Volunteer Report
Volunteering Partnership with Highlife Highland Countryside Ranger Service
In November 2022 Assynt Field Club (AFC) entered into a partnership with Highlife Highland Countryside Ranger Service. Under the guidance of Andy Summers, Senior Ranger, we hoped to carry out some wildlife, etc. conservation projects around Assynt. An initial meeting in Stoer Village Hall to gauge interest resulted in 20 people being added to our Volunteer Mailing List. The number continues to grow and currently stands at 30.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between these two organisations with AFC taking the lead. The benefit of the MoU is if Andy asks us to carry out a certain ‘task’, and as long as he is present we have insurance cover. Of course that helps protect the volunteers and the Ranger Service.
Grant Assistance
The mailing list, along with other administrative needs, is managed by Avril Haines. The most important piece of admin. this year was contacting the Assynt Crofters Trust (ACT) about possible grant assistance. Having no funding as such, this application was to help the partnership purchase items needed to complete some tasks. As the attached report shows the application was successful, and we are extremely grateful to the ACT for their assistance.
We are already planning some jobs for 2024. Worryingly however, the entire Ranger Service is one budget cut being considered by Highland Council in order to meet this year’s budgetary demands. We shall see!
If you would like to be added to the Volunteer Mailing List please contact us at assyntwildlife@gmail.com.
Apart from the work it’s also great to see some of our wildlife.
Thank you.
Words and photos David Haines
The Volunteer Report
Volunteering Partnership with Highlife Highland Countryside Ranger Service
In November 2022 Assynt Field Club (AFC) entered into a partnership with Highlife Highland Countryside Ranger Service (Andy Summers, Senior Ranger) to carry out some wildlife, etc. conservation projects around Assynt. An initial meeting in Stoer Village Hall to gauge interest in this partnership resulted in 20 people asking to be included on our Volunteer Mailing List; this number continues to grow and currently stands at 30.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between these two organisations with AFC taking the lead.
Andy’s workload permitting we met on the last Tuesday/Wednesday of the month and carried out the following –
| Date | Location and task | No of Volunteers |
| 24/11/22 | Culag Woods – remove sitka spruce | 14 |
| 24/1/23 | Culag Woods – Clear path drains/remove sitka spruce | 13 |
| 28/2/23 | Clachtoll – Marram grass planting and board walk cleared | 20 |
| 28/3/23 | Lochinver – Wildflower Meadows planted | 7 |
| 25/4/23 | Glencanisp – Nature Trail plants cut back from path | 6 |
| 23/5/23 | Culag Woods – hazel tree planting | 8 |
| 28/6/23 | Achmelvich – bracken removal | 8 |
| 29/8/23 | Balchladich – beach clean | 15 |
| 31/8/23 | Balchladich – beach clean | 9 |
| 27/9/23 | Achmelvich – scythe and rake section of machair | 4 |
| 31/10/23 | Culag Woods – Willow fencing at play area | 9 |
| 5/12/23 | Clashnessie – tree planting along the burn | 8 |
| TOTAL | 121 |
As each session lasted 2 hours we have contributed 242 hours of volunteer effort over the year.
Bird boxes
In addition, volunteer Steve Langford made eight Blue Tit boxes and one Barn Owl box; Mark Kneebone made six Bat boxes, and Eachan Mackenzie made one Barn Owl box.
Our volunteers were happy to use their own equipment, tools, etc. However the cost of raw materials for bird boxes, fencing, etc. was proving prohibitive. It was suggested to us that the Assynt Crofters’ Trust might be able to help cover these costs by way of a grant to AFC.
A request was submitted to the Trust and a grant of £528 was awarded at their meeting in January 2023. This money has been spent as follows –
| Date | Purchase | Cost |
| January 2023 | Timber for bird boxes | £41.85 |
| February 2023 | Timber for owl boxes | £162.00 |
| March 2023 | Spades | £59.40 |
| October 2023 | Weldmesh for trees | £229.32 |
| November 2023 | Deer posts for Clashnessie | £52.75 |
| TOTAL | £545.32 | |
| Grant Awarded | £528.00 | |
| Overspend met by AFC | £17.32 |
Many thanks to all involved.
Avril Haines
January 2024