Hard at work planting trees on the island.
IT WAS a busy Easter weekend on a trustowned island at the mouth of Loch Sween. Volunteers and friends of the Eilean Mór MacCormick Trust carried out tree planting over the Easter period by agreement with Historic Environment Scotland. The island has scheduled ancient monuments which are considered to be of national importance, with other areas where trees should not be planted in case the roots could damage as yet undiscovered artefacts. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) also took a keen interest in the work, as the island is part of the Ulva, Danna and the McCormaig Isles Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
With the help of the Woodland Trust arranging the trees, stakes, mulch mats, pegs, tubes, cable ties, and paying for a good proportion of this, the planting was able to begin. Species planted were willow, rowan, birch, aspen and hazel, all sourced from the same seed zone a the planting area. Volunteers arrived on the Thursday before Easter to unload and set up, before the main group arrived on Saturday to continue carrying the material to where it would be required. The quick est and most efficient way to plant trees, fit a mulch mat around it, and get it pegged into the ground was found before a stake was hammered into the ground and a protection tube fitted over the tree. A second stake stabilised the saplings. By Sunday afternoon, 500 trees had been planted, over a sunny but cold few days – and it was time to relax.