Volunteering on the rise in national parks

VOLUNTEERING in Scotland’s national parks is on the increase thanks to the unique five-year The Mountains and The People Project, which launched in 2015.

Over the past six months, volunteers have spent more than 1,500 hours in both of Scotland’s national parks, completing a wide variety of conservation work such as path maintenance, habitat management and dry stone walling.

Simon Jones, director of conservation and visitor operations at Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, said: ‘Volunteers play an important and valuable role in the work of the national park and this project is providing a fantastic new range of opportunities for people to learn new skills and get involved in the care and protection of these special landscapes.’

Led by the Cairngorms Outdoor Access Trust, the con- servation partnership project brings together Scotland’s two national park authorities – Cairngorms and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs – alongside Scottish Natural Heritage, Forestry Commission Scotland and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The CEO of Cairngorms Outdoor Access Trust, Dougie Baird, said: ‘Our volunteers have come from across Scotland and beyond and have played a massive role in the work we have done, helping us to conserve the natural heritage of Scotland’s national parks.

‘ We are enthusiastic for 2017 as our volunteering programme gathers momentum and we look forward to working with ever increasing numbers of volunteers in both of our national parks.’

To play your part in the conservation of Scotland’s national heritage, visit www. themountainsandthepeople. org.uk/ volunteering.