Live project
Our aim is to work with the community to create a woodland site that can be enjoyed by all and remains a haven for wildlife.
Introduction
This 20 hectare site is located on the edge of Kilmacolm in Inverclyde and is well used by locals for recreational activities such as dog walking. An attractive greenspace boasting woodland, open grassland and views overlooking the surrounding countryside, the land was gifted to the Green Action Trust by Buchanan Estates in August 2022.
It is host to a variety of habitats such as woodland, most of which can be found in the south-west of the site. Clearly the site is already valuable for wildlife and people, and we are working with local residents to create a community woodland that offers improved access to nature for people, while developing its biodiversity value and nurturing its wildlife.
Funding for this project has been provided by the Scottish Government and The Queen’s Green Canopy.
Our aims
The project has potential to deliver multiple outcomes, across these key areas:
The Trust has been engaging with local site users and the wider community to hear their ideas on what they would like to do with the site. To start this process, we held a Community Walk and Tree Planting Ceremony in March 2023 and an online public consultation in June.
The suggested ideas to take forward at the site included:
Following the consultation, we have collated the feedback and our response in a report.
Thanks go to all who took part and we look forward to hearing more ideas in the coming months.
In the south-west of the site is an area consisting of mature and early-mature broadleaf woodland with species such as beech, sycamore, oak, and birch. This provides great habitat for fauna and flora such as bats, birds, insects, moss and lichen.
There are also a number of younger woodland areas which appear to have been more recently planted to infill and expand on existing wooded areas. Many of the woodland areas are on linear ridges formed by low rocky escarpments, possibly suggesting former quarry activity.
To the north are open areas of grassland which were previously grazed by livestock and where views can be enjoyed. Areas of scrub, mainly gorse, can be found scattered across the site which are important habitat for wildlife such as birds, small mammals and reptiles.
There are several hollows which appear to seasonally gather water forming wetland habitat, and a series of old stone dykes which mark former field boundaries and provide attractive features.
From feasibility studies to forests, grant management to greenspace, we can help to make your project a reality. It all starts with a conversation, so contact us now to get started.
