www.tcv.org.uk/scotland
netw rk bulletin Spring 2014
for TCV Scotland’s community Network
Glasgow volunteers David Murray (front) and Sean Donaghy clearing rhododendron at Cairnhill Woods – see page 11.
Spring 2014
Join in, feel good 1
These snoozing otters were captured on camera by Rowan Aitchison of Lomond School in Helensburgh. This is just one of many fabulous photos entered into the 2013 Focus Environment photography competition, which challenges Scotland’s secondary school pupils to interpret the environment as they see it. Focus Environment is a partnership between Chevron, TCV Scotland and the Scottish Wildlife Trust. An exhibition of the competition’s best photographs is currently touring locations throughout the country. To view the winning photos and for details of the exhibition visit www.focusenvironment.com
Welcome… …to the following groups and organisations which have recently joined the Community Network in Scotland:
Ashfield Village Association (Near Dunblane) Balmedie Primary School (Aberdeenshire) Barmulloch Green Gym (Glasgow) Carmyle Primary School (Glasgow) Clyde River Foundation Glasgow Natural History Society Inverkip & Wemyss Bay Community Council (Inverclyde) Markinch Environmental Action Group (Fife) Moray Firth Trout Initiative Murieston Environmental Group (Livingston) North East Scotland Biodiversity Partnership Orkney Field Club River Forth Fisheries Trust Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland RSPB (Loch of Strathbeg) St Joachim’s Primary School (Glasgow) Sustaining Dunbar (East Lothian) Transition Stirling Uplawmoor Development Trust (East Renfrewshire) West Lothian Council Ranger Service (Almondell & Calderwood Country Park) Westmuir High School Green Gym (Glasgow)
Wood for All volunteers at a tree planting event in Kippen. during the era of cheap oil. In the strong, resilient communities of the future people will need to build things, repair things, make their own clothing, grow food etc. This is the focus of our ‘Transition Ripples’ events. So far we’ve held a vast range of events on everything from jam making and preserving to upcycling* projects, cycling, reusing reclaimed wood, and food foraging and growing. Currently, we’re very excited to be making plans for the development of a Transition Stirling Forest Garden! This will be a fantastic opportunity to build our knowledge and skills, grow our own local food and create a haven for wildlife and people alike.
We are also currently running the Wood for All project which focuses on engaging communities with their local woodlands, building woodland management skills, and supporting the development of community woodlands. We’ve run loads of woodland skills events such as tree planting, tree identification walks, coppicing and green woodworking, as well as putting some of our volunteers through their chainsaw training. We also provide impartial advice on the installation of biomass boilers as a renewable source of energy and have run a series of energy advice surgeries across Stirling. We’d love to hear from anyone interested in getting involved with any of our projects! For further information visit www.transitionstirling.org.uk or e-mail lyndsay@transitionstirling.org.uk. You can also follow us on Twitter @Transitionstir or join in our discussions on Facebook. *Upcycling is the art of reusing unwanted and waste products and converting them into something better!
A skills workshop – making planters from pallets.
West Sutherland Fisheries Trust
One of the newest recruits to the Community Network is Transition Stirling, which is part of the growing Transition movement, as Lyndsay Sutton explains: Transition Stirling is a community group set up in 2009 for people in the Stirling area who want to be part of a small-scale local response to climate change. One of the main ideas of the Transition movement is to bring back skills which have been lost
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Introducing… The Conservation Volunteers recently appointed Callum Sinclair as Operations Director for Scotland and North England. Callum has joined us from Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland (RAFTS) and has a background and experience in fisheries management and science, education, charity management and fundraising. Callum has also spent some time on European directives and in the development and management of the river basin planning system in Scotland from his time at SEPA. I’ve joined TCV Scotland at an exciting but hugely challenging time. Like all charities we’re operating in a tough financial climate but I believe that there is great scope for us to develop the volunteering opportunities we offer and the support we give to community groups working to enhance their local environments and spaces and to benefit the people who live, work and play there. In times like these the need for a strong, vibrant and confident third sector has never been greater and the need to work together both within the sector and with others in the public and private sectors is essential. There’s a lot to look forward to in the year ahead and in TCV Scotland I’d highlight: ➜ That we are always looking to enhance and expand the membership of the Community Network and improve how we can provide practical support to projects on the ground, particularly in disadvantaged areas. If you know of groups who should be Community Network members then do put them in touch with us. ➜ The provision of opportunities for people to learn new skills remains a key TCV aim. Our Training Programme of short courses is designed to build up the leadership skills and capacity of community and environmental groups. The programme for the coming year includes free Community Leadership training in Edinburgh, Perth and Kilmarnock amongst a wide range of other courses. We will also be completing a consultation with the network to try and make sure that the future training we offer meets the current demands of the sector. ➜ Our Forum Exchanges bring people from the environment and related sectors together to share experiences and overcome barriers to progress and development. Forum Exchanges over the coming months will highlight topics such as using food to engage with communities, and involving people with disabilities in environmental projects.
Spring 2014
➜ We are continuing to provide vital opportunities for young people to use environmental activities to gain experience and qualifications to improve their life chances. The provision of accredited learning and training for young people is a key way we can improve their life and work prospects. ➜ Our Green Gym programme continues to provide outdoor opportunities for people to improve their own health whilst also enhancing their local environment. We hope more schools and community groups will set up and run their own Green Gyms, with help from TCV, and alongside our direct efforts to run these activities with groups across Scotland. This year we are particularly looking to develop this work with older people as part of our ‘Ageing Well’ project. ➜ 2014 is the final year of our innovative Natural Talent and Natural Communities programmes which have been brilliantly successful in bringing people and the environment together and providing opportunities for many talented people with a route into employment in our sector after their placements with a range of host bodies. We may have news of another ‘Natural’ initiative very soon to continue the ethos of these schemes… ➜ We believe that everyone can help record vital information about the world around us and that this can contribute to the conservation of our wildlife and habitats. This is Citizen Science in action. To help with this work we have just appointed an OPAL Community Scientist who will add further impetus to our efforts to engage communities in biological recording. A number of our training courses also help here and so if you are interested then book your place in these free ‘Citizen Science in Your Community’ events and get involved. ➜ Schools are natural settings for youngsters to learn about the natural environment and their role in its conservation. TCV Scotland is expanding its educational activities, from improving school grounds for wildlife and outdoor learning, developing courses on how to integrate environmental activities into the curriculum, and linking play to
learning. There is always fertile ground here and classrooms full of eager and willing participants dying to get stuck in. ➜ We will also look to run more events and provide opportunities for people from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures to get involved. In our increasingly diverse culture and communities we are keen to support everyone to enjoy what we have around us and which many of us take for granted. If you haven’t already done so, why not sign-up to our monthly eBulletin at www. tcv.org.uk/scotlandtraining. The eBulletin will keep you up-to-date with special offers of upcoming training courses, events, campaigns, funding and networking opportunities. And, if you have information about your group or news of an event which you would like to share with others, please let us know and you could be reading your own article about your own project in the next edition of this Bulletin. We are also looking forward to helping open a parliamentary reception at Holyrood, hosted by Alison McInnes MSP, with sponsors Scottish Natural Heritage, partners the Community Service Volunteers and Paul Wheelhouse MSP, Minister for Environment and Climate Change. It will be attended by many representatives of the Community Network and we will celebrate the contribution that volunteers make to conserving the nature and landscapes of Scotland and highlight the benefits of environmental volunteering, both to individuals and to society as a whole. The event is on 29 April and I look forward to meeting some of you there and hearing of your inspirational work and projects.
Finally, you can keep in touch with everything that’s happening in TCV Scotland by following me or TCV on Twitter @Callum_TCVScot and @TCVScotland and Facebook, and keep up-to-date with what we are up to on our soon to be refreshed website www.tcv.org.uk/scotland.
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Common, but special!
Flying sheep!
Auchtermuchty Common is an area of ancient meadow in North East Fife dating back to the Royal Charter of 1517, granted by King James V. The common has been managed by the Macduff Trust since 1973 for the community of Auchtermuchty, as Trust Chair Caroline King outlines: Consisting of two fields – the Mairs which is a mosaic of habitats – and the Whitefield, an area of species-rich lowland meadow with diverse flora and fauna, the 13 hectare (32 acre) common is now a rare and special place in Scotland. It’s also a safe and open space for outdoor pursuits and is well used by dog walkers, bird watchers, and the local primary school, especially its Forest School activities. And the common is a great place to simply spend some time to clear your thoughts from a busy life. However, over time the problem developed of gorse, broom, dog rose and coarse grasses out-competing many of the wildflowers and other plants, so lessening the site’s diversity. After years of piecemeal management by the Trust and volunteers to counter this threat we realised our efforts were not sustainable in the long term and thus began our long search for funding for a more permanent solution. In 2011 the Trust was awarded £62,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Fife Environment Trust, and Esmee
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Scything the orchid patch. Fairbairn Foundation to begin a three year conservation grazing programme using the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s very own ‘Flying Flock’ of sheep to keep the aggressive vegetation in check. Permanent paddocks were erected on the Whitefield allowing the Flying Flock to graze safely for most of the year. And tools and machinery were purchased – everything necessary to also make management by volunteers more efficient and effective. The sheep grazing and volunteer management run in tandem throughout the year. Without the sheep the Trust’s volunteers, who are dedicated and loyal but also more mature in age, would find themselves having to cut and clear the area twice a year – an onerous task. The
Volunteers are still essential to the management of the common grazing means that the volunteers can now concentrate on managing the dense scrub, paths, and sensitive areas – anything the sheep don’t eat! And our orchid patch is Austrian Scythed once a year by volunteers who have received training through the Trust in this more sensitive form of management. Further conservation skills are taught on site and some college training has also been provided to the volunteers.
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Volunteers enjoying a tea break.
Chestnut Funded
Harvesting the hay crop.
In order for people to best enjoy their time on the common, various features have been installed including benches, boardwalks and a pond dipping platform for the youngsters. Volunteers are still essential to the management of the common. When the sheep are resident we need ‘lookers’ to check on them daily and in all weathers. Volunteer action days are held almost every month throughout the spring and autumn, and butterfly transects are run for three months over the summer. However, it has become noticeably more difficult to recruit new volunteers willing to give an hour or two of their time to reap the benefits of fresh air, exercise, reconnecting with their environment and community, and more importantly to enjoy a cuppa and some home baking and a chat with a diverse group of people. Elmwood College conservation students put in an immense amount of work, often in foul weather, providing us with the youth and enthusiasm we need – we are always keen to involve some new blood to the cause!
In our final year of funding, but not the project, the Macduff Trust finds itself looking to the future. We’re unwilling to allow all this hard work to go to waste when we see the evidence of our labours falling into place, but in these difficult economic times we’re aware that without the input of the Trust and it’s dedicated volunteers this special place may not be a priority for everyone, and saving it for future generations will always be a challenge. But, it’s a challenge we’re willing to face and we always welcome new faces to join us. For more information and upto-date volunteer information search Auchtermuchty Common on Facebook, or contact auchtermuchtycommon@gmail. com to register for our mailing list.
Supported by:
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The importance of Auchtermuchty Common to wildlife is shown by the number of UK Co m Biodiversity Action Plan species found here, including:
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The Forgewood youngsters are wearing new gloves purchased for the allotment project with a Chestnut Fund grant, which also provided some First Aid items. Chestnut Fund awards have also been made recently to Uplawmoor Development Trust in East Renfrewshire to help with their initial insurance costs, and to Kirknewton Allotment Association in West Lothian for tools purchase. The Chestnut Fund is an independent charity, making grants available to encourage and enable community groups to carry out conservation activities. The grants are administered by The Conservation Volunteers. Information about the Chestnut Fund is available at www.tcv.org.uk/community
nh are
Gre y
rtridge pa
llf Skylark Linnet Grey partridge Bullfinch Song thrush Yellowhammer Pipistrelle bat Brown hare Common toad Small pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly Small heath butterfly
Pictured here are toddlers from Forgewood Nursery at the Greenlink Allotment, Motherwell, where the youngsters helped plant a ‘wildfood’ hedge of trees and shrubs such as hawthorn which will provide food and shelter for a range of insects, birds and small mammals. The aim of the Greenlink Allotment is to provide an area to grow fresh, local organic fruit and vegetables, a site where local residents, schools and community groups can share, learn and enjoy the experience of growing their own produce.
The Network Bulletin highlights the environmental volunteering activities of groups belonging to the Community Network, such as the Macduff Trust. If you would like your group or project to be featured in a future bulletin, please contact Graham Burns at 0141 552 5294 or g.burns@tcv.org.uk
wildlife images from wikimedia commons: Bullfinch-Mark Medcalf, Brown hare-takkk, common toad-Gebruiker Taka, skylarkDaniel Pettersson, yellowhammer-se90, Grey partridge-david galavan
Spring 2014
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Strictly for the birds
has installed four barn owl boxes, and in future we will not only install the boxes but we will also monitor, check and assist in the ringing of any chicks found in them. Then, at the end of the year we will clean out the boxes and carry out any maintenance. The tree sparrow was another once familiar farmland bird but numbers declined rapidly in the latter half of the twentieth century. Like the barn owl they nest in old buildings and tree cavities close to water. The nest boxes, which the tree sparrow readily adapts to, will enable the local bird ringer and ourselves to monitor the population fluctuations locally, providing valuable data for the British Trust for Ornithology.
A barn owl emerges from its box.
Several bird species in the Falkirk area are being given a helping hand, as Lesley Sweeney, Secretary of Falkirk Wildlife Conservation Group, explains: We were formed in December 2012 as a result of local people showing an interest in, and offering to volunteer with, the Falkirk Council Barn Owl Project. An initial meeting was organised at which it was agreed to form a constituted group, namely the Falkirk Wildlife Conservation Group. The group’s aims were established with the main objective being to support the conservation of target species, as listed in the Local Biodiversity Action Plan for the Falkirk Council area. The target species for birds include barn owls and tree sparrows. Before the group could be actively involved, training and essential equipment was required. We were fortunate to receive support from energy service company Applus Rtd, who gave us both training and equipment free of charge. Barn owls were a common sight in Britain although they have declined considerably since World War II. Changes in farming practices and the loss of old farm buildings and hollow trees have contributed to this decline. As their traditional nesting sites have diminished barn owls are now becoming increasingly reliant on nest boxes. Since September 2013 our group
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Lesley with a barn owl chick. These are ringed and given a quick check to identify their sex, before being quickly placed back in their box. A kestrel chick.
The group has recently been involved with a winter feeding station for tree sparrows and to date 100kgs of millet has been purchased to top-up the feeders at one of the three locations. The feeders are topped-up twice weekly from November until March and an additional 10 boxes have been put up at this site bringing the total to 25 boxes at this location. There are another two sites in Falkirk and the group hope to expand this throughout the Falkirk Council area. The kestrel is another species we are keen to help as numbers in Scotland have declined markedly since the mid 1990s, although the cause is unknown. We have had a small uptake of kestrels using barn owl boxes and they appear to be doing well. We are working with the Central Scotland Raptor Study Group who colour ring the kestrel chicks we find in our boxes. The colour rings make the kestrels easier to spot and monitor. Further help has come from The Conservation Volunteers who donated six kestrel boxes to the group in January 2014, and which the group members are keen to find new locations for.
Join us! We are hoping other like-minded people will join Falkirk Wildlife Conservation Group, and the projects we have started will grow with time, raising awareness of the species we are trying to conserve. In addition, we are looking at other species to further develop our programme of activities. If you would like to help or want more information, please don’t hesitate to contact me at lesley.sweeney@falkirk. gov.uk or call 01324 504950.
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Standing left to right: Andy Ruck (TCV), Tracy Lambert (SWT), Ami Crozier (SNH/Butterfly Conservation), and Lorna Oldershaw (BTO). Sitting left to right: Harry Woolner (Buglife), Lyndsay Sutton (Transition Stirling), Anna Mayo (TCV), and Heather Parris (Clyde River Foundation).
And, we’ve got talent:
Developing Natural Communities
Harry Woolner Based with Buglife in Stirling, Harry is working on projects throughout the Stirling and Glasgow areas to engage people with parks and pollinators. Contact h.woolner@tcv.org.uk
Lyndsay Sutton Lyndsay is based with Transition Stirling, supporting their summer events and outreach programme as well as its ‘Wood for All’ project aiming to unlock the potential of undermanaged woods in the Stirling area. Contact l.sutton@tcv.org.uk (see page 2)
Lorna Oldershaw Lorna is the Upland Outreach trainee with the BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) in Stirling where she will help develop citizen science projects and engagement with rural communities, amongst lots of other things! Contact l.oldershaw@tcv.org.uk
Heather Parris Heather has re-located from Exeter to work with the Clyde River Foundation in Glasgow. As part of her traineeship Heather will develop links with schools throughout the Clyde catchment area, as well as promoting the Foundation’s Riverfly monitoring project. Contact h.parris@tcv.org.uk
Spring 2014
Ami Crozier Ami’s placement is with Scottish Natural Heritage and Butterfly Conservation, working at Blawhorn Moss (West Lothian) and Wester Moss (Stirling) to engage the local communities with these important raised bog habitats, lying on their doorstep. Contact a.crozier@tcv.org.uk
Tracy Lambert Tracy is working with the Scottish Wildlife Trust on its Living Landscapes project in Cumbernauld, engaging local people with the many different aspects and benefits of healthy ecosystems in an urban environment. Contact t.lambert@tcv.org.uk
Natalie Young (Fishery Management) Lawrence Bellini (Natural Flood Management) Phil Glover (Caledonian Pinewoods) Angela Creevy (Soil Biodiversity) Emma Downie (Riverflies) Fiona McKenna (Freshwater Invasive Species) Richard Taylor (Peatland Ecology) Emma Gilmartin (Upland Ecosystems) Find out what the apprentices are up to by visiting their blogs at www.tcv.org.uk/naturaltalent IA!N BUCHANAN/WOOD FOR ALL
This cheery bunch is the latest and final intake of trainees on our Natural Communities programme, bringing the environment and communities together. Each trainee has a year-long paid placement with an environmental organisation to develop its engagement with the public. So, the current Natural Communities trainees are:
Natural Communities is modelled on the successful Natural Talent programme in which ‘apprentices’ spend 12-18 months developing their skills and knowledge in a specialised aspect of ecology or the environment. The current apprentices are:
Anna Mayo Anna is another trainee who has made a big move, this time from Brighton all the way to TCV in Stirling. With a focus on our health programmes and specifically on older people and dementia, Anna will be carrying out work across Scotland. Contact a.mayo@tcv.org.uk
Andy Ruck Andy’s position is Youth Engagement Officer with TCV and he will help us develop our projects with schools and youth organisations. Andy has lots of previous experience of working with young people and is based in our Edinburgh office, although he will be working throughout Scotland. Contact a.ruck@tcv.org.uk
You can find out more about the trainees and their projects through their blogs at www.tcv.org.uk/naturalcommunities If you believe that any of the trainees could be of assistance to your own group or project, please contact them.
Natural Talent apprentice Emma Gilmartin (right) leading a fungi walk in Plean Country Park, near Stirling, with volunteers from the Wood for All project.
The Natural Communities and Natural Talent programmes are funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
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Overcoming Catch 22 You can’t get a job without experience, and you can’t get experience without a job. It’s the classic Catch 22 situation facing many young people today as they look to the future. TCV Scotland is currently involved in a number of programmes aimed at giving young people that all-important experience to improve their prospects and employability. Here’s a snapshot of what’s happening:
DAISY GOLDIE-Morrison
ProjectScotland Working with charities throughout the country, ProjectScotland provides 16-30 year olds ‘full time volunteering to get on in life’. TCV Scotland has recently hosted several ProjectScotland volunteers, including Juanjuan ‘Luna’ McDonald, originally from China but now living in Edinburgh: “I’ve been working as a youth engagement volunteer, supporting Denise Millan, Skills Development Officer. As part of my role I’ve been involved in the mentoring of young people, encouraging them to develop their personal and professional skills. I’ve also helped design promotional flyers for a Green Recruitment Open Day and I’ve researched and compiled a list of contact details of public and private bodies to help promote TCV Scotland’s Employability in the Outdoors Award (see page 10). So, I’ve had a good mix of tasks.
This is the first time I’ve worked for a non-profit charity. It’s been a very different and special working experience for me. The highlights have been the development and design of the project I worked on and the mentoring provided to me by Denise. The biggest challenge for me was communicating with some of the young people. I wasn’t familiar with the local accent which was hard to understand so I had to think about how best I could communicate with them. In the future I hope I can help run an environmental youth engagement and conservation volunteering programme back in China and deliver positive impacts to others, as TCV is doing. To me, TCV is an ideal group to work with. I like the working environment and the staff are very friendly. More importantly, through the youth engagement work, I’ve had the chance to improve my own employability.” In addition to Luna, ProjectScotland volunteers are currently working with TCV Scotland in Ayr and Glasgow, and there’s a Natural Learning Volunteer placement coming up in Stirling (see page 12). Find out more about what the programme has to offer at www.projectscotland.co.uk
Young folk Get Some Credit Not many young people have the opportunity to gain a certified award in chainsaw use but this is just one of the skills 16-24 year olds can learn on our Get Some Credit programme. The programme gives participants experience and qualifications they need to compete for jobs in the environmental, landscaping and forestry sectors. The young folk typically volunteer with TCV Scotland for two days per week over a period of six months, during which they also attend a series of training courses covering a diverse range of subjects, including rural skills, woodland management, tool maintenance, introduction to fundraising, and First Aid. A Get Some Credit programme has recently been running in Glasgow and Stirling, one of the participants being Alan Dorman who has definitely benefitted from the experience: “I originally joined TCV two years ago through ProjectScotland, then moved on to Get Some Credit. I was looking for opportunities where I could do something outdoors that would get me fit. I have been involved in a multitude of tasks with TCV including Citizen Science surveys, creating wildlife gardens, pond creation, and working with Glasgow City Council on their biodiversity action plan eg tree removal from peat bogs and wildflower planting. I have also gained certified skills such as my grass cutting ticket and First Aid at Work qualifications.
Taking Green Action Central Scotland’s canals are the location for Green Action, a training programme for young people to gain skills and confidence enabling them to progress into further training, education or employment. During their three month programme the young folk are involved in various practical tasks such as path maintenance, wildflower planting, biological recording and invasive species control. Two of the programme’s regular locations are the Auchinstarry Basin, near Kilsyth and the area around the iconic Falkirk Wheel. Green Action has a good success rate of its young trainees achieving positive outcomes. Green Action is organised by the Scottish Waterways Trust and Forestry Commission Scotland, with a little help from TCV Scotland and using stretches of the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals, in the care of Scottish Canals.
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Working on the John Muir Way.
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I would recommend volunteering with TCV to others as it is a fantastic opportunity to meet new people, to get outdoors and experience new things. You may even find yourself changing what you want to do with your life, like me. It is also an excellent way to make contacts within the conservation sector and get good experience for a role in conservation. TCV is an organisation that will do everything it can to help you achieve your goals.
Alan Dorman clearing rhododendron from Cairnhill Woods in East Dunbartonshire (see page 11).
The most enjoyable part has been learning a lot of new skills and having a greater understanding of the environment around us. I would also say that getting to know new people and finding a new career path have been great too. The experience has definitely made me more employable. The amount of training I have received has been more than I could ever ask for. Whether it is through the training courses and Get Some Credit programme I have participated in, or the leadership skills I have picked up through being a volunteer leader, or the support I’ve had with job applications and my
For me this has been a life-changing experience. I have been put on a career path more suited to me as a person and I have also developed characteristics I never had before. I’ve met some great people and gained a fantastic amount of knowledge with a strong support network behind me helping me along the way. I would like to say thank you to my Get Some Credit mentors Denise Millan and Anthony Morrow and my Volunteer Development Officers Jo Ridley and Katy Green for all the support they have given me over the two years. It has been amazing.”
A new Get Some Credit programme will be operating in Aberdeen and Inverness from October 2014. If you have a young person you would like to refer onto it, please contact Denise Millan, Skills Development Officer, at d.millan@tcv.org.uk
The Jupiter Experience SANDRA GARNER
CV, I believe that TCV has put me in a place where I am an excellent candidate for a job within conservation.
Some of the Jupiter Experience lads with John Warnock, Nursery Manager. Hands-on experience is at the heart of a programme based at the Jupiter Urban Wildlife Centre in Grangemouth. During the 13 week programme, a group of 16-19 year olds learn about various aspects of horticulture, conservation work and biodiversity recording. The practical and social skills the young people pick up are intended to help them as they seek employment, further education or additional training. The Jupiter Experience is run in conjunction with the Falkirk Council Employment and Training Unit. “I hated going to school. I hardly turned up over 4 years and I ended up in care for 6 months, but I come here every day because I’m outdoors doing something I like.” Jupiter trainee “I like building things and being creative. I can gain skills from the activities and hope I can do some more practical work. I’m working on a useful certificate and I want good training and a good reference for my work in the future.” Jupiter trainee
On the trail of John Muir Young people have been developing their skills whilst working on the John Muir Way, the new 134 mile coast to coast walking route linking Dunbar in the east, to Helensburgh on the Firth of Clyde. During their 12 month programme the young folk spend two days working with David Alcorn from TCV’s Edinburgh office and three days with staff from Strive Adventure. Typical work for the young folk includes practical conservation tasks across East Lothian, rural skills such as drystane dyking, youth work activities and outdoor sports including surfing and coasteering. The current scheme, which is funded by the Coastal Communities Fund, finishes in April with another eight young people beginning in May.
LUNA MCDONALD
The John Muir Way officially opens in April 2014, this year being the 100th anniversary of the death of John Muir, the man widely considered to be the founder of the environmental movement. Muir was born in Dunbar in 1838 and emigrated to America as a boy. Having developed a deep love and respect for nature, Muir was instrumental in setting up America’s national park system, the forerunner of national parks throughout the world. You can find out more about the John Muir Way and the man himself at www.johnmuirway.org …continued on page 10
Spring 2014
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Overcoming Catch 22 continued
Helping our habitats
LUNA MCDONALD
Developing Employability in the Outdoors
LUNA MCDONALD
Using a range of practical tasks, games and team challenges, the Employability in the Outdoors Award is a unique, mainly outdoor-based course which identifies and builds on the skills of the participants. The lively and enjoyable activities encourage team work, leadership and communication skills. Participants also get the chance to meet ‘green’ employers, apply for jobs in the sector, and take part in mock interviews. On successful completion of the course, participants receive a SCQF Level 4 Employability Award.
TCV Scotland offers the employability award to other organisations, a recent example being Edinburgh-based Youth Vision. The award can be spread over a period of time or delivered over 5 consecutive days. For details of how TCV can deliver the Employability in the Outdoors Award for your organisation and young people, please contact Denise Millan, Skills Development Officer, at d.millan@tcv.org.uk. “The training yesterday was really good and the mock interview really boosted my confidence.” Sean, 22
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Over the past year volunteers from TCV Scotland have worked on a number of sites designated for their conservation and wildlife value by Scottish Natural Heritage. The volunteers have been involved in a wide range of activities to manage and improve these often fragile and important habitats. At Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve, by Ballater, volunteers from Aberdeen removed young Scots pine trees to prevent the bearheath being overgrown by woodland. Bearberry is the food plant for moths such as the Small dark yellow underwing and Netted mountain carpet. Where possible the uprooted young trees have been potted-up and will be donated to local schools and community woodland projects. Recently the Aberdeen team has cleared vegetation and helped erect an electric fence to deter foxes from a tern nesting site at Forvie National Nature Reserve, almost 1,000 hectares of sand dunes and dune heath on the coast between the North Sea and the River Ythan estuary. Forvie is particularly renowned for its birds, including the largest breeding colony of eiders in Britain, and four species of breeding terns. TCV’s Glasgow volunteers have been busy at a number of locations in the Clyde Valley River Basin. Work has included clearing invasive rhododendron from the grounds beside the historic Bothwell Castle, and removing birch from Cander and Braehead Mosses in South Lanarkshire. The volunteer team from Stirling have cleared young birch and Scots pine trees
PETE BRINKLOW
The Stirling volunteers clearing young birch and Scots pine trees from Shirgarton Moss.
Aberdeen volunteers almost hidden in the expanse of the Muir of Dinnet. encroaching onto Shirgarton Moss, which lies in the Carse of Stirling and is part of the Flanders Mosses Special Area of Conservation. This area is internationally important for its active raised bog and rare habitats supporting a variety of wildlife. Scotland’s peat bogs also have a role in combating climate change as they store huge amounts of carbon. In recent years Shirgarton Moss had been drying out due to the encroachment of trees and the effect of drainage ditches. With the cooperation of the four farmers who own the land, SNH has encouraged the installation of plastic piling dams in the ditches and the removal of scrub and trees from the moss. These measures mean the bog vegetation is recovering and getting wetter which is a good thing! The Stirling volunteers have also helped clear non-native snowberry from Kippenrait Glen SSSI, near Bridge of Allan, and removed beech trees from the Boturich Woodlands SSSI, near Loch Lomond. This site is an example of Atlantic oakwood, rich in mosses and lichens due to the heavy rainfall in the west of Scotland. Over the coming year we hope volunteers from all of TCV Scotland’s offices will have the opportunity to help manage and conserve more of our designated habitats.
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Supporting the Friends of Cairnhill Woods
The rhododendron clearers.
Marjory, one of the Friends of Cairnhill Woods.
*Visit www.westertonvillage.org.uk
JULIA DUNCAN
Improve your skills
The sound of birds was replaced by the sound of saws recently at Cairnhill Woods, in Westerton, East Dunbartonshire. Volunteers from TCV Glasgow were helping the Friends of Cairnhill Woods* cut down rhododendron bushes to improve the area for wildlife, and to create a more open, safer space for local people, particularly the many dog owners who regularly use the woods. This work was part of TCV’s Community Support Programme through which free project help is available to groups and organisations with limited funds. If your project needs some help on the ground, particularly if you are in a disadvantaged area, contact your local TCV office for details.
Instructor Peter Holmes laying a hedge during a recent TCV training course at Whitmuir Organic Farm, near Penicuik, south of Edinburgh. Lily, the farm dog is an interested onlooker.
Developing an environmental project requires a mix of skills, both practical and organisational. TCV Scotland’s Training Programme for 2014-15 offers 60 short courses covering a wide range of topics, including many to help build up the leadership skills and capacity of community groups to undertake environmental projects. The programme details for 2014-15 can be viewed at http://bit.ly/TCVScotlandTrg And, if your group members have specific training needs TCV Scotland may be able to organise a training event tailored to your particular circumstances. For further details contact Julia Duncan, Development Manager (Learning) at j.duncan@tcv.org.uk
Spring 2014
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Forum Exchange
Where to find us
Food Growing – a tool to bring people together to celebrate, learn and work as a team
TCV Scotland Head Office 24 Allan Park Stirling FK8 2QG T 01786 479697 F 01786 465359 E scotland@tcv.org.uk
21 May 9.30am – 3.30pm at The Concrete Garden, Possilpark, Glasgow
lunch. For further details, contact Tricia Burden at t.burden@tcv.org.uk or call 01786 476170. Forum Exchanges are for people working and volunteering in the environmental and related sectors. Each themed event provides opportunities
for participants to learn from each other, share experiences, network and overcome barriers to developing new areas of work. The programme of four events annually is funded by Scottish Natural Heritage and facilitated by TCV Scotland and the Forum for Environmental Volunteering Activity (FEVA).
Follow us online8 vimeo.com/ conservationvolunteers
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 T 0141 552 5294 ©The Conservation Volunteers 2014. Charity registered in Scotland SC039302, and England 261009. Green Gym is a Registered Trade Mark. Recycled paper
Unit M1 143 Charles Street Glasgow G21 2QA T 0141 552 5294 F 0141 552 0418 E glasgow@tcv.org.uk Glasgow Life Green Gym Blairtummock House 20 Baldinnie Road Easterhouse Glasgow G34 9EE T 0141 276 1785 E Julie.WilsonGL@glasgow.gov.uk Jupiter Urban Wildlife Centre Wood Street Grangemouth FK3 8LH T 01324 471600 F 01324 471600 E jupiter-nursery@tcv.org.uk
twitter.com/tcvscotland #JoinInFeelGood
facebook.com/tcvscotland
c/o Highland Birchwoods Littleburn Road Munlochy Near Inverness IV8 8NN T 01463 811 967 E inverness@tcv.org.uk
Rob Thomas
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.
Aberdeen T 07739 447996 E aberdeen@tcv.org.uk
TCV Scotland’s office in Munlochy, near Inverness, has recently moved a few hundred yards from the village’s main street to the premises of the Highland Birchwoods project.
Vacancy: Natural Learning Volunteer TCV Scotland with ProjectScotland, Stirling An exciting volunteer placement opportunity is available for a young person to contribute to and enhance their experience of TCV’s environmental education activities. The role includes: Assist and support TCV staff to deliver the Natural Learning Programme to schools, including school Green Gyms, environmental education activities and practical conservation sessions. Develop and update TCV’s education resources (websites, education packs, leaflets and training materials). And support TCV staff at education events and training days. For further details visit www.projectscotland.co.uk
St Joseph’s Academy Grassyards Road Kilmarnock KA3 7SL T 01563 526144 ext.2067 E scotland-education@tcv.org.uk The Granary 44 Mortonhall Gate Edinburgh EH16 6TJ T 0131 664 6170 F 0131 664 0583 E edinburgh@tcv.org.uk TCV UK Head Office Sedum House Mallard Way Doncaster DN4 8DB T 01302 388883 F 01302 311531 E information@tcv.org.uk [NetBul-Spring-14/GB/RB/Sev]
This Forum Exchange aims to explore the ways food can be used as a tool to bring people together and engage communities. The Forum will highlight a range of different ways this can be done by running workshops, showcasing and sharing the stories of particular examples of good practice. It is co-hosted by the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens, and the Glasgow Local Food Network. This event is free, including
TCV Scotland’s community, health and environmental volunteering activities are supported by:
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