Opportunities to care for the Cairngorms
Range of outdoor activities are available
An events programme has been put online by Caring for the Cairngorms, with opportunities in Birnam, Killiecrankie, Dunkeld and Blair Atholl, in areas such as path maintenance, tree planting, species surveying and more.
Caring for the Cairngorms has been operating since January 2018 is a programme that involves the three ranger services of Atholl Estates, Perth and Kinross Council and National Trust for Scotland.
Mike Woolvin, volunteer coordinator said: “It makes sense, this way potential volunteers have only one place to go to sign up.
“No matter whether you’d like to learn a new skill, meet new people, give something back to an area you love or simply get more active in a beautiful location, volunteering with the Care for the Cairngorms: Perthshire group has something for everyone.”
Coming up next weekend is farmland bird surveying at Blair Atholl. On Saturday, February 16, ranger Julia Duncan from Atholl Estates will teach volunteers about basic bird identification before they put their skills into action and helping to carry out a survey for farmland birds.
Beginning at Glen Tilt car park, it’s on from 10am-12pm. A volunteer gives a new woodland the start it needs. Pic: CNPA
The National Trust for Scotland invites volunteers to come to Killicrankie to learn how to make charcoal on March 9.
Join Hannah Patterson the NTS Killiecrankie ranger and junior rangers, at the Killiecrankie Visitor Centre from 10am-3pm, where they will processing local beech wood ready to turn into charcoal and manning the kiln.
Later in March is an event which is so popular, there’s a waiting list.
On Saturday 23 NTS ranger Hannah will be beaver monitoring on the banks of the River Tay at Dunkeld with opportunities for tree identification, camera trapping, and data collection to help map beaver activity.
There’s a path maintenance day requiring a bit of wellie on Friday, April 12 clearing the historic Right of Way footpath from Blair Atholl to Glen Fincastle.
From 10am-12pm PKC’s ranger Jeannie Grant will get volunteers working at the Blair Atholl end of the path doing some basic path maintenance and cutting back overhanging vegetation. This one meets at the Blair Atholl Watermill car park on Ford Road.
The programme continues in Birnam with a ranger led walk to a 19th century folly and path maintenance requiring a high level of exertion on Birnam Hill (April 20).
See the website for more details and to register: www.cairngorms. co.uk/volunteers or phone 01479 870566.
Learn a new skill, meet new people, give something back to an area you love...