BTCV Edinburgh Diary

On Tuesday we went to Muiravonside where the Stirling group had done a fine job chopping down a lot of rhododendron. Our main task was to get the branches to the fire site and burn them. Sounds simple but it wasn't! We had to negotiate steep, muddy slopes to get the wet branches down to very damp fire sites. Kate and Gemma didn't seem to be having too much difficulty, but the other fire eventually got going around lunchtime (with a little help from a convenient plastic box lid). By the end of the day, just about everyone had slipped in the mud or fallen in the stream, except Anna...

We were back at Muiravonside on Wednesday, where Anna proceeded to fall in the mud as often as possible. Luckily there were plenty of embers left to start the fires again quite quickly (useful for drying wet socks). Halfway through the morning, those of us looking after one of the fires couldn't quite get the rhododendron down the hill fast enough; so we recruited Gavin to help us out. We then couldn't burn the branches fast enough to keep up with him while the other fire ran out.

Thursday saw us working in the orchard of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital correcting Chris' mistake (well it was just before Christmas...). So we were taking up the carpet in the orchard (no, really) and re-laying it the other way up. We also prepared more of the ground for carpet paths by digging out the top layer of nettle roots. It was a bit of a dreary, overcast day but everyone got a lot of good work done.

Posted by BTCV Edinburgh at 15:21 0 comments  

Labels: Muiravonside Country Park, Royal Edinburgh

Last Tuesday we braved the snow and ice to visit Cammo. Our task there was raking a meadow that had been mown in November. Our task was made considerably more challenging by the cut grass being frozen to the ground. We made the most of the situation though, by raking what we could into a big pile, putting a hat, scarf and coat on it and making a "hayman". Unfortunately by the time the snow started to fall the hayman had been rugby tackled and so couldn't be turned into a snowman.

On Wednesday we went to Craigmillar Castle Park to remove a lot of litter. We found 3 motorbikes, lots of fencing wire, a fridge door, some carpet and several beds to add to the rest of the rubbish. The whole area looks very neat and tidy, and we were thanked several times by local residents. At lunch time we went to the newly installed adventure playground and tried out the climbing frames and slides. Nicky used waterproof trousers to prevent her getting wet on the slide, but this did make her fly off the end several times.

On Thursday we went back to Ravelston Woods to repair a fence. We put in about 20 new fence posts and connected them with wire. Untangling the wire was quite a challenge.

Posted by BTCV Edinburgh at 12:48 0 comments  

Labels: Cammo, Craigmillar, Ravelston Woods

Hello everybody!!! First of all, I´m sorry I couldn't write to you before, because since I came back here, I have been very busy (family, friends, looking for a new job and grant), but in spite of everything, I don´t forget you, in fact, the only thing of Edinburgh I don´t miss is the Scottish weather, because since I came back here, everyday is raining or snowing and very very cold, it looks like I brought the Scottish weather with me. How are you??? I hope you´re fine and everything is ok in your lives.

Well, I send you this e-mail because I want to wish you MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR !!! with your families and friends. Have a good time.

A big hug from the Basque Country. Fatima.

Posted by BTCV Edinburgh at 14:02 0 comments  

At least for us at BTCV anyway. We had an enjoyable last week of the year.

On Tuesday we went back to Hailesland Child and Family Centre where we had done some work earlier in the year. To finish our job there we had to erect a willow structure and make some steps to go next to the planters we had previously made. The willow structure went up in no time, but we took longer over digging out the area for the steps. We managed to dig out the area and built the structure for the steps. The steps have now been filled with wood chippings and the turf has been put back around them, so our task at Hailesland is complete. Well done to everyone involved. It looks fantastic.

On Wednesday we went out to Livingston to Riverside Primary School. Here we put up another couple of willow structures. We made an arbour around a seating area in the garden and also put in a tunnel heading towards the pond. We finished putting up the structures surprisingly quickly, and ate lots of mince pies and Christmas biscuits to finish the day.

Our final day of the year on Thursday was the "Surprise Christmas Project". We went to the Hermitage of Braid and worked with the rangers to edge some of their flower beds, scrape the paths, cut down and burn some elder trees and cut two tonne bags of holly for a wreath workshop on Saturday. We stopped working early to enjoy mulled wine and Christmas pudding around the fire before going home.

In the evening on Thursday we had our annual Christmas Quiz. We had a good turn out with people from Stirling and Inverness, as well as the Edinburgh rangers, joining us. Thank you to everyone who came, and congratulations to the winners; Charlie's Angels.

Posted by Gemma at 15:33 0 comments  

Labels: Hailesland Family Centre, Hermitage of Braid, Riverside Primary School

The 4th December was Kenny's last day as a Volunteer Officer with BTCV as he moves on to a new job with Napier University. Kenny has been a great VO, the office and tool store have never been better organised and his practical skills and knowledge will be missed. I would like to thank Kenny for all his hard work and wish him all the best in his new job.

As Kenny leaves us I would also like to welcome Anna as our new Volunteer Officer. Many of you will have met Anna as she has been volunteering with us for a few weeks now and I am glad to say that she has accepted the VO challenge and I look forward to working with her.

Posted by Chris Peach at 16:14 0 comments  

We spent the week of the 18th, 19th and 20th November working on behalf of the CEC Biodiversity Officer to manage and improve the woodland areas on the North Edinburgh Cyclepaths. This meant the removal of sycamore and ash, clearing ivy from walls and also checking whether the bird boxes we put up last year had been used over the past nesting season. Of the 19 bird boxes 11 had been used, 6 had not and 2 had been destroyed. Not a bad return.

I was away at BTCV Scotland's Staff Conference the week of the 25th, 26th and 27th so everyone had the week off to rest and recuperate.

The first week in December promised snowfalls of epic proportions but never quite delivered. On the 2nd we worked with Caroline from the CEC Countryside Rangers to clear pathways and fix fencing in Ravelston Woods. On the 3rd we went to Muiravonside Country Park to tackle more rhododendron, it was good to be joined by the Stirling volunteers so we could really crack on with it. On the 4th we were in Burdiehouse Burn LNR working with Jessica from the CEC Countryside Rangers to repair fences and clear litter.

Posted by Chris Peach at 15:52 0 comments  

Labels: Burdiehouse Burn, Muiravonside Country Park, North Edinburgh Cycle Paths, Ravelston Woods

For the last couple of weeks we have been working at Muiravonside Country Park out in West Lothian. It is a beautiful area, but unfortunately the rhododendron has grown a little out of hand. We were helping Ian the ranger to cut down some of the tree-sized shrubs, then carry them up to the fire site and burn them. We managed to demolish a huge area, leaving the ground open for regeneration of native plants, so we deserved our soup from the cafe at lunch time.

Recently we have also helped out at Blackford Pond, cutting back laurel from the paths and benches around the pond, and clearing mud from the paths. We have done some drain maintenance on the Pentlands on a bright clear and incredibly cold day, where we got amazing views of the highlands and Ben Lomond but had difficulty cutting through the ice on the paths. Another day we were lower down on the Pentlands, helping build picnic benches and compost bins at the Harlaw Visitor Centre.

This week we'll be out at the North Edinburgh Cycle Paths all week, cutting back some of the ash and sycamore trees there to allow regeneration of native species such as holly, and next week we will be having a week off.

Posted by Gemma at 11:03 0 comments  

Labels: Muiravonside Country Park, North Edinburgh Cycle Paths, Pentlands