Author: cninamoo
The Pebble Trust – Grants up to £5,000 available for projects which promote a more sustainable society
The Pebble Trust, established in 2014, has a vision of a more sustainable, equal and low-carbon society, where constraints on fossil fuels lead to a more localised economy with stronger, more resilient, communities, and where human activities take account of climate change and the wider environment. The Trust supports projects in Scotland, and particularly in the Highlands and Islands.
For more information visit the Pebble Trust website: http://www.thepebbletrust.org/
Please like Pebble Trust on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepebbletrusthighlands
Trees for Life – traineeship opportunities
Trees for Life (TfL) is an award-winning charity working to restore Scotland’s ancient Caledonian Forest. Our long-term vision is to restore natural forests and rare wildlife to a spectacular wilderness region of the Scottish Highlands, including our 10,000 acre Dundreggan Estate near Invermoriston. Our work is about people as much as places. Our conservation work is carried out by volunteers and funded by our members, charitable trusts, corporate supporters and people who dedicate a tree or grove.
TfL are embarking on the ‘Skills for Rewilding’ project that will provide fully funded places, including accommodation if needed, to 15 trainees over 3 years (aiming to start in Spring 2018) in learning and developing the skills needed to work on landscape scale ecological restoration.
The skills the trainees will learn include nursery and horticultural skills related to growing native trees from seed, landscape and deer management, ecological monitoring and engaging rural communities in conservation work. The training will be accredited via University of Highlands & Islands.
5 trainees will be recruited each year to the programme, with recruitment focusing on:
- Women wanting to work in less gender stereotypical roles
- Older career changers
- Young less educated local people
These groups have been chosen because they are poorly represented in the nature conservation workforce at the moment.
The training will be mostly based at TfL’s Dundreggan Estate but we also hope to partner with organisations like Forestry Commission, RSPB and SNH to give the trainees the opportunity to learn about how other organisations contribute to woodland conservation work.
More information about TfL can be found on our website: http://treesforlife.org.uk/
Ross-shire Voluntary Action newsletter – June 2017
The Ross-shire Voluntary Action newsletter has lots of useful information that you might not find out about unless you read this –
Casablanca, gin and whisky tasting
A Hollywood classic at the Hub, and a chance to try gin and whisky from Glen Wyvis!
Welcome to Muir of Ord stone – before and after
Another step towards Making the Muir of Ord Stand Out, our project funded by Tesco Bags of Help (www.tesco.com/bagsofhelp).
Many thanks to Stephen Mackenzie for power-washing the stone ahead of George Leslie’s team carrying out ground preparation works for siting a Muir of Ord planter which will be planted up by the Muir of Ord Gardening Club.
What a transformation! The stone looks like new.
Making the Muir of Ord Stand Out – Tesco Bags of Help update
Having gone all quiet after our delight at being awarded £10,000 from Tesco Bags of Help (www.tesco.com/bagsofhelp), the work we’ve been doing in the background is finally about to be seen. We ordered a bench, planters and signs from Ogilvie’s in Kilmarnock. These items were made to order and complement the existing planters and benches in and around the square, which Ogilivie’s also supplied.
We were impressed at first sight of these items. It is easy to imagine the planters gleaming in the sunshine, abundant with spring flowers. Thanks to Stephen and Rod Mackenzie for kindly organising storage at the Black Isle Showground until they could go on site.
Here is a glimpse of the hexagonal planter, the largest, which will be sited at the entrance into the Muir of Ord from Beauly, at the ‘Welcome to Muir of Ord’ stone.
Now that the bridge works are nearing completion, Duncan Robertson’s team at George Leslie can help us with ground preparation works. This is an important part of the project which would have been a challenge to deliver without their expertise. The team will build a solid foundation for each item, which will look attractive, stand up to wear, and be low in maintenance. They will also deliver the items to site for installation. We are very grateful to George Leslie for their significant contribution.
This is where we will be siting a bench, designed as a rest stop for people to enjoy while walking in and out of the Muir of Ord.
These are the four sites where we will be siting planters.
The next update will show the works phase of the project.
If you have any comments or queries, please contact me: Nina Graham, Company Development Manager.. Office: 01463 872807 Mobile 07493 170700 Email nina.graham@muiroford.org.uk
