1. Lottery Funding

The big news this time must surely be the successful bid for Lottery Funding via the Breathing Places initiative. The Trust was awarded a grant of £9,560.00 (the maximum is £10,000) to carry out work to improve the safety and bio-diversity in the wood as well as to improve access. It means that professional tree fellers, consultants and equipment can be hired to create a small area of hard-standing at the east end of the wood, give advice on what sort of trees should be removed and what species should be replanted in their place to improve the wild life habitat. An award like this is of great encouragement for an organisation run on a voluntary basis and relying on volunteer helpers and it means that funds raised do not have to be directed at woodland improvements.

2 The Path

3 Members Day – Garden Party – Cream Tea

Our Members Day this year will be on the afternoon of 14th July at 2 pm in the garden of Glenrossie House (David and Ang Armstrongs’ house at the top of Newton of Pitcairns). Please note that there is no suitable area for car parking – cars will have to be parked out in the street in Newton of Pitcairns. We are appealing for donations of oven scones, please, to be handed in to either Jane Graham, Carol Dorsett or Elspeth Pentland before 10 am on the day. Please phone your promises to either 684475 or 684490 before hand so we know that we will have enough. As usual Pimms will be on sale.

4 Orienteering Day

There was a get together in April for all the pupils from Auchterarder, Aberuthven, Blackford and Dunning who would be going to secondary school after summer. Around eighty children had a great time following an orienteering course round the wood and getting to know each other. Refreshment time was used to listen and identify bird song – with great hilarity

5 Bodger in the wood

In order that both parents of Dunning Primary School and Members would know what Forest School Sessions were going to be about, a taster session was held in the wood on 21 April. Mike Flynn of the Forestry Commission led sessions, assisted by School Project Leaders Penny Martin and Joy McLean explaining what ‘ Forest School Initiative’ was all about. To add to the interest, a ‘Bodger’, called Kenny Grieve came along and made wooden whistles for the children, let people play on musical instruments and play at games all made from wood. Good fun was had by all with the simplest pieces of wood being used in constructive and imaginative ways.

6 Volunteer Pool

Bill Howie, the woodland manager, would like to establish a volunteer pool. Can those wishing to lend a hand in Kincladie, give him your contact number. Call him on 684476.

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7. Pavement extension to Kincladie

The Trust has been told by the P & K Roads Engineer that the pavement will be extended out to Kincladie from Romangate, probably this year. This is much sooner than expected and is because of the ‘ safer routes for schools’ initiative and the use of the wood for Forest Schools, Orienteering and Nature Days.

8 Annual General Meeting

The AGM will be held in the village hall on an evening in September. An official notice will come out to you prior. The meeting will be followed by a presentation on fungi especially the fungi found in Kincladie.(a visit to the wood will follow on shortly afterwards to see the real thing – and before everyone has forgotten what was talked about!).