Two new stalking ponies, a community hydro-electric scheme and visitor leaflets are just a few of the nine community projects to benefit from the John Muir Trust’s 2012 Conservation Fund.
The Trust has awarded over £22,000 for a range of wild land conservation projects on or around its properties and partnerships – benefiting the local community and the environment.
Grants this year include funding towards: native woodland projects on Dun Coillich and North Harris; the purchase of two stalking ponies on Knoydart; habitat surveys on Assynt; invasive Japanese knotweed control on Torrin and a feasibility study for a small scale community hydro-electric scheme on Strathaird.
The Trust is also supporting promotion of the week long Harris Mountain Festival, two places on a sustainable deer management course for Knoydart staff and the production of leaflets for the West Harris Trust.
John Muir Trust’s head of land and science, Mike Daniels, said: “The projects we’ve awarded grants to this year highlight the diversity of ecological, educational and economic activity happening around wild land managed by the Trust and its partners. It’s great to see such interest in this scheme and such a high quality of applications. We look forward to monitoring the progress of the projects and the benefits they bring to wild land and the people living on and visiting it.”
Ponies help manage the deer population in ecologically sensitive areas on Knoydart. They are used for extracting the beasts from the hill in a low impact manner and this year’s grant will enable the Knoydart Foundation to buy two young ponies.
Angela Williams of the Knoydart Foundation said: “Our three stalking ponies are all approaching retirement age. We needed to look at replacements now so that the younger ponies can work with the older ones for a couple of seasons.
“The John Muir Trust grant will enable us to continue with our deer management operations in a way that helps us to achieve our land management objectives. We would be struggling to justify the cost without this assistance.”
Following the successful installation of photovoltaics on Elgol Community Hall, on Skye, this year’s Conservation Fund will help the Strathaird Community Association to plan a micro hydro-electric scheme. The group can now draw up detailed plans for the installation of a 20kWh turbine, projected to generate around 80,000kWh a year, in a river that runs by the hall.
Mark Purrett of the Strathaird Community Association said: “Many of the details are still in the planning process, but this is an exciting opportunity that could be incredibly beneficial for the community.”
The Trust is also providing funding towards a habitat survey of Assynt Foundation land. Andy Summers of the Assynt Foundation said: “The survey will provide crucial data for a large part of the Coigach and Assynt Living Landscape (CALL) project area and enable us to make more informed decisions around our conservation aims. We’ve put in bids to other organisations for the match funding required and should hear soon if these are successful. Our fingers are tightly crossed.”
Duncan Macpherson of the West Harris Trust said: “This award is extremely valuable to us. We can now produce a leaflet showcasing the outstanding wild landscape and natural heritage of our area, enabling visitors to be more informed and conservation-minded in their enjoyment of it.”
“Coming at the same time as our first John Muir Trust conservation work party, we’re confident that this award signifies a strong future of joint working and mutual benefit between our trusts.”