The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Army of volunteers lead new battle at historic woodland
Scores of volunteers answered a plea to help combat an invasive species of plant at a Perthshire forest.
Woodland Trust Scotland issued an appeal for assistance to get rid of rhododendron ponticum from Kinclaven Bluebell Wood, near Blairgowrie.
A total of 21 people took part in the Big Rhodi Bash event, helping clear a large patch – nearly 10,000sq ft – of the non-native shrub.
Trust member George Anderson said: “Rhododendron ponticum is one of the biggest conservation problems in the country.
“It chokes out all other species and if allowed to spread would threaten the oak trees and the bluebells. Bashing it is one of the most effective conservation jobs anyone can do.”
George joked that the work was much more satisfying than exercising at the gym.
Rosy-cheeked volunteers were rewarded for their hard work with a barbecue.
The historic site was bought by the trust last year after a donation from a long-term supporter.
It is best known for giving shelter to William Wallace and his army in the 13th Century.
The troops hid among the trees after they attacked the English garrison at nearby Kinclaven Castle.
Trustees have been working on plans to enhance the woods with native trees – as it would have looked in Wallace’s day – and re-forest adjacent grassland which was cleared of trees in the 1940s and ’50s.