Awards for excellent environmental work
Community partnership group hands out prizes
Two young conservation ‘warriors’ and a Callander group have been honoured for their environmental work.
They were presented with awards when volunteers came together at an event held by Loch Lomond and the Trossachs Community Partnership at Three Villages Hall, Arrochar.
It highlighted the work of people raising environmental awareness, promoting conservation and making their community more sustainable.
Awards were presented in memory of Celia Burn,who served on the partnership and Kilmaronock Community Trust, and Liz Evans, of Cormonochan Woodlands Association, Lochgoil.
Both were renowned for their contribution to raising environmental awareness and community involvement.
Named first in the Celia Burn community environmentalists of the year category was the Scottish Wildlife Trust Callander Group.
They were described as an inspirational and unique community group doing outstanding work in environmental education and wildlife conservation.
This included organising and facilitating monthly public talks, fundraising and holding awarenessraising events.
Members also carried out wildlife recording, orchid surveys and patrols to protect toads, frogs and newts.
In joint first place in the Liz Evans young environmentalist of the year section was Aidan Cronin from Callander who recently completed his junior ranger’s certificate and sits on the National Park youth forum.
He was nominated by the Callander Youth Project Trust for his enthusiasm and voluntary commitment to protecting and enhancing the natural environment in the park.
He writes regular wildlife and gardening articles for a community newspaper and has created a nature corner in the CYP youth space. He also encourages other young people to be more environmentally aware through the wildlife events he organises.”
The second recipient was Struan Burch, of Dunblane, who joined the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park volunteer programme during a gap year. He cycles 68 miles, from his home to national park headquarters in Balloch and back, to take part in the scheme.
Struan has used his ornithological skills to survey wetland birds in Loch Lomond area, monitor the population of water voles in the Loch Ard forest, ring barn owls as part of a monitoring programme, and repair mountain paths.
Partnershp development manager Anne Sobey said: “All the projects Struan has been involved in have contributed and enhanced the diversity of wildlife and recreational opportunities that surround our rural communities.
“Struan is the first young person on the park’s volunteer programme. The programme’s volunteers have an average age of 54, so joining it could have been daunting for a young person. However Struan’s enthusiasm and commitment has seen him fit in and standout out as one of our worthy winners.”