Building fences
The partnership between the Highlife Highland Countryside Ranger Service (HHCR) and volunteers from Assynt Field Club is still going strong.
We were in Culag Woods again on 31st October 2023. This time we were involved in some repair and extension works to the willow fencing at the playpark area.
Here’s the scary bit! The first ‘job’ we carried out was in the Culag Woods in November 2022. Where did that year go? Back then we were pulling up very small regenerating spruce trees that block out the light to more useful ground plants.
Back to 2023. Andy Summers the HHCR Senior Ranger has a willow tree in his garden that needed coppiced. He had done that two years ago, but it was needing to be done again. Andy was without a roadworthy trailer, now sorted. So, the coppiced timber was transported to the woods by volunteer Steve Langford, and the volunteers on the day did the fence work.
It was an activity that none of the volunteers had done before. The sun was shining and the fencing turned out to be great fun. Not only because we were helping in Culag Woods again, but we all got a better understanding of weaving willow fencing.
Of course, as always, we had to head back to An Cala afterwards to de-brief and replace the energy used!
If you would like to be added to the volunteer mailing list please just email us and we’ll save your details for future events. assyntwildlife@gmail.com
David Haines