Red admiral butterfly sunning on birch, Five Mile Wood July 2022
What has WSWG been doing this month?
Five Members were elected on the night and one Associate co-opted as a Trustee at the first SCIO Board meeting on 29 June, with roles allocated as follows:
- Simon Yearsley Chair
- Shonagh Moore Vice Chair
- Andrew Lear Secretary
- Elspeth Coutts Membership Secretary
- Betty Abbott Trustee
- Alan Ross Trustee (co-opted)
- Vacancy Treasurer
We are currently looking for someone to fill the position of Treasurer, so if any WSWG Members or Associates would be interested in that role on the Board of Trustees, please do get in touch.
Thank you very much indeed to everyone who helped organise or who attended the GM; to Jane Wilkinson of Growbiz for coming along in support; and to Jo Hardy for hosting us so well at the Tayside Hotel.
Another big achievement this month was the submission of a funding application to the Scottish Government’s Investing in Communities Fund Round 2. We have sought significant funding towards staff and project costs within our proposed Community Benefit Programme which, if successful, would provide invaluable support for the WSWG Project between 2023 and 2026. We will hear in December 2022 if we have been successful. Wish us luck and fingers crossed!!
On 28 June, we attended an eye-opening and thought-provoking on-line training workshop on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, delivered by Diversity Scotland and hosted by Perth & Kinross Council.
And of course, we have been busy with ongoing work on the costed final WSWG Proposal and Business Plan. (NB. We are getting there!)
But in between the hard work, we have been enjoying nature’s seasonal delights in both Taymount and Five Mile Woods and hope you have been too. In addition to red admiral butterflies sunning themselves and defending territories, one walk in Five Mile Wood delivered sightings of dozens of ringlet butterflies, a variety of day flying moths, numerous damselflies and a few dragonflies, various birds including willow warbler, song thrush and coal tit, and discovery of solitary bee holes, pine marten scat and carpets of seed and cone debris where red squirrels have been feeding. Even two freshly killed shrews lying openly on the track – not eaten because a toxic gland in them makes them unpalatable to anything that catches them! And so much more. A magical and sometimes mystery tour of wildlife and its footprint, learning to read the signs whether the creatures are seen on not. And the wildflowers – tormentil, eyebright, selfheal, bird’s-foot trefoil, sneezewort, black medick, black knapweed about to flower in profusion, and densely flowering brambles promising berries in abundance before too long. And with the weather we’re having just now, all with the added pleasure of the sun on your face and cooling breeze in your hair. If you can get into the woods to enjoy it yourself, maybe you could contribute 15 minutes of your walk to the national Big Butterfly Count which in running from 15 July to 7 August. Big Butterfly Count (butterfly-conservation.org)
Word of the Month
Shining fungus beetle: (Scaphidium quadrimaculatum.) Found in Taymount Wood in July 2022, there are only 4 other recorded locations in Scotland for this unusual beetle which has not previously been recorded in Tayside. Having this summer found several insect species in the woods which have not been recorded in Tayside, we are beginning to get really excited about what living treasures Taymount and Five Mile Woods hold.
What’s coming up next?
- Look out for the next blog coming soon from the Barefoot Woodland Wanderer!
- WSWG Volunteer Days over the summer – dates and activities will be coming soon hopefully to suit people’s different interests and availabilities.
- A frequent and regular schedule for SCIO Board meetings in the run-up to the CATS Application.
- Business advice from Growbiz.
- Progress meeting on 27 July with Forestry and Land Scotland and the Scottish Land Fund.
- Planning for the Community Consultation on the final WSWG Proposal in late September.
