What has WSWG been doing this month?
How on earth are we at March already? We leap-frogged a low-key February, although lots on the go as usual.
Behind the scenes, the board continues working through our ideas for the proposed Management Agreement on Taymount Wood and Five Mile Wood with FLS, which we will update and involve you in along the way.
We had very positive feedback from Perth & District Ramblers from their ramble round the Stanley Three Woods Nature Walk from Five Mile Wood to Stanley on 10 January, with Mike Thewlis joining them in Taymount Wood for WSWG. Many thanks to Ian Stokes for picking up on Mike’s work establishing this route last year. If anyone would be interested in doing the walk another time, the Ramblers would be very pleased to schedule this route again in the future.
For all walkers and would-be walkers, click here for useful advice from Walking Scotland (formerly Paths for All) on walking more for wellbeing.
On 22 January, WSWG attended an on-line training event organised by Third Sector Interface (TSI Perth) on Trustee Roles and Responsibilities, which was very informative.
We have been participating in the early stages of the Stanley Development Trust Common Ground Garden project to make use of the old tennis courts site until further progress can be made on the Stanley Community Hub project. The first task has been to clear part of the natural regeneration ahead of the bird nesting season to create space for the garden area to be developed over the coming months, saving lots of poles for use on site. If you’d like to get involved, Stanley Development Trust has lots of plans for opening up this project to lots of people in the coming months, so keep a look out for community notices flagging up the different opportunities on offer. We’ll keep our members in the loop too, as it would be great to get WSWG members in Stanley helping out in both the Common Ground Garden Project and the Stanley Rookery Wood Project next door.
On 27 February, WSWG was very fortunate to attend the excellent Local People Leading event at the Scottish Parliament. With over 250 participants from wide-ranging community organisations and public sector stakeholders across Scotland, WSWG was there as part of the Community Woodlands Association delegation. Organised by Scottish Community Alliance and hosted by Presiding Officer, Alison Johnstone, the event comprised fascinating and inspiring presentations showcasing the breadth of community action across Scotland, a diverse choice of workshops on shaping change and a cross-party panel of MSPs reflecting on key insights and discussions from the day, followed by a Q&A session. WSWG attended the workshop entitled “Plan or Be Planned: A Manifesto for a People and Nature-centred Planning System”. This workshop showed how to put communities in the lead and nature at the heart of decision-making, exploring a bold strategy for a planning system that truly serves people and planet. How vital that is given the multiple, massive challenges of our time.
WSWG also enjoyed the well-attended Community Ownership Forum meeting organised by PKC on 4 March at which the topic was Community Wealth Building with a presentation from the Scottish Community Alliance.
Words of the Month
Coilltean Caillte: (Forgotten Woodlands) is a partnership project between NatureScot, Forestry and Land Scotland and Gaelic Place-Names of Scotland. It is also funded by Future Woodland Scotland and the Forest, Peat and Rural Land Management Programme at the University of Edinburgh. If you would like to delve deeply into words and places associated with woodlands all over Scotland, visit this fascinating StoryMaps website.
What’s coming up next?
Sunday 29 March 11am–4pm: WSWG participation in C406 annual Community Litterpick – do get in touch if you’d like to help or just turn up on the day. You can borrow litter-picking equipment and get black bags, gloves and hi-vis vests at the Innernyte Farmhouse HQ! We have also arranged with PKC for the road to be closed for the duration for the safety of the litter-pickers and the rubbish to be collected on the day. Will there be more or fewer black bags filled than last year?
Tuesday 7 April: More woodland fun and adventure at this free bush craft event with Biscuit of Wee Adventures in Taymount Wood – details will be sent out soon if you would like to book places.
