Over the years if you’ve ever volunteered within the woodland I’m sure you’ll have met Angus and had the pleasure of working alongside his knowledgeable and calm demeanour.
It won’t be a surprise that our first volunteer spotlight is to shine a light on how Angus continues to contribute throughout the seasons and all weathers at Gillies Hill Community Woodland. Not only does he make it a family effort with Owain often kept busy with the task at hand too but he has a regular group who turn out to support and enjoy volunteering as a team effort too. Angus has also supported many other groups across the years to experience volunteer conservation work within the woodland – most recently 7th Stirling Scouts, Stirling High School and Camphill Blair Drummond.
Volunteering means something different to everyone but if you are amongst friends to achieve the task in hand and can see progress through your actions there can be a fantastic sense of achievement.
Angus has lived in Cambusbarron for 18 years and enjoys our woodland for recreation; accessibility of the woodland being a big draw to the village in 2005. Angus volunteers across the woodland doing “bits and bobs” – these were his words, we’d say contributing immensely to any project he’s involved in! He is focussed on maximising biodiversity and protecting the long term viability of our woodland, and working on accessibility for all. Angus is also Vice Chair, Trustee and a Director at Greenroutes Stirling.
A little bit more about Angus, he is a Chartered Engineer who’s professional activities are focussed in the ground and underground. Angus is a Registered Ground Engineering Professional. After 25 years working across a spectrum of contaminated land, regeneration sites, infrastructure maintenance and underground maintenance Angus is now focused on projects which involve creation of huge underground spaces for energy transition to renewables, in the form of pumped storage hydro. Prior to a career in Civil Engineering and Construction Angus was recipient of a Queens Award for the establishment of mixed woodland at Aultguish in the Highlands. Angus also worked of ancient birch wood land regeneration in the West Highlands and Far North between 1993 and 1998 and proud of the what can now be seen at these locations.
I wonder how we’ll be looking back on our current projects within Gillies Hill Community Woodland in 30 years time?
If you’d like to play a part in looking after the community woodland through volunteering please do pop along to our next volunteer sessions https://ccdt.org.uk/events/ or send us a message to see how you could get involved – no special skills or knowledge required as there are jobs to suit everyone.