Hebridean beauty spots cleaned up

luskintyre beach - Hebrides Today News

John Muir Trust volunteers clocked up an incredible 5,000 hours of conservation work in wild places across Scotland this year.

The Trust, the UK’s leading wild land charity, ran 23 conservation work parties between March and October. The majority took place on the Trust’s eight properties, which includeSandwood Bay, Schiehallion and Ben Nevis. Others took place on partnership properties such as North Harris, Galson and Corrour.

135 volunteers mucked in between March and October. Some of their achievements include: shifting a staggering 545 sacks of rubbish from wild beaches including Camasunary on Skye, Sandwood Bay, and Huisnish on the Isle of Harris; removed 5,000 non-native sitka spruce seedlings from the Isle of Skye and Corrour; and created habitat for Corncrake at Keoldale, Sutherland.

Sandy Maxwell, the Trust’s Conservation Activities Co-ordinator said: “We have had an excellent year. Our volunteers are pretty hardy and enjoy getting out and doing conservation work in wild places. It is astounding to see how many people will turn out for work parties in all weathers.

“One of the big highlights has been removing fencing from an area of newly established woodland at Li & Coire Dhorrchail on Knoydart. We also helped the North Harris Trust to begin a project to eradicate invasive Giant Rhubarb from their property, and held our first work party on Corrour Estate.”

John Hutchison, the Trust’s chairman said: “The Trust’s Vision is that wild land is protected and enhanced throughout the UK and wild places are valued by all sectors of society.

We are very fortunate to have an active membership who are prepared to give their time to help us carry out practical conservation work in wild land areas.

“I would like to thank every one of our volunteers who have achieved an incredible amount of work across some of Scotland’s wildest places through our conservation work parties in 2010.”

The Trust’s 2011 schedule of work parties is available at: http://www.jmt.org/activities-conservation-work-parties.asp. To get involved contact Sandy Maxwell on 0141 576 6663conservationactivities@jmt.org

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