Starting to clear the waste ground – Image by Jim Neil

A new month and a new Clean-Up day in the Community Woodland. Saturday 2^nd August saw a few members of the community along with two grandchildren, of a volunteer, starting to clear the overgrown patch of ground in Birch Drive. This was an area left behind after the builders finished the estate, and it was transferred to the community along with the purchase of the rest of the community woodland.

This area of land had been identified as a suitable location, by the Community Woodland group, to allow excess water to drain off the old Brahan Estate road and infiltrate into the ground during extreme rainfall events. The proposal is to construct the waste ground into a specific type of Sustainable Urban Drainage Device, known as a Rain Garden. This would reduce the flooding onto Birch Drive, allow the excess water to drain away safely, and at the same time improve the amenity of the area. The trees and planting would help dispose of the excess water through evapotranspiration.

However, before the Rain Garden can be constructed, the area needs to be cleared of rubbish and plants that have accumulated over the years. A start was made by the volunteers at about 10:00 am on Saturday morning. By noon, the area was now exposed, with tree branches cut back and much of the overgrown vegetation cleared from the site. Arrangements had been made with the community payback team to dispose of the cut vegetation on behalf of the woodland group.

Community members clearing plants – Image by Siobhan Fraser

 At the end of an enjoyable, if a hard, morning’s work, the volunteers gathered at the entrance into the community woodland to enjoy tea and biscuits. The Maryburgh Community group would once again like to thank everyone who took part in the morning’s activities, helping with the clean-up.

Area of Proposed Rain Garden Cleared – Image by Jim Neil

More help is always needed to maintain and improve the woodland for the benefit of everyone in the community. If you cannot spare a couple of hours to join us for some fun in the woodland, why not help out in other ways. You can now make a donation using our PayPal online Giving Fund. All donations will go to help with the future development of our community woodland.

This tidy-Up Session also gave the volunteers the opportunity to test out some of the new and second hand tools that have been donated to the group by local companies and members of the community.