to engage with Scotland’s natural and cultural heritage. In doing so they improve their language skills, tackle isolation and improve their physical and mental health. In March 2020, the Covid pandemic abruptly halted Building Roots’ planned activities, so the project team had to re-think and adapt to the new conditions, as Doro Richter, Senior Project Officer, explains: We initially delivered activity packages to families’ doorsteps and developed online resources on how to remain connected with nature. When the restrictions relaxed later in Autumn 2020, we resumed some of our Covid-safe ‘face-to-face’ activities: 11

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Sowing seeds at the Jupiter growing project. DORO RICHTER • 6 outdoor wood working sessions were held with The Edinburgh Tool Library in Leith.

Various items were produced including nest boxes, tool boxes and herb planting boxes.

• 22 nature and health walks in small groups (and in all weathers!) were held to explore 14 different nature reserves, parks, gardens and historic sites.

• Gardening activities were held with the Friends of Scottish Settlers (FOSS) at our fruit, vegetable and flower growing project at the Jupiter Urban Wildlife Centre, Grangemouth.

Having paused the programme again, we are looking forward to when we can see our participants once more.

“I’ve been growing vegetables all my life, I’m a chef. I miss having a garden, and love to be growing again at Jupiter.” – Abed Wood working at The Edinburgh Tool Library. ALICE MCGILLICUDDY

A report outlining Building Root’s activities during the Covid months of 2020, is available here 12

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Nature Notes Introducing a new feature for the Network Bulletin, Nature Notes will highlight aspects of our native wildlife and natural environment. Beginning here with a look at the much-loved Robin, by Paul Barclay, regular wildlife watcher and Project Officer with Cumbernauld Living Landscape.

Robin Red? Breast

Photo: Paul Barclay

The humble Robin (Erithacus rubecula) is firmly ensconced in the hearts of the British public, in 2015 being named as Britain’s national bird in a public poll. From countryside woodlands and hedgerows to urban parks and gardens, we’re rarely far away from a Robin with its distinctive brightly coloured breast and tuneful song. The males and females look identical, and there are probably more than 10 million Robins in Britain.

Unlike most birds, Robins sing all year round apart from a short period in late summer when they are moulting. They often sing from a hidden perch in a tree near a street light around dawn and dusk. This tendency to sing all year reveals something about the hidden side of Robins. Although they appear very friendly and cheerful to us people, 13

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they are actually highly territorial and very aggressive birds – they will sometimes fight to the death over territory. They will not tolerate another Robin in their territory and in springtime they will sometimes attack anything orangey/red coloured.

Robins build their cup-shaped nests from dead leaves, small twigs and moss, lined with hair, and usually well-hidden on or near the ground. They are famous for nesting in all sorts of strange places like wellie boots, teapots, post boxes and sheds. Despite this they are nervous nesters and can easily abandon their nest and eggs if disturbed, so it’s best to keep your distance. Only the female builds the nest, but the male will sometimes help gather materials and supply food. They can lay up to 6 eggs in a clutch which will take two weeks to incubate and another 10 days to fledge. Once fledged the male usually takes care of feeding the chicks for up to three weeks while the female gets ready to lay another brood – 3 or even 4 broods a season is normal.

Being omnivores, Robins eat seeds, fruit and insects but are especially partial to mealworms. Robins are famed for their ‘friendliness’ to humans, often following gardeners and allotment holders around, hoping to grab worms and insects disturbed by digging, and they can even be tame enough to feed from the hand. However, this only seems to happen regularly in Britain, whereas in Europe they tend to be shy, secretive and rarely seen.

If you want to attract Robins to your garden, don’t install a standard bird box with a round entrance hole.

Instead, Robins prefer open fronted boxes which should be low down but well hidden from predators, so best placed amongst vegetation.

Robins are often associated with Christmas in the UK, which began in the Victorian era – postmen in those times wore bright red jackets and were nicknamed ‘Robins’ as they did their rounds. Robins are usually depicted as brown and red in illustrations and on Christmas cards, but next time you see one take a closer look… their bodies are really a greenish grey colour and their bibs are more orange than red!

Photo ©NHBS.com

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Friends prevail on the southside

The way we were and hope to be again – a volunteer work party before Covid restrictions. GARY LINSTEAD/GCC Linn Park and Local Nature Reserve on the southside of Glasgow comprises 203 acres of parkland, semi-natural woodland and an 18 hole golf course. It is the city’s second largest park (after Pollok Park), and is managed by Glasgow City Council (GCC) with help from the active Friends of Linn Park. Here, Dorothy Buchanan, Chairperson, recounts the past year for the Friends: A year ago, the minutes from our meetings reflected the busy public event schedule we had planned for 2020 with wildlife days, guided walks, and assorted events, including a celebration day. This was alongside the continuation of our wildflower meadow project, butterfly and nest box monitoring, and several path improvement days.

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Well, you know what happened next!

The first few weeks of lockdown meant a total stop to any plans we had. All we could do for the park was enjoy it as part of our permitted exercise, and perhaps worry about the numbers of users doing the same.

Soon though, the natural optimism of our volunteers began to bring forward ideas which could be considered and progressed remotely. We contemplated a community project for an area of the park which could mean leasing an area to support our biodiversity projects, improving the accessibility of the park, and providing support space for forest school and other groups visiting the park. We consulted with our members and the Council to see what might be possible. Our path improvement projects were progressed by group members measuring out and planning work, and organising the tools and materials required. Volunteers shared pictures of their walks in the park to bring joy and life to those stuck inside or who couldn’t travel to the park.

As the country’s route out of lockdown was being set out, we eagerly planned our own route back to volunteering – and using guidance from TCV and Forestry and Land Scotland we updated our methodology to ensure we could meet and work together again in a safe way.

It turns out 2020 was a pretty busy year for the Friends of Linn Park after all! We were awarded a Community Green Flag for our wildlife trail, and we shifted large quantities of mud and laid 25 tonnes of path material, removed Himalayan balsam from two large patches in the park, cleared pond weed, planted some 2600 bulbs, cleared culverts and ditches, removed fallen trees, made a bee scarecrow and sowed several hundred wildflower seeds for our meadows. And local primary school and nursery children designed small doors inspired by the wildlife of the park. The doors are dotted around a woodland trail with QR code discs which link to more information.

A volunteer session to improve one of the park’s many paths. DOROTHY BUCHANAN

We also worked in collaboration with TCV’s Bo Couch and his Glasgow volunteers and Gary Linstead, GCC Countryside Ranger, to bring over 1200m of pathway back to 16

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pleasant use and created a safe pedestrian route alongside a roadway in the park. TCV also led us in some training to put in two land drains and have helped us plan our next path improvement work.

So, a year on from looking at a suddenly blank events list we have just had a meeting full of lovely plans for the future. We have the prospect of marking 100 years of Linn Park with a trail celebrating its history, and a community project which seeks to support and protect the future of the park.

2020 wasn’t quite what we thought it would be, but the Friends of Linn Park have kept looking forward. Always looking for what we can do, and always looking to do more!

Thank you to all the volunteers who make it possible. ▲ Clearing pond weed from the wildlife pond. ROS DOCHERTY ▼ Sowing wildflower seeds including Ramsoms, Primrose, and Hedge Woundwort, for later planting out in the park. ROS DOCHERTY

www.friendsoflinnpark.doodlekit.com Facebook: @Friendsoflinnpark2017

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On site and online in Dundee No sooner had Josh Lawton, Senior Project Officer, established a TCV presence within the grounds of Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, when Covid struck. But all was not entirely lost, says Josh:

Josh in his garden. KIRSTY BUTT

The Duke of Edinburgh Awards group planting bulbs with Malcolm Ross, Grounds & Maintenance Manager (beside sign).

JOSH LAWTON

* Hügelkultur is a traditional European method of raised hill planting, using decaying wood and other organic material to mimic the nutrient cycling in woodland ecosystems.

Like many others I was furloughed for much of 2020 but when restrictions eased I was able to set up and run safe ‘Green Gym’ sessions at the Ninewells Community Garden.

The site itself had most recently been used for dumping leaf litter and organic waste from the hospital estate. I worked with a small group of Green Gym volunteers and some of the garden’s own volunteers to plan for a more sustainable use for the space, focusing on pollinator-friendly plant species as well as (ideally) native food varieties – nuts, fruits, and vegetables. It’s early days so far, but we set-to clearing a lot of the nettles that had proliferated at the site, and then before Christmas we began putting in some hügelkultur* beds. There isn’t a lot to show so far, but it’s early days. When the latest Covid restrictions ease up, I’ll be looking to kick off again with a ready band of eager volunteers.

Additionally, just before Christmas I worked with the Ninewells Estates Team to spread a bit of colour around the hospital grounds. I organised small groups of volunteers to help plant spring flowering bulbs around the hospital entrance. The planting was open to anyone, so we had members of the general public, some of the Green Gym volunteers, members of staff from the hospital, as well as an enthusiastic group of lads working towards their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. In all we planted about 6,000 bulbs, and hopefully come spring, they’ll be in full bloom.

In addition to running the volunteer activities, I recently hosted an online ‘Introduction to Vegetable Fermentation’ tutorial via Zoom, which I think went quite well. This was about gaining insight into the mysterious world of bacteria and to develop some skills to enable folk to preserve some produce. The rationale is varied as people might want to ferment vegetables for many reasons: to reduce food waste; improve health (fermented foods are great for digestive health and immune function); possibly as a form of activism against 18

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wasteful modern food production methods; or even just as a fun and interesting hobby.

I do it in pursuit of all sorts of funky flavours and smells! I hope to do more of the same soon as the demand has been quite strong. I’ve got an adaptation of it in the pipeline for some school groups as part of the biology curriculum.

Volunteers digging the foundations of the hügelkulture beds. JOSH LAWTON

I’ll also be doing a TCV Zoom tutorial on water voles. My undergraduate research project at Glasgow University was on water vole habitats, and the impact of land-use practices on suitability for the species. Water voles are endangered across the UK and have quite specific needs in order to thrive. Aside from other pressures, riparian (bankside) land use – either by farmers, forest managers, urban planners – is a significant factor impacting their ability to survive. The tutorial will touch on this but will be more of a general introduction to the species and their place in our landscape. I’m very fond of the species, and sadly like many species today they too serve as a metaphor for human pressures on the wider environment. But they are incredibly elusive and surprisingly I’ve never actually seen one in the flesh!

And I’ve recently published the first in a series of audio ‘Awe walks’ around where I stay in Tayside. These are aimed at encouraging others to take a moment to notice what’s going on around them when they’re out in nature. Simply focusing on the sights, sounds and smells around us, even in urban environments, can help to reduce stress and provide mental health benefits. Also, I hope that the recordings can share a little piece of the outside world with those who might not be in a position to get outdoors so easily. Links to the recordings are available in my posts on TCV Scotland’s Facebook page.

TCV’s Ninewells Green Gym is funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, with support from Ninewells Community Garden and the Dundee Green Health Partnership who have been pivotal in providing opportunities for vulnerable people across the city to access the wider environment. The Green Gym forms part of their referral network and under normal circumstances we’d meet every Wednesday, although sessions are currently on hold. But we’ll be back!

The endangered water vole.

Peter Trimming/Wikimedia Commons

For further information, contact josh.lawton@tcv.org.uk 19

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Gartnavel Community Garden is looking rather bare just now, so here’s a summer scene to remind us of something to look forward to.

Garden volunteers ticking over While large scale ‘group’ volunteering is suspended at the moment, a small band of green-fingered volunteers has managed to keep going at Gartnavel Community Garden, albeit under much stricter conditions than usual. This lovely garden, which lies within the Gartnavel Hospital Campus in Glasgow’s West End, provides a range of sowing and growing opportunities to improve the health and wellbeing of former patients and members of the local community.

Here, Camilo Brokaw, TCV Senior Project Officer, describes how the volunteers have kept the garden ticking over: During the latest lockdown the volunteers can no longer meet-up as a group or simply ‘drop-in’. Instead, there’s a set rota system where everyone only comes in for their approved 2-3 hour ‘slot’, socially distanced and with a maximum of two volunteers at 20

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a time. Unfortunately, sessions are currently closed to new volunteers, so it’s a team of long-term dedicated volunteers who are maintaining the garden in decent shape.

TCV isn’t running the sessions currently so I am in a supporting role for the group, preparing tasks and advising them on their work in the garden without actually being present myself. Because of the spacing rules, volunteers can be in the garden six days a week, although winter is the slowest time of year here, so there’s not really that much to do. But the volunteers appreciate the opportunity to keep to a routine anyway. And we’re all looking forward to the time when we can join-up as a group again and welcome new volunteers.

The volunteers’ view: “Gardening over the past 9 months has been incredibly rewarding… members of the public have been eager to tell me how much the gardens have helped them and how much they appreciate the space. I’ve been able to observe children, parents, grandparents, patients and visitors finding joy in the gardens. It has reinforced the sense of purpose gardening has given me.”

“Initially I didn’t quite click with gardening sessions as I had no interest in gardening. As time went on I began to feel a connection with the garden and the other volunteers and started to take an interest in all the aspects of gardening.”

“This project has many more years to offer other people with mental and physical health issues a place that they are made to feel wanted and welcomed.”

“The resilience of plants has taught me to have faith and hope when things aren’t going so well in life. Everything will be OK with time. Plants can bounce back, and so can I!”

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Five Ways to Wellbeing How do we maintain our mental health and wellbeing during Covid, or indeed any other time? Five Ways to Wellbeing is a framework for promoting good mental health in use by organisations all over the world, including the NHS and major mental health charities such as MIND. Five Ways to Wellbeing is a simple way of thinking about our mental health and suggests five easy actions which we can all take to improve our happiness in our daily lives. The words used by different organisations may differ slightly, but the basics remain the same: Be active, Connect, Give, Take notice, Learn.

The Five Ways to Wellbeing can easily be adapted to outdoor and nature-based activities, and so this approach is used by TCV Green Gyms and projects such as Wild Ways Well in Cumbernauld. Even under lockdown conditions there are still plenty of ways you can connect to nature, whether up close and personal or online… … grow some seeds, make a bottle bird feeder, go on a minibeast safari, conduct a Dead Good Deadwood Survey, recycle your scraps, create a mini pond, take some snaps, join a live wildlife cam, go on a scavenger hunt, record what you see, listen to bird song, look up, build a nest box, balance some stones, tackle a quiz, become a citizen scientist, sketch a scene, have a go at hapazome, make a seed bomb, help the hedgehogs, have a winter wander, pen a poem, instal a mammal footprint tunnel…

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Many organisations have a wealth of fun and educational nature-based activities for all ages, abilities and interests. Here’s just a small selection to explore:

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Activity resources – TCV teams across the UK have produced a collection of activity packs, how-to guides and videos for homeschooling children, or just for getting outdoors in greenspace with a mindful activity.

Help nature at home – The RSPB has plenty of ideas for you to give nature a helping hand, plus nature games and activities for children.

Grow and Learn in Nature Award – The Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society (The Caley) has a new project-based award connecting people, plants and nature. Learn new skills that benefit both yourself and nature, and on completion of your learning receive an Award.

Nature activities – The creative folk at Cumbernauld Living Landscape have produced a wealth of resources for indoor and outdoor nature activities, crafts and puzzles.

The Learning Zone – The Scottish Wildlife Trust has a wide range of fantastic activity ideas and resources to get children engaging with nature, both indoors and outdoors.

Make Space for Nature – NatureScot has ten ways to make space for nature in your life this winter.

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Free membership The Conservation Volunteers believes that every community in the country should have access to high quality local greenspaces – homes to thriving nature, and safe and welcoming for local people. TCV are committed to encouraging a national network of community groups and organisations who share that vision.

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.

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The Community Network currently supports 1,500 groups across the UK, including 200 in Scotland. Members receive discounts from TCV’s suppliers of tools, trees, seeds and equipment, funding information, advice and guidance, regular newsletters, discounted insurance, and more. In a year when our green spaces have become more important than ever, and during a time when the natural environment needs us to come together to care for and protect it, we are once again able to offer Community Network membership for FREE, for new and existing members.

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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.

Editor Graham Burns E g.burns@tcv.org.uk

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©The Conservation Volunteers 2021. Charity registered in Scotland SC039302, and England 261009. TM The Green Gym programme is registered and protected across the UK and the EU.