West Stormont
Woodland Group

Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) SC051682

Join us today to bring Taymount Wood and Five Mile Wood into community ownership

Community Monthly Update – October 2021

“Soggy Saturday in October” – this month’s wonderfully descriptive blog from Margaret Lear on the “olfactory hamper” that is Five Mile Wood at this time of year. Although it has to be said that we have had some amazingly warm and sunny weather this month too!

Soggy Saturday in October

The turn of the season is felt, not so much as a drop in temperature or the way the need for warm socks and waterproofs creeps up on you, but in the way the woods smell different. Decaying leaves, leaves still on the trees but for whom decay is imminent: the smell, for me, of being 11 years old and at a new school, where our introduction to Biology was the invitation to compile a Biology Scrapbook over the course of a year.

Community Monthly Update – August 2021

Finding consensus on specific woodland management proposals on a compartment by compartment basis in both woods has been the main activity for WSWG’s Shadow Board and advisers lately.

Foraging Sustainably

…sated with flowers, I drifted back to the path, casting hopeful glances into the mossy ditches and banks beside the track. It was June, early for the summer edible mushrooms, but not too early to look…..

Community Monthly Update – July 2021

Now we can start to meet up in bigger numbers outdoors, we’ve managed several site visits with Shadow Board members in Taymount Wood for different purposes which has been really enjoyable and uplifting…

Community Monthly Update, June 2021

Acorn update! Just one month on, look at the change in our community-grown oak seedlings! This photo, contributed by Carolyn MacDonald of Aberfeldy, shows four of the ten seedlings she has grown from acorns provided as part of WSWG’s Little Acorns project. Her daughter, who is a primary school teacher in Perth, is growing another in her classroom, which we hear the children love. Really good to know so many people are enjoying being part of this project.

Little Pictures, Big Pictures

Wandering into Five Mile Wood last week, I was considering what might turn out to be the wood’s gift this month when I got distracted by a long-ago fallen log. Or rather, the holes in it.

Community Monthly Update, May 2021

We thought a nice way to start this month’s update would be to enjoy the amazing detail in this photo taken by Manuela Toth of Bankfoot showing one of the oak seedlings emerging from acorns planted by her daughter earlier this year as part of WSWG’s Little Acorns project. Just think – every tree starts its life as a little seedling like this. With a bit of care, our acorns will one day become great oaks. If you planted any WSWG acorns, do keep us posted on how they are doing.