Reforesting Scotland News
Charting the Way Ahead - a message from Reforesting Scotland's Directors
The Reforesting Scotland directors met on 4th June 2010 to assess how RS is doing at present and to work out the best way forward. They are proposing a radical rethink of how RS operates as an organisation, stripping back to the essentials and to our core mission. The resulting document has already been posted and discussed on the Reforesting Scotland Google group, and is available to download here - Reforesting Scotland: Charting the Way Ahead (PDF file 24KB).
Blarbuie
Woodland Open Days, May 21-22 2010, 11am-4pm
The Open Days are a chance to find out what's happening with this exciting new Partnership Social Enterprise, led by Reforesting Scotland.
There will be a sale of timber, benches, compost, planters, trees & shrubs - all produced by the project itself. Hands-on woodcraft, guided walks and refreshments will be provided. The woodland itself has new sculptures, and of course abundant wildlife and a range of beautiful new trees. It has places to sit, welcoming (and accessible) walkways, and many interesting features developed over the years.
Blarbuie Woodland is by the Hospitals, on Blarbuie Road, Lochgilphead, Argyll. Access is from Mid Argyll Hospital, through the wooden arch. Contact .
You can download the Open Days poster here (PDF file 580KB) - please forward widely!
There's more information about the project on the Blarbuie Woodland Enterprise page.
Website update - Renewable Heat Incentive consultation response
Reforesting Scotland has submitted a response to the Department of Energy & Climate Change's consultation on their proposed Renewable Heat Incentive scheme. This was prepared as a result of discussion between directors and other members on the Reforesting Scotland members' discussion group.
Reforesting Scotland Journal No.41 - theme: Biodiversity
- on its way to Reforesting Scotland members, also available from outlets around the UK and from the Reforesting Scotland office.
Project update - Woodlanders
Have a look at the new page announcing Reforesting Scotland's forthcoming book, Woodlanders - with just a couple of the gorgeous photos gathered to illustrate the book.
A fish swam through it - 2010 RS Gathering announced!
The Reforesting Scotland 2010 Gathering will be in Torridon on 24-26 September, Friday-Sunday inclusive.
The theme this year is Watersheds and Catchments - A FISH SWAM THROUGH IT: Riparian woodlands, water, community catchments, community watersheds with a twist, mountains of excitement, shoreline - walk and talk and plant - meet the locals; SNH Beinn Eighe woodland restoration, National Trust for Scotland non-native species management (Rhododendron), Wester Ross Fisheries Trust work on sea trout and salmon population decline in river systems and lochs. Water essentials... Local food...
Be there, think ahead... fun and imagination, visions invited.
Opportunity - Learning and Development Manager - 21st century woodlands
Falkland Centre for Stewardship is seeking a Learning and Development Manager to establish, develop and manage a high level of community engagement and a programme of learning opportunities in sustainable forest management and woodland culture.
Click to download the job advert, background info, application form and job description. More info from
Deadline for applications Feb 25th.
New Google group for Reforesting Scotland members
Members at the 2009 Gathering decided it was time we had an electronic way
of staying in touch with each other, and sharing ideas for Reforesting Scotland,
all through the year.
We're hoping as many Reforesting Scotland members as possible will join!
reforesting scotland
Visit this group
Health
& Wellbeing walks at Blarbuie Woodland, Lochgilphead, Argyll
From Autumn 2009 onwards there will be regular short walks through Blarbuie Woodland led by trained walk leaders, to promote health & wellbeing. Launch walks were held on 7th & 8th October 2008. Click here to download the Blarbuie Woodland Walks launch poster for more details (PDF file 183KB). This is part of the ongoing Blarbuie Woodland Project, co-ordinated by Hugh Fife - tel: 01546 604976.
9 October 2009
Radical Rowan to be relaunched
During
a workshop at the September 2009 Gathering, members agreed to relaunch the members'
newsletter, the The Radical Rowan.
It will be delivered electronically to as many members as possible, thus saving
on printing. Long-term RS member Les Bates has volunteered to produce the new
Rowan - please email Les (
) if you have any material to contribute to the next issue.
Reforesting
Scotland Harvest Ceilidh
The 2009 ceilidh was at a new time of year, and a new venue - the Roxy Art House (2 Roxburgh Place, Edinburgh EH8 9EB) - but as usual it was a Ceilidh Collective event held to raise funds for Reforesting Scotland, with organic bar, raffle, wild dancing & friends old and new!
Reforesting Scotland Annual Gathering 2009: "Making the Transition"
Tighnabruaich, Argyll.The annual opportunity to meet fellow members, share your feelings, thoughts & experiences, and be inspired! This year's theme was "Transition", and we heard a number of presentations telling us about the Transition movement, what's happening in Scotland and around the world, and how to get involved. We also explored the DunBeag project, with its groundbreaking green timber buildings and its ancient oak woodlands. We were introduced to the the garden, pigs, ducks & chickens, shown the intricacies of the renewable energy systems, shown how 14 years of management have been restoring the native woodlands, and told the story of the various building projects, all of which use timber grown, felled and hand-hauled on site.
As usual there was a full-tilt ceilidh on Saturday evening, but this didn't stop lively discussion during the AGM and workshops. Members agreed to relaunch the Radical Rowan newsletter and form a new RS members' egroup to keep discussions going in between Gatherings.
Finally, before we went our separate ways, we were treated to a new video produced by the Blarbuie Woodland Project, witnessing the healing effects of spending more time in the woods!
More Gathering photos on the RS members' Google group - have a look, and add your own!
Big Tent Festival, Falkland, Fife
This year Scotland's festival of sustainability featured a new Wild about Wood Zone. Reforesting Scotland members, directors and projects had a big hand in putting this together - especially the woodfuel, timber and wild harvests displays. We also celebrated the launch of the new Scottish Wild Harvests Association, marking a very successful end to the Wild Harvests Sector Support project. (The launch was one of a series of events held in the orchard stage area, under a magnificent bent-pole shelter constructed by Reforesting Scotland director David Blair, with his team of helpers - see photo!) As in previous years, the Big Tent was a wonderful chance to meet up with eco and woodland activists from around Scotland, with a friendly atmosphere, good music, and lots to see.
Edinburgh Treefest & Wood Market, Saturday 18th & Sunday 19th July, 11am-5pm, Inverleith Park, Edinburgh
This is an annual family event organised and hosted by Four Winds Inspiration Centre, a small environmental education and craft based charity which operates year long from its site within Inverleith Park. A fabulous event as ever, with interactive crafts, stalls, games, North American Indian exhibition, axe throwing, horse logging... and much more... including of course the Reforesting Scotland stall! Thanks to everyone who helped out on the day and who came up and said hello - see you again next year, if not before!
Wild Harvests of Scotland: building a sustainable forest culture:
Two days of events to celebrate and develop Scotland’s wild and woodland products sector. The programe included:
- The Wild Harvests of Scotland Conference
- A “Slow Food” feast
- An evening celebrating the Orchards of Scotland
- The inaugural meeting of the Scottish Wild Harvests Association
The events went well, bringing together some very interesting groups of people. Forestry Commission Scotland launched a new non-timber forest products policy document; the Scottish Wild Harvests Association was formed, with the assistance of Reforesting Scotland's Wild Harvests Sector Support project; Alison Dyke reported on her work as Reforesting Scotland's Sustainable Forest Harvest project officer. Reports and followup material from the events will be published on the ForestHarvest website as they become available
.Woodland Bounty - wild harvests in the Borders
Buccleuch
Arms Hotel, St Boswells, 15 February 2009, 10am-4pm. This event was for everyone
with an interest in foraging and wild harvesting - with speakers on wild herbs,
traditional plant lore and sustainable harvesting, demonstrations of birch sap
tapping and mushroom log inoculation, and wild food & drink tasters. Best of
all, it was a chance to meet other people with an interest in foraging and wild
harvests.
The day was a great success, with over 70 people attending, and it may be the start of something new - a Foragers' Forum for the Scottish Borders.
Click here for a report of the event, with links to contacts, info & suppliers.
See the news archive for older news items.