Thanks to our friends

Dear Editor,

I am writing on behalf of the Friends of Langlands Moss (FOLM) Local Nature Reserve to thank the many people in East Kilbride and beyond who have sent us so many messages of support after the dreadful fire a month ago.

I’d also like to thank the people who came along on June 3 and helped us clear the debris from the bog surface.

Thanks to the numbers who came along to help, we managed to clear the bulk of the debris on the day.

I would like to thank Butterfly Conservation, South Lanarkshire Council payback team and the ranger service for their help that morning.

Everyone who came along aged from four months to their late seventies worked incredibly hard. The support we were given was a very humbling experience.

I would also like to thank Mr Joe Allan for his recent letter in your paper. It is very heartening to know that the Friends of Langlands Moss LNR have a large group of friends throughout the town who give us their support.

This was illustrated last Friday evening when I was invited by Mr Andrew Craig of the 6th East Kilbride Cub Scouts and Beavers to one of their meetings to be presented with a cheque for £250 to help our funds to restore Langlands Moss LNR.

We are very grateful to this group for the generosity and support they have given to us over the past few years.

We have no immediate plans to replace the boardwalk but we are considering other ways of accessing the area so that it can still be used for recreational and educational purposes.

Despite the ferocity of the fire, the bog is regenerating well and we will continue to monitor and carry out some restoration tasks assisted by the bog squad and the Scottish Government Peatland Restoration Fund in the near future. Thank you once again to all who have shown us so much kindness and support over the past month.

Maureen Potter, FOLM convenor