Welcome to our first monthly newsletter – keeping you up to date on Woodland and Development Trust matters.
Jelly Babies and Angel Wings.Volunteers from our Woodland Management Group walk in the woods virtually every day. They spotted jelly babies and angel wings in the woodland this week! Photo attached.
Protecting our Red Squirrel populationA clear majority of the votes received from members supported the humane trapping and killing of Grey Squirrels in the community woodland as part of our strategy to protect the Red Squirrel population. We can now take forward the strategy. A number of members have already come forward to act as ‘trap hosts’.
This simply involves having a trap on their property. It does not commit the host to setting the trap 24/7 or 365 days of the year. Fully trained volunteers from SSRS will attend and humanely despatch any grey squirrels caught. If you have greys visiting your property then being a trap host would be a very effective way of protecting our red squirrels.
We will initially be siting a couple of traps in the woodland. When set these traps will need to be monitored daily so we need a team of volunteers to operate a rota.
Please email squirrels@ccdt.org.uk if you would like to know more.
Free Axes and Knives Workshop
We are running a free workshop for ten people on Sunday October 5th. It will be led by Paul Cookson from Green Aspirations Scotland CIC. With qualifications in both gardening and arboriculture to his name, Paul is a skilled trainer with over 25 years of experience in the field. You’ll get hands-on with axes and knives to learn how to use them safely and effectively, building confidence and skills throughout the day so you can put them to work on a wide range of projects. The workshop runs from 10am to around 4pm. For details of how to book one of the ten places contact andy@ccdt.org.uk.
Work at the Lily Pond has resumed. The woodland understory is recovering now that the invasive rhododendron ponticum has been cleared and the pond itself is starting to support more wildlife. A trial area of the pond has just been dredged and we will be monitoring this closely over the coming months. The plan this winter includes removing any material from the cleared areas that constitute a fire risk and starting to selectively clear the area adjacent to the Lily Pond. Please email if you want to know more or come and talk to us if you are passing.
Firewood – time to stock upDid you know that firewood is available at £6 per bag and can be delivered locally for a £5 delivery charge? Members can email logs@ccdt.org.uk and we can arrange pickup or delivery at a time to suit you. The Firewood Club runs on a Thursday evening from about 6 or 7pm until 8 or 9pm all through the year. We are a group who get together to split and process fire wood for the community. We have been working on building projects to develop our capability as well. We also spend time sitting around a fire enjoying one another’s company. If you would like to take part, just turn up or contact us using the email logs@ccdt.org.uk.
In the next newsletter – Dark Woods update, Charcoal burning and more. Meanwhile keep up to date by visiting the Gillies Hill Community Woodland Facebook Page.