www.tcv.org.uk/scotland
netw rk bulletin AUTUMN 2018
for TCV Scotland’s community Network
Getting hands-on during Year of Young People 2018
breaking News
Schoolkids to go wild at Seven Lochs
Jam packed! A new project aims to get more children to explore the wild side of life at the Seven Lochs Wetland Park, which straddles North East Glasgow and North Lanarkshire. TCV is a strategic partner in the Seven Lochs project and will work in partnership with RSPB Scotland on delivery of the Outdoor Learning @Seven Lochs project. The project will involve pupils from five primaries and one secondary school within walking distance of the Seven Lochs Wetland Park in regular outdoor learning activities – discovering the nature on their doorstep, and taking action to help improve local greenspaces for people and nature. As well as getting pupils active outdoors the Outdoor Learning @ Seven Lochs project will deliver training sessions to teachers and school staff to help them lead more outdoor learning activities. To support this, RSPB Scotland has produced an ‘Outdoor Learning in the Seven Lochs Wetland Park’ pack, with step-by-step guides to fun, interactive activities across a range of subjects and curriculum stages. This free guide can be downloaded from the Seven Lochs website.
“The nature was amazing, and I loved the scenery.” “Looking out of the bug viewer on a spider was the best.”
This initiative is supported by Scottish Natural Heritage through its Outdoor Learning in Nature Fund.
The Nature Jam was organised by staff from the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, TCV, West Dunbartonshire Ranger Service and the John Muir Trust.
“Being here today has made me feel calm.”
www.sevenlochs.org
“I am really tired, but in a good way.”
There’s more about outdoor learning on pages 4 and 5.
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At the beginning of August, a large group of enthusiastic young people descended on Balloch Castle Country Park within the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. They were taking part in the ‘Nature Jam’ – a Year of Young People 2018 celebration of conservation and environmental art activities. The young people worked tirelessly during the day to build a stretch of new path for improved access and to clear an area of the invasive Himalayan balsam plant. Some also went on a nature walk in the woods, whilst others got creative with Hapa Zome – the Japanese word meaning ‘leaf dye’ and the process of transferring (bashing!) the natural pigments from leaves and flowers onto fabric or paper.
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The young people, aged 8-16, belonged to the local Tullochan group and ‘The Hop, Skip & Jump Project’ – part of Haldane Youth Services, as well as the members of the Youth Committee who are helping shape the National Park’s approach to engaging with young people.
“Food was amazing but being outdoors was even better. And I love learning about nature.” “Nature walk was fun and interesting.”
2018 is the Year of Young People – an opportunity to celebrate the contribution and achievements of young people (8-26 years); to value their contribution to communities and creating new opportunities for them to shine.
Debbie helping clear Himalayan balsam with some of the Nature Jammers.
The following pages provide a flavour of the ways that young people have been engaging with their local greenspaces through TCV and other organisations, including groups belonging to our Community Network. We highlight what young people have been doing, and how both they and the environment have benefitted. There is no doubt that young people can make a valuable contribution to their greenspaces and, in turn, on the communities and environment. I am sure you will enjoy reading about the many varied ways young people have been engaged in Scotland’s natural environment and be proud of what they have achieved. I would like to thank the many partner organisations who work with and fund TCV’s activities with children and young people. We are especially grateful to Scottish Natural Heritage for the ongoing support they provide for all of our activities. Thank you also to Standard Life Aberdeen for their additional support during Year of Young People 2018. Most of all, thanks are due to all the young people involved for their enthusiasm in helping to care for Scotland’s wildlife and natural environment. Looking forward, we are committed to providing many more such opportunities, so for TCV – every year is a Year of Young People! Debbie Adams Director, Scotland & Northern Ireland
“It is interesting to find out about new species.” “Thanks, I really enjoyed going outdoors and taking part in helping nature at its best.” Autumn 2018
Supported by
nature.scot Thank you to Young Scot for their help and advice during Year of Young People 2018. Year of Young People 2018
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“It’s amazing how much wildlife you see when you start looking for it.” – Parent Rewild the Child was influenced by the Forest School ethos to offer children opportunities to develop confidence and self-esteem, plus physical health and mental wellbeing, through regular handson learning experiences in a woodland or similar environment. The ethos has its roots in Scandinavia and is shared by thousands of Forest School Leaders across the UK. Forest Schools and like-minded activities can be run in both urban and rural locations. The most recent Rewild the Child session in Clydebank was run by Juliette Walsh, who previously ran similar activities on the very different island setting of Arran, as she explains: “Over a period of 18 months, Roots of Arran Community Woodland* worked with five of the island’s seven primary schools to develop outdoor learning sites in woodlands adjacent to the schools, so readily accessible for year-round use. It was simply a question of gaining agreement from the relevant landowners and making sure appropriate risk assessments were in place before the staff and children were able to go out with a Forest School Leader like myself. “One of the most memorable days was taking children for a walk up the steep, rough grazing land behind Corrie Primary School. The children were really amazed to look down on the roof of their school and spent a while exploring the trees and boulders up there. Teachers and classroom assistants got to grips with tree, plant and bug identification, outdoor cooking, putting
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up tarps, and developing further ideas for learning and creative play in the wilds outside of the school grounds.”
OWL Scotland Outdoor learning initiatives such as Forest School are promoted by Outdoor & Woodland Learning Scotland. OWL Scotland is supported by Forestry Commission Scotland and evolved out of the Forest Education Initiative (FEI) which ran successfully for over 20 years. OWL Scotland supports a network of local OWL groups, an example being the Edinburgh OWL Group*. Edinburgh OWL Group aims to: • Find funding to subsidise Forest School Leader Training. • Run regular ideas sharing workshops for its members. • Build a pool of educational resources, equipment and tools for member use. • Provide a network for its members plus interested individuals and organisations to benefit from sharing ideas and best practice. • Maintain links with neighbouring OWL groups, organisations and interested individuals. Edinburgh OWL Group Chair, Roy Welensky, says: “Our meetings tend to be outside or focus on practical activities that can be undertaken with young people, children and adults. Generally, we hold four ideas sharing meetings per year. We are a friendly group and always keen to hear from individuals and organisations whose aims are similar to the OWL
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constitution. We have a circulation list of 250 plus individuals and an active core of 8 plus individuals. Please get in touch if you want to know more! Contact us at edinburghowlgroup@gmail.com or have a look at our Facebook page.” Information about OWL Scotland, including details of local OWL groups, useful resources, plus training as a Forest School Leader, is available at: www.owlscotland.org
Also… • Outdoor learning and play are the focus of Grounds for Learning which provides a range of training, advice, support and funding. Details at: www.ltl.org.uk/scotland • ‘Beyond your boundary’ – an outdoor learning resource from Scottish Natural Heritage to help schools use a greenspace within walking distance. Details at: www.nature.scot/learninglocal-greenspace • Alongside the Scottish Government and Inspiring Scotland, a host of organisations have recently signed up to a national Position Statement to make playing and learning outdoors an everyday activity for Scotland’s children and young people. Download the statement at: wwwinspiringscotland.org.uk • Just launched: web page for National Network for Outdoor Learning (Scotland) https://nnol.blogspot.com *Community Network member
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Main pic JULIETTE WALSH inset: REBECCA STROFTON
Outside, now!
During 2018, TCV’s Community Rewilding project has run the Rewild the Child programme to engage young people with their local environment in Faifley, Clydebank. During term time pupils at St. Joseph’s Primary enjoyed a range of activities within the school’s garden, including planting wildflowers, making bird feeders, building dens, bug hunting and having a campfire cookout. During the holidays a similar programme of activities was held in the local woods for young people and parents – so more family focussed. Rewild the Child has been so successful, we are actively looking to secure funding to run the programme again in 2019. Find us at www.communityrewilding.org.uk and up-to-date news of events and volunteering opportunities on our Facebook page TCV-Community Rewilding
SUSAN RUTHERFORd
School Green Gyms™ have been built on the success of TCV’s adult Green Gyms, originally developed in 1997 – www.tcv.org.uk/greegym
The school gym with a difference Most of us can benefit from some regular exercise, including school pupils who lead increasingly inactive lives glued to their computer and phone screens. Whilst some pupils are active through school sports and games, these don’t appeal to everyone, so TCV has developed a ‘natural’ alternative – the School Green Gym.
New Green Gyms have recently begun at Hillside School, Cumnock, and the recently relocated Kilmarnock Academy, as outlined by TCV’s Susan Rutherford: “Here, S2 and S5 pupils have been split into groups, each having a small patch of land to develop in the recently created school garden. Each group has also been given some tasks to do e.g., one group is to ask the techy department if they can get hold of and cut wood for us. Another group is to speak to the headmaster to get permission to get topsoil delivered. The idea is to give them all some responsibility for organising and designing their own patch. It’s early days, but so far it’s worked very well!”
School Green Gyms aim to provide some fresh air and exercise without the need for ‘sporty’ activities and clothing. Pupils can take part in a range of activities to develop school gardens, vegetable plots and nature areas, or to help enhance local greenspaces. So, these can involve lots of digging, hoeing, sowing, raking, planting, watering and harvesting. But it’s not just about being physically active. Fun and stimulating Green Gym activities can build pupils’ practical and social skills, plus encourage a host of learning around food growing and nature. Much of this learning can feed into classroom work and the curriculum.
And now in West Lothian
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“I am now better at working in a team because we’ve got to know everyone by playing and learning.” “We are beginning to spend more time outside and get some fresh air, improving your health.” “I was worried about messing things up but now I feel confident.” “I feel different because in the first few weeks I felt like I wasn’t sure what to do but I can use my knowledge to take on the hard work.”
Since the start of the Autumn 2018 term, over 70 pupils in West Lothian have been enjoying Green Gym based activities in their schools and local communities, run by TCV’s Alice Kenny (see page 15). LORNA SLOAN
For several years, pupils in East Ayrshire secondary schools have taken part in School Green Gyms. These are continuing through TCV’s School Green Gym Licence scheme and with help from East Ayrshire’s Learning Outdoors Support Team (LOST), which has recently joined the Community Network.
Loudoun Academy Green Gym pupils in action.
Loudoun Academy pupils celebrate receiving their John Muir Award certificates with TCV’s Susan Rutherford, and behind her, Academy teacher Beth McGuffie. The certificates were handed out by Lorna Sloan of the John Muir Trust, who took the photo.
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“We love making changes.” School Green Gyms are one aspect of TCV’s Outdoor Learning Programme to engage and inspire young people about biodiversity and conservation in their local environment. Further details at: www.tcv. org.uk/scotland/learning/outdoor-learning
Also...
The Eco-Schools Scotland programme encourages young people to engage in their environment by allowing them the opportunity to actively protect it. Details at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org
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Breaking down barriers
Many young people face difficulties in accessing their local environment and the benefits that contact with nature can bring. Barriers can range from physical disabilities to language and cultural differences. During Year of Young People, TCV has worked with many schools, community groups and other organisations to help remove some of these barriers. TRACY LAMBERT/CLL
ACCESSing NATURE The long & winding path Earlier this year, a new all-abilities path was created to improve access to a woodland and pond area at the Auchengillan Scout Centre, north of Glasgow. The ‘Path of Possibilities’ was planned with the Glasgow Disabled Scouts (GDS) which provides support for young people aged 7-25 with complex disabilities and additional support needs. To enable the scouts to better enjoy the area, a new pond dipping platform and bird hide were also constructed. And local scouts helped plant wildflowers and made a dead hedge habitat to enhance the area’s biodiversity. These improvements were made possible thanks to funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. “Some of us were involved in doing the drawings for the path when this was nothing but a muddy field. Before, we couldn’t get around here at all but now we have a path that is good for wheelchairs, so we can explore a bit more.” - Michael, 21 years old
Employing the senses Pupils (and helpers) from Mavisbank and Redburn Schools in North Lanarkshire recently enjoyed a visit to Palacerigg Country Park, near Cumbernauld. The pupils, who have a range of complex additional support needs, had the opportunity to experience a range of sensory experiences provided by the park’s many plants and animals. Some of the young people particularly enjoyed feeding the traditional varieties of ducks, sheep, pigs and goats. Others enjoyed the natural scents and textures of the flowers and herbs, and even the soft sensation of a fox fur! The visit was organised by staff and volunteers from the local Wild Ways Well team, run by TCV and the Scottish Wildlife Trust, as part of the Cumbernauld Living Landscape (CLL) project.
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Mavisbank pupil Shakira meets one of Palacerigg Country Park’s residents.
Some of the PSYV team during a session with the Cumbernauld Living Landscape Sunday Volunteers.
The CLL project has been introducing other groups of young people to the local environment, including the Cumbernauld branch of Police Scotland’s Youth Volunteers (PSYV). In September, a reception was held at the Scottish Parliament to recognise the fantastic contribution made by PSYV to communities across the country. The reception was attended by CLL’s Tracy Lambert and Paul Barclay, who said: “The reception was hosted by the Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf, and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was also there to hear the testimonies of the young people, their adult instructors and our very own Tracy, as they spoke about how volunteering in Cumbernauld has affected their lives and benefited the community.”
with the team helping in the office and out with groups, getting a taste for working in conservation. After his experience, Ryan felt that he would really enjoy working in this sector where he could use his skills and time to help others.
Also in Cumbernauld, TCV, along with Cumbernauld Living Landscape’s Natural Connections project, worked with young people from several of the town’s educational establishments to show them how beneficial accessing the natural world can be for their confidence, life skills and future work prospects. A group of students from New College Lanarkshire also spent time with the Wild Ways Well team exploring the local woods. They built shelters, strung up hammocks and made baked bananas and hot chocolate over a fire in the blazing sunshine! One student, Ryan Petrie, went on to spend his college work placement
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Summer fun During the past summer, groups of youngsters, parents and staff from the Deaf Action organisation joined TCV to explore some of the wonderful parks and historic sites around Edinburgh and the Lothians. Highlights included a beach safari and nature walk to Cramond Island, a tour of Kinneil House and Museum, nature recording at Dalkeith Country Park, bug hunting and den building at Newhailes Estate, and a geology walk and volcanic rubbings on Arthur’s Seat. The programme aimed to provide a range of fun and stimulating nature-based activities in a friendly, supportive setting for the youngsters, many of whom are hard of hearing or totally deaf. This isn’t the first programme we’ve run with Deaf Action, and no doubt not the last!
“Thank you, a fantastic energetic group, and happy to use my British Sign Language skills with them.” – Lily, Historic Environment Scotland tour guide
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Working with diversity Glasgow is home to Scotland’s largest Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities, many who have been settled here for generations, plus those who have arrived more recently. TCV’s engagement with BME groups in Glasgow stretches back to 2001 and the ‘Environments for All’ project which ran successfully for a number of years. Our current activities with BME groups in the city are organised by Kirsty Grant, Citizen Science Project Officer: “I’ve run a range of nature-based sessions to introduce a diverse mix of young people and families to Scotland’s wildlife and environment. Highlights (so far!) include:”
Refuweegee A series of outdoor sessions were run in local parks with children and adults from Refuweegee, a community-led charity which provides support for refugees new to the city. Citizen science activities such as identifying bees and butterflies, bird feeder making, minibeast surveys and woodland games provided plenty of opportunities for participants to learn about the natural world and to meet new faces.
West of Scotland Regional Equality Council (WSREC) A summer nature walk was held with WSREC’s women’s gardening group, including many children. The walk had a foraging focus to identify the edible and medicinal plants to be found in the local area. As well as the plant life, the walk was also an opportunity to talk about the other wildlife to be seen.
Chinese Community Development Partnership (CCDP)
Kirsty Grant pond dipping in Pollok Park with one of the children from Refuweegee. take home to encourage them to continue their wildlife watching.
BioBlitz Members of the BME community joined TCV and other conservation groups for a BioBlitz at the Botanic Gardens – a fun and informative day of pond dipping, Hapa Zome natural print making, bird watching, nature badge making and foraging walks. Summing up, Kirsty says: “The activities and events I’ve held with members of the BME community have provided many opportunities and some learning challenges, but it has been very satisfying to see the outcomes. One of the most rewarding aspects is the genuine excitement which the children have developed for the natural world. Holding earthworms for the first time, dipping in the pond and finding their first newt, even being able to get over a fear of flying insects – all achieved through citizen science. By understanding more about nature, young people are more likely to care and protect their local environment.”
…and a warm welcome in West Lothian In the year up to April 2018, TCV organised the Welcome Through Wildlife project in West Lothian, to introduce Syrian refugee families recently settled in Livingston to some of the countryside and local heritage on their doorstep. Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, young people along with family members, took part in a variety of outdoor activities and visits to local country parks, community gardens and other places of interest. We watched children come out of their shells, especially teenagers who have had to deal with trauma at a young age, and who struggle to speak English and make new friends as quickly as the younger children. As the programme progressed, teenagers changed from being reserved and playing on computer games, to leading den building deep in the woods and asking; “When will the next one be?” Given its success, we are currently looking at ways to expand the programme to Syrian refugees in other areas.
A Welcome Through Wildlife in West Lothian.
A programme of wildlife explorer sessions was held in Kelvingrove Park for children from Glasgow’s Chinese community to investigate the local environment through simple citizen science activities and nature games. The programme was promoted through CCDP which acts as a central point of information and contact between Glasgow’s Chinese community and wider society. Each child who attended one of the sessions was given a free nature pack to
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Community network member
The Green Team – helping young people Thrive The Edinburgh based Green Team has belonged to TCV’s Community Network for over 15 years and is one of the few member groups to work mainly with young people. The Green Team’s staff and volunteer Green Leaders are dedicated to ‘Supporting children and young people to learn about and connect with nature, others and themselves’. For further information about The Green Team, its programmes and how to become a volunteer Green Leader, please visit: www.greenteam.org.uk
Each year hundreds of young people are involved in a wide range of exciting and fun conservation based activities, provided through the Green Team’s many innovative programmes: • Green Volunteers: Weekend projects for young people aged 12-18 • Green Angels: Weekend projects for girls aged 12-18 • Green Holidays: Easter and Summer adventures for young people aged 10+ • Green Explorers: Monthly sessions for children aged 8-12 • Green Shoots: Referral social inclusion programme • Green Schools: Support for schools with environmental awards and Ecoschools work.
Thrive The Green Team’s Thrive programme supports young people to engage in therapeutic outdoor experiences to promote positive mental wellbeing. Earlier this year, The Green Team ran an 11 week Thrive programme in partnership with
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St Andrew’s High School in Coatbridge and CREW – the harm reduction and outreach charity. The programme took place at Muiravonside Country Park near Linlithgow. Thrive involved a group of S3 and S4 students who face substantial difficulties in their lives and who don’t engage meaningfully with school. At the end of the programme a report was produced outlining the positive impact it had made to the lives of the young people, amended extracts of which are given here: The Thrive programme was a mix of indoor and outdoor sessions. Each outdoor session involved a conservation task in the morning, followed by a peer-led session around a campfire, and ended with a nature skills session in the afternoon. During the mornings the young people took part in tree felling, dead hedge creation, path building and traditional dry stone walling. They worked hard to create these structures around the country park and gained an understanding of their purpose for wildlife and the environment. They were trusted to use sharp and heavy tools, with clear instructions from the Park Ranger and
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the Green Team in both how to work with, and carry them around, safely. The peer-led sessions focused on coping strategies, risk taking behaviour, cannabis legalization debate, house parties, alcohol and Ecstasy. The way these sessions were delivered varied greatly depending on the confidence of the students. One of the main aims was that all the young people had to take responsibility for their session. Some were very happy to talk openly in front of the group and take the lead around
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ALL PHOTOS: HELEN WILLIAMS/CREW
The woodland mural in the making …and the end result. their topic of choice, whereas others wanted to use cards and visual aids to lead the conversations. One young person ran a spontaneous debate with the whole group. The sessions aimed to provide the young people a safe space to share with the group some of their personal issues. Young people shared experiences of substance use, issues at school, relationships and family challenges. The staff were all present during these sessions by the fire allowing them to hear first-hand the young people’s thoughts, feelings and concerns. The nature skills part of the day involved the students learning how to light fires, where to access dry wood and the different types of fire sticks necessary for starting a fire successfully. Food was prepared over the fire, which included some foraged herbs, and different food groups were explored along with their health benefits. Following lunch there were opportunities to learn to use knifes safely and do wood carving, plus antler cutting and carving to make a piece of jewellery. There were also opportunities for sitting alone in nature for a few minutes for some mindfulness. Edinburgh based arts collective The Too Much Fun Club came along for three sessions, the first of which was in the woods talking to the young people about what they had been doing and to sketch images for a school mural. The following two sessions were in the school where the artists worked alongside the young people to create the mural which depicted everything the group had accomplished. This image will also be used as the front image for two peer developed information cards, one of which is on safe gaffs and the other is on respect.
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Thrive’s impact
Staff feedback
Each of Thrive’s young people completed a wellbeing self-assessment form at both the start and end of the programme. The result was that all of them recorded a significant improvement in their wellbeing. One 15 year old pupil who normally had on-going truanting issues attended 100% of the sessions, both in the country park and in school, said: “It gave me more confidence and my ability to work as a team increased. We got to sit in the woods and Chill. You don’t need your phone to sit by the fire and chillax and have a team to talk to. I loved being outside. It’s better than school for me – I’m not claustrophobic but outside is so free.”
All the staff who worked within the school felt they had more understanding of the link between problematic substance use issues and mental health. Staff observed all the young people make significant improvements in their abilities to try new activities, follow instructions, and most notably engage with meaningful activities. They saw the young people gain confidence in sharing their ideas and listening to others, as they realised that their opinions were important. Behaviour issues disappeared as the young people engaged. One extremely quiet and isolated 14 year old pupil reflected at the end of the programme: “It gave me more confidence to work with other people that I didn’t know. It was alright to talk, as people would listen, which I found helpful.”
Another 14 year old added: “I felt that I could be myself and not worry about what other people felt – it was more relaxing. I enjoyed it as it was something that I have never done before. I got to meet new people, other students and all the adults. I enjoyed experiencing different things including sitting around the fire, talking about things openly. I felt that I could be myself, and not worry about what other people felt. We could talk about drugs, and this was different to anywhere else.” The young people learned employability skills and transferable skills for the work place, and they developed team work and the ability to complete tasks. At the start of the programme the young people were unfamiliar and uncomfortable with the outdoors, including putting on outdoor clothing. All the young people were transformed by the end of the programme as they were confident in the country park; in the work they were doing with the ranger; they were familiar and confident with making the fires and running the peerled sessions; and also much more engaging with each other and all the adults involved.
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St Andrew’s High School Partnership Officer said: “It’s been such a great project. It’s just been so magical. It’s the seeds that have been sown for these young people for later on that is important. When they are in a bad place they will sit and remember that they can go for a walk in the woods. And that’s enormous. This project has made such a difference. These are difficult boys. I’m feeling emotional as today is the first day that J and C have spoken, and I have worked with them for years. And J smiled. I have never seen him smile.” Penny Radway, Green Team Manager, was equally pleased with the outcome: “We were delighted with the success of this programme and hope to work with CREW again. We are aware that keeping young people mentally well is extremely important but our simple recipe of engaging in a meaningful activity outdoors and with other people, is hugely beneficial to the young people involved.”
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Developing a talent for nature For several years TCV and partner organisations have run the Natural Talent trainee programme, funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Trust. The programme aims to increase expertise to protect our lesser known wildlife species and the habitats that support them. Natural Talent provides year long, paid traineeships for people passionate about the environment. Current trainees include 24 year old Joanna Lyndsay and 25 year old Conor Willmott, who outline here what the traineeships have involved and their hopes for the future. some very interesting training courses on outdoor learning, practical skills, improving species identification and more. On top of that, working with the Buglife team means I am learning new things about invertebrates and habitats all the time! And, of course, I have loved getting to know our dear pond mud snails, which I had no idea even existed before this year but which I have become totally attached to – I will miss them and their little bunny ears!
Jo with a pond dipping youngster at a Bioblitz in the Botanic Gardens, Glasgow.
Jo Lyndsay My traineeship is with Buglife Scotland in Stirling, working on their Marvellous Mud Snails project which began in 2017. The project focuses on the rare Pond Mud Snail (Omphiscola glabra) which has declined dramatically in recent years and is currently only found in 7 locations throughout all of Scotland. The project has three main aims: reassessment of the current pond mud snail population, a captive breeding programme to boost this population, and a strong focus on engagement and education to inform people of the importance of freshwater habitats for invertebrates. As a trainee I have been involved with all aspects of the project in one way or another; I have been out in the field looking for pond mud snails and surveying the different sites, writing up habitat management plans, helping to care for and breed snails in our office, assisted in organising and running workshops, and I had a large part in running educational sessions with primary and secondary schools. I have also
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been involved in some of Buglife’s other projects from time to time, assisting with pollinator sessions and workshops for ‘Scotland’s Buzzing’ and ‘Glorious Green Roofs’, helping with surveying on peat bog projects, and promoting the work of TCV and Buglife at public events. Working with both Buglife and TCV has provided me the opportunity to get involved in a huge variety of projects and activities, giving me a great insight into the different aspects of working in conservation. Every day has been different and exciting, whether it’s been helping TCV at events, going on site visits for the mud snail project, attending training courses, running educational sessions, writing blogs and articles… I could go on! A definite highlight for me, however, has got to be the school sessions. All the classes I have worked with have been so keen and enthusiastic and running sessions with them has just been so much fun. It is a joy to help them engage with nature and see them genuinely enjoy exploring the world around them. Not to mention getting to be a bit of a big kid myself while I’m at it! I do love a good pond dip. Another highlight has been the constant opportunities to learn. The fantastic Natural Talent training budget has allowed me to travel to some beautiful places for
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When I first applied for this traineeship, it was with the intention of progressing towards a career in environmental education and/or public engagement within the conservation sector. Working with schools on the Marvellous Mud Snail project and being involved in various forms of public engagement across my traineeship has given me a fantastic range of experience in these areas, confirming my desire to follow this career path.
Jo staffing the Buglife stall at Edinburgh Zoo’s Wild About Scotland Day.
Looking to the future I can’t say I’m not nervous about moving on and what the future might hold, but I am very excited at the same time. Having gained so much knowledge and improved my confidence over the last 10 months, I feel ready for whatever life throws at me next! I cannot thank TCV, Buglife and all the funders enough for giving me this opportunity and allowing me to have such a fantastic and insightful year!
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AMY STYLES
Conor Willmott My traineeship has focused upon engaging communities with their local coastline, with extra attention given to the Edinburgh Shoreline and often overlooked groups such as seaweeds and coastal lichens. I have been based with and supported by the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) and the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS). Although focused on Edinburgh, I’ve managed to travel quite widely around Scotland, taking in the sights that both the east and west coasts have to offer. Prior to starting my traineeship with TCV I was working as a Countryside Ranger in South Wales, having previously worked and volunteered on nature reserves and islands dotted around the UK. I have always had a bit of an obsession with the sea so I thought I had a good understanding of coastal ecology. Yet when you start to look closer and focus on the goings-on of the smallest inhabitants on the shore, things begin to get very interesting and rather complicated!
organisms that live on the coast, from lichens to winkles to barnacles, so I started to run events that included all of the small inhabitants that can be found. I ran a number of rockpooling events over the summer on both the west and east coasts, getting people hands-on with the small ‘beasties’ that live on the shore. I attended courses to improve my communication and public speaking skills and I’ve had plenty of opportunities to practice and exercise my new skills over the summer. I even sat down with storytellers, exploring ways of telling the many stories of small coastal organisms and their struggles. One of the highlights of my traineeship so far was a family event on the beach at South Queensferry where children and parents alike rolled up their sleeves and spent a while trying to find every beastie they could
Looking to the future, the traineeship has provided me with many new skills and plenty of opportunities to practice and become proficient at them. In addition, I have tried my hand at various tasks, worked with many different groups and projects, and increased my knowledge, both general and specialised. I now feel I am well placed to move into a wide range of roles in the environmental sector at the end of my traineeship.
Ross McIlwrath, a Natural Talent trainee in 2017/18, has been nominated as Young Nature Champion as part of the 2018 RSPB Nature of Scotland Awards (winners announced on 22 November). Ross was 23 years old when he began his traineeship based with Butterfly Conservation where he dedicated himself to learning, recording, and promoting micro-moths, especially on peatland habitats. Ross worked hard to make identifying micro-moths easier for moth recorders and ran training courses for ‘micro-moth beginners’. Ross recorded micro-moths at many sites for the first time and made several new regional discoveries!
A large part of my traineeship has been showing the public these small and overlooked aspects of the shore, sharing my knowledge to allow individuals to look at and appreciate the coastline in a different way. I soon found that people wanted to know more about the smaller
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and ask as many questions they could think of. I also made the acquaintance of the biggest shorecrab this side of the border. Almost lost a finger!
AMY STYLES
My traineeship had an original focus on seaweeds and lichens as study subjects and I spent the first couple of months learning about these groups from species experts. Lichens and seaweeds are the main primary producers on shorelines, acting as both a shelter and food source for most creatures that call the coastline home. Numerous adaptations allow them to grow between the tides, a dynamic and inhospitable habitat due to its changing temperature, salinity and available sunlight. Every coastline has a community of seaweeds and lichens. Even the most barren and apparently lifeless shorelines are home to the hardiest species of these groups. At first glance the coast around Edinburgh may not appear as the most nature-rich of shorelines. After centuries of use and industrial activity the coast has experienced a lot of change but is by no means lifeless. All of the coastline, from the muddy shores under the Forth Bridge to the concrete seawalls of Leith and beyond to the long beaches of Portobello, has a rich collection of species. Yet there is so much more if you take a very close look!
Conor (centre) and fellow Natural Talent trainees identifying lichens on Inchcailloch Island, Loch Lomond.
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Community network member
In the spirit of John Muir The award winning Polbeth and West Calder Community Garden lies between the two neighbouring villages in West Lothian. The garden provides opportunities for local people, schools and community groups to grow fruit and vegetables, and take part in a range of outdoor leisure activities, including a Green Gym. To make the site more accessible to local youngsters, the garden organisers set up their own John Muir Award group. The John Muir Award encourages people to connect with, enjoy, and care for wild places. It’s an environmental award scheme for people of all backgrounds – groups, families, individuals. It’s non-competitive, inclusive and accessible. Here, garden Co-conveners Judith McDermid and Lisa Drinnan outline their JMA group’s activities: Our John Muir Award team currently has 7 members, aged 9 to 16, along with parents, and they have completed their first two levels of the Award which has included them in many different activities. They were involved in the development of the first Stickman Trail in Scotland, and two of them helped plant a Christmas tree to be used as part of our Magical Advent Woodland. The team has plans to create a mud kitchen and they have benches to erect. The group helped preserve the old road and avenue of old beech and oak trees that runs through the woodland, which was under threat from the construction
The garden’s John Muir Award group. At the front, left to right: Eilidh, Clara and Darcy. At the back: Michael, Kai, Rory Mc and Rory M. of a new road bridge. They surveyed the road and entered the old beech tree at the end of the woods into the ‘Scottish Tree of the Year Competition 2016’, as the ‘Faraway Tree’. They narrowly missed being shortlisted for the public vote, placed 7th. They made The Faraway Tree a focal point in their own John Muir Trail and gave guided walks during our Harvest Event. The JMA team has also taken over organising our annual Hallowe’en event this year as they identified that they could make it better – and they have! With funding from Young Scot Create18, as part of the Year of Young People, this year’s Hallowe’en event is particularly aimed at attracting a younger audience to the garden. Looking to the future, we’ll potentially consider expanding the group. And we’ll think about who’s going to lead it when the older ones have less time available due to exams. But this can be an opportunity for the younger ones to come through and lead the group and continue the successful John Muir Award here in the garden. “The John Muir Award gives you lots of opportunities and gives people the chance to become friends and work together to achieve a common goal. It was fun when we made the fedging, which is fence hedging made out of willow weaving – that was enjoyable.” – Rory M, 14 years old.
Some of the JMA group discussing their plans in the garden’s ‘Shed’.
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“We’ve been going around conserving wild spaces making sure people understand the
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need for having greenspace. It’s nice and relaxing to be outdoors. I think it’s good just getting outside and getting away from the everyday things of life, especially when you’re doing stressful things like exams.” – Rory Mc, 16 years old. “It’s a lot better than going outside and doing nothing much because with this you always have a target. If I wasn’t here doing this I’d just be sitting playing Xbox, killing time. It’s good to do something like this when you actually do something.” – Michael, 12 years old. “For Explorer we have been developing the wildflower meadow area - we’ve planted flower seeds and trees. To learn about this, we visited the Children’s Wood and North Kelvin Meadow in Glasgow which was really interesting. The John Muir Award also counts as one of the two activities for the Queen’s Scout Awards which two of us are doing. And it counts towards the Saltire Awards as well – once you do a certain number of hours you get a certificate.” – Clara, 15 years old. polbethandwestcaldergarden.weebly.com The John Muir Award is run by the John Muir Trust, named after the inspirational Scot’s-born naturalist, writer and ecology campaigner who helped establish Yosemite National Park in California, and who founded the influential Sierra Club. www.johnmuirtrust.org
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19 year old Krissy Stevenson has been a regular member of TCV’s Stirling volunteer group for several years. Here, Krissy answers some questions on why she became a conservation volunteer, and what she gets out of it.
When did you start volunteering? I started volunteering with TCV in 2016 during my summer holidays from school. I was 16 at the time and went out with the Stirling branch.
How did you find out about us? I had been interested in conservation for a long time and wanted to see if there was anything I could take part in my area. I looked at different websites and came across TCV. The activities in Stirling sounded really fun and interesting, so I got in touch with the leader Rosie to see if I could take part.
Why did you think this would be good for you? I felt that being in the outdoors would be beneficial for me as I always used to be outside and in the garden with my mum as a child, but stopped when I became a teenager. I wanted to see if the outdoors was still as interesting to me as it was when I was a child – and it is! I also wanted to learn more about conservation as I was starting to consider what I wanted to do at university and wanted to explore different opportunities.
How often do you come out with the group? The first summer I went out two days a week but during the last two summers I did one day a week. I hope to carry on volunteering for the rest of this year as I have free days at university.
What kind of activities have you been involved in? I’ve been involved in doing up a garden within sheltered housing, the removal of invasive plants in different locations, the making of bug hotels and other similar activities – so a real mix of things.
Have you learned any new skills? Yes, I’ve learned lots of practical skills
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Krissy is photographed here by Rosie Walker (see page 15) who says: “Krissy is removing the invasive species Seabuckthorn from around the foreshore at Kinneil, by Bo’ness, Falkirk. This is part of a large two year project to remove as much Seabuckthorn as possible to increase biodiversity on the wildflower meadows and encourage more public access to this fantastic site! This work is funded by Falkirk Environment Trust and is being undertaken on behalf of Scottish Natural Heritage and the Friends of Kinneil Foreshore Group.”
including how to use drills safely, plus hammers and other tools like loppers and saws. I’ve also improved my team work skills and gained more confidence in working with people of all ages.
Have you learned anything about the environment? Yes, a lot of the activities I’ve been involved in have involved the removal of invasive plants ie Himalayan balsam. I also got to do a ‘citizen science’ activity where we looked for different insects and plants around Stirling, which improved my knowledge of different species. I can now identify many different plants and bugs because of what I’ve learned through volunteering.
What’s it like being part of a group? I love it! I think I work best in a group and I love meeting new people. It’s amazing to see how much work can be done when we work together. I also enjoy getting to chat to all the different people in the group.
What’s the best thing about volunteering? I think it is that I get to be outdoors. I really love being outside and seeing different places and TCV helps me do that and help with conservation at the same time. I think it’s a great thing to be a part of.
Is there a favourite location you’ve been to? My favourite place to work on was in the garden of sheltered housing in Newhouse, Stirling. I was involved in building a new bench, and I made an old bench look brand new after sandpapering and painting it again. It’s my favourite place because of how happy the residents were when they saw how much we had changed the garden for them. It was great to see that volunteering could have such a great impact on other people.
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ROSIE WALKER
Volunteer Q&A
Would you recommend conservation volunteering to others? I definitely would. There are so many activities to get involved in, and there is something for everyone. Also, the activities are so beneficial for our local environment ie the removal of invasive plants will allow our native species to grow which is really good. It’s also so good to be outdoors doing something fun with a group of lovely people I would never have met if I hadn’t volunteered. I would recommend volunteering with TCV to everyone!
Do you hope this experience will lead to anything? I started volunteering to be outdoors more and to gain knowledge about conservation to see if it could be a possible career route for me to go down. Volunteering has already led to me being able to decide that I do want to go down this path, and meant that I’m now a second year student at university doing Environmental Science. I hope in the future I can have a similar career to what is happening at TCV.
Sum up in a word your volunteering experience:
Krissy’s group in Stirling is just one of TCV’s Mid-Week conservation teams and outdoor Green Gyms that are open to volunteers aged 16 years and over (16 and 17 year olds require parental permission to take part). Details of these groups and their activities are available at www.tcv.org.uk/scotland
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upgrade the biodiversity of the place. So, we’ve been taking out ash trees and putting in hawthorn and other species. I think it’s important to allow new species to grow and it allows the place to look more dynamic. My experience here has been amazing. It’s stopped me from just sitting in the house all day, so when this ends I hope to find another job straight away.” – Kai
Kinneil’s modern apprentices Over the past year a group of young trainees have had the opportunity to enhance both the local environment and their own prospects in the beautiful surroundings of Kinneil Estate, Bo’ness, on the south bank of the Firth of Forth. The trainees are known as the Kinneil Coastal Rangers and their two-year project aims to improve the coastal paths and woodland of Kinneil Estate to help establish it as a key tourist attraction. The Rangers’ supervisor is TCV’s Bo Couch, who explains: “We are basically running an apprenticeship scheme putting the boys (all 17 and 18 years old) through an SVQ Level 2 qualification in Environmental Conservation. To achieve that, we’re using the 52 hectare estate as our training ground. Our work involves upgrading the main visitor routes through the estate including the John Muir Way and National Cycle Route 76. And we’re ensuring all the woodland is under some level of management to improve its biodiversity. The trainees are learning a range of different outdoor skills including woodland management, fencing, path repair and path building. And they’re getting ‘tickets’ for using brushcutters, hedge trimmers and various other machinery. Some of them came here straight out of school so weren’t used to working outside but I’ve
really seen their fitness levels improve from when they first began.” TCV Operations Leader Sandra Garner adds: “The trainees are all from the local area, with half from around Bo’ness itself, and they were referred to us through Falkirk Council. It’s a two-year journey for them, and as well as the formal training they are also gaining valuable life skills and confidence and learning how to work as a team, which are also crucial in their development. So, this is a fantastic opportunity which they’ll leave with accredited qualifications, and then we’ll hopefully move them on to sustainable jobs.” “It’s a bit of a culture shock when you come here at first but once you get used to it, it’s pretty good. We’ve cleared and thinned trees and planted new species of trees to
“One of the main things I’ve liked is the team building and bring out confidence in us to talk to the public. On the practical side we’ve learned things like concrete mixing, building fences, cutting down trees, building walls – lots of solid skills which are going to help us out along the way.” – Liam “It’s good for younger people that are unemployed, so they can get a job and get used to working. There are things I’ve learned here that I’ll take on to other jobs – like how to lay slabs, build fences, to lay bricks. And loads about different wildlife, trees and the like.” – Jamie “Young people in rural areas need more opportunities, like what I’m doing just now.” – David “It’s given people a better environment to spend time in – a lot more open green spaces. It’s a lot cleaner and hopefully encourages people to keep it that way.” – Owen “This has opened up different opportunities for me. My plans for the future are probably in construction, maybe brick work, because I like building things. I’ll probably keep at this for quite a while as I’m enjoying it.” – Ryan “I like the programme as it teaches me a variety of skills and I learn new things each week.” – Murray
The Kinneil Coastal Rangers project is being delivered on the ground by TCV with support from Falkirk Community Trust and Falkirk Council’s Employability Training Unit. The project has been funded by the Coastal Communities Fund operated by the Big Lottery Fund. Find out more about Kinneil Estate: www.falkirkcommunitytrust.org (search Kinneil Estate)
The Kinneil Coastal Rangers, left to right: Jamie Rooney, Liam Page, Murray Wilson, Owen Price, David Keay, Ryan Taylor and Kai Blackburn.
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The Friends of Kinneil charity has been set up to help promote and develop Kinneil Estate and Foreshore. www.kinneil.org
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It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it As our name suggests, The Conservation Volunteers primarily exists to provide opportunities for volunteers to conserve the environment, but we do employ people too! TCV has approximately 30 staff in Scotland, many who themselves started out as younger volunteers. People like Alice Kenny and Rosie Walker who are both 26 years old and work for TCV as Senior Project Officers. Their everyday ‘office’ is the great outdoors. Here, Alice and Rosie explain how they first got involved with TCV, what they do, and what they enjoy most. Alice is based in our Stirling office, although mainly works in West Lothian:
I always knew I wanted to work outdoors but didn’t really think it would be possible. I started volunteering with TCV when I was twenty to build my skill set. I volunteered off and on for around five years, coming back to TCV during the summer breaks. Volunteering with TCV gave me the opportunity to work on so many great sites and gave me the chance to work with lots of different people – from experienced project officers to volunteers who enjoy the social aspect which a volunteer group can offer. Volunteering inspired me to go to university to study Environmental Science. I enjoyed enhancing the environment and wanted to learn more about it. After university, my time volunteering with TCV helped when applying for jobs,
Rosie is based in Stirling and works throughout the Forth Valley area:
I started with TCV as a Volunteer Officer in 2014, after graduating from Bangor University in North Wales where I studied Zoology and Conservation. I wanted to find a way to gain experience in practical conservation, work with volunteers and decide what I wanted to do with my career!
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When I first started as a volunteer I had never used a saw before – now I have a chainsaw licence! After a year of volunteering I got a job with TCV as a Senior Project Officer running the Stirling Mid-Week volunteer team. It’s been just over 3 years now and I have loved every day! One thing I love about my job is constantly learning about Scotland’s wildlife ecology and practical conservation. When I first started as a volunteer I had never used a saw before – now I have a chainsaw licence! Even in the rain or thawing snow, I love working with our volunteers on such a variety of interesting sites across the Forth Valley. My favourite thing about the job is working with such a variety of people from all walks of life. It’s amazing seeing our volunteers grow through their volunteering experience with TCV.
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including with TCV itself! I now organise Green Gyms with young people in West Lothian – helping them connect with their local green spaces. Green Gym activities are varied. Some schools are growing their own produce within the school grounds, and we also do some environmental art and play nature games. To attract wildlife some of the schools have been sowing wildflower seeds and building habitat homes for a variety of species. So, the Green Gyms encompass a wide range of activities for the pupils involved.
The best part about my job is seeing people really connect with nature The best part about my job is seeing people really connect with nature. It’s so rewarding seeing young people interact with nature – I think it’s great when pupils start to talk about the different animals they have noticed, or when they consciously pick up a piece of litter as they pass it. Working with TCV allows me to work with lots of different people and get different perspectives on nature. I’m always picking up new information and ideas for practical tasks from the people and volunteers I work with. So, I’m always learning!
Whether that be gaining skills and confidence in practical tasks, starting to lead other volunteers, or going on to other volunteering placements, and best of all to full time employment. I’m currently also leading a group of young people in the Falkirk area aged 1624 who are improving their job prospects on the fantastic Green Action programme, organised by the Scottish Waterways Trust. The trainees are learning all sorts of practical skills from forestry and woodworking to conservation and basic construction, plus taking part in the the John Muir Award and the SCQF Level 4 Employability Award. And I also run an adult Green Gym in the wonderful setting of Kinneil Estate in Bo’ness – there’s always plenty happening to keep me on my toes! In the future, I would like to continue working with people and communities, enhancing greenspaces for biodiversity and improving the public’s access to them.
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At the concordat signing, from left to right: Simon Rennie, Keith Geddes, Tony Crook and Debbie Adams.
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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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. Editor Graham Burns E g.burns@tcv.org.uk ©The Conservation Volunteers 2018. Charity registered in Scotland SC039302, and England 261009. TM The Green Gym programme is registered and protected across the UK and the EU.
Involving more young people is one of the aims of an agreement, or ‘concordat’, signed recently between TCV and the Central Scotland Green Network Trust (CSGNT). The concordat seeks to develop and enhance partnership working between the two organisations to realise the vision of the Central Scotland Green Network (CSGN). The area encompassed by the CSGN stretches from Ayrshire and Inverclyde in the west, to Fife and the Lothians in the east, which includes some 3.5 million inhabitants, approximately two-thirds of Scotland’s population. The CSGN vison is to have places that people enjoy and where they choose to live and bring up their families, and essential if we want our communities to thrive in future. Our environment makes a vital contribution to our quality of life, our health and our economic wellbeing. There is an increasing role for communities to play in shaping their own neighbourhoods and environment, and volunteering can act as an important catalyst for community participation.
As a result of the concordat, both organisations commit to a range of actions, including: • Developing and enhancing partnership working to realise the CSGN vison • Identifying and developing opportunities for joint working, including the identification of sites suitable for TCV employee action days • Promoting each other’s activities wherever possible and using our networks to make new connections • Using the John Muir Way and Scotland’s ‘Year of Young People 2018’ as a springboard for heightened levels of volunteering activity along this route. The concordat was signed by Tony Crook, Chair of TCV, and Keith Geddes, Chair of CSGNT. Also present were Debbie Adams, TCV Director for Scotland and Northern Ireland, and Simon Rennie, Chief Executive Officer of CSGNT. “Working in partnership is a key way to connect people and green spaces to deliver lasting outcomes for both. Supporting achievement of the CSGN vision is beneficial for people and places and TCV volunteers have an important role to play in improving greenspaces for individuals and communities.” Debbie Adams, TCV “The board and management of CSGNT are delighted to recognise the importance of our relationship with TCV through the signing of this concordat. Whilst we have worked jointly on a number of projects in the past, we believe there is a lot more we could do together in future. We hope this concordat will stimulate new, joint activity and reinforce existing synergies.” Simon Rennie, CSGNT
TCV Scotland Head Office 24 Allan Park Stirling FK8 2QG T 01786 479697 E scotland@tcv.org.uk Unit 7C Henderson Road Longman Industrial Estate Inverness IV1 1SN T 01463 811 967 E inverness@tcv.org.uk Unit M1 143 Charles Street Glasgow G21 2QA T 0141 552 5294 E glasgow@tcv.org.uk Jupiter Urban Wildlife Centre Wood Street Grangemouth FK3 8LH T 01324 471600 E a.hamilton@tcv.org.uk St Joseph’s Academy Grassyards Road Kilmarnock KA3 7SL T 01563 544304 E j.grant@tcv.org.uk in edinburgh, We’ve Moved To:
9 West Gorgie Park Hutchinson Road Edinburgh EH14 1UT T 0131 664 6170 E edinburgh@tcv.org.uk TCV UK Head Office Sedum House Mallard Way Doncaster DN4 8DB T 01302 388883 E information@tcv.org.uk
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TCV and CSGNT concordat
TCV Scotland’s community, health and environmental volunteering activities are supported by:
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