Volunteering Opportunities 2015-2016
Working together to maintain, improve and promote our community green spaces
for all to enjoy.
Perth & Kinross Council
Community Greenspace
Scottish Government Volunteers
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Volunteering Opportunities
In Perth & Kinross we’re fortunate to have some outstanding greenspaces which residents and
visitors enjoy.
Volunteering is a fantastic way to get active outdoors and enjoy these places, meet new people,
make new friends, learn new skills, get fitter, gain work experience and get satisfaction from
carrying out tasks that communities, visitors and the environment will benefit from.
We have a diverse range of volunteering opportunities from weeding flower beds in premier
parks to essential woodland management on some of our SSSI (sites of special scientific
interest) woodland sites.
Between April 2014 and April 2015 Community Greenspace led 90 volunteering tasks involving
633 volunteers
Our volunteers include school aged children taking part in John Muir or Duke of Edinburgh
Awards, corporate volunteer groups wanting to do something for the community, people with a
passion for improving the environment and biodiversity , people looking to gain some work
experience and lots more.
PKC Conservation Volunteers
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Volunteering Opportunities
If you are an individual looking to volunteer please have a look at our scheduled tasks and see
if there is anything you’d like to get involved in.
If you are involved in a group / organisation who are looking for a volunteering task please
have a look at the list of tasks and see if there is anything you’d like to get involved in.
Each task will be led by an experienced member of Community Greenspace who is first aid
trained.
We will risk assess each task, provide tools, equipment and necessary training.
All we ask is that participants dress appropriately for the weather conditions and wear stout
outdoor footwear.
If there is an opportunity that you’d like to get involved in please get in touch.
Email [email protected]
Phone 01738 475000
Path improvements in partnership with Crieff Community Trust
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Group Volunteering Opportunities
Time of year to carry out
task Location Community group
or organisation
being supported
Task Description of task
March- April Greenloaning Ardoch Bloom Group
Creating a wildflower meadow
Preparing soil and sowing wildflower seeds to create wildflower area and increase biodiversity
April Perth Perth High Litter picking Helping the pupils at Perth High clean-up their surrounding greenspaces
April - September Armoury Park Pitlochry
Pitlochry in Bloom General maintenance
Essential maintenance tasks e.g. weeding, pruning, litter picking
May - September Michael Bruce Way Portmoak Community Council
Laying gravel Portmoak Community Council were donated some gravel to maintain parts of the Michael Bruce way,
they need some help laying the gravel
May - September MacRosty Park Friends of MacRosty Park
Painting railings Helping to maintain MacRosty Park to a high standard by repainting some railings
June - August Perth Lade Lade Action Group Access improvements
Removal of bramble and branches which are encroaching onto footpath
Mid June -July Kingoodie PKC Himalayan Balsam pulling
Removing invasive non native species to prevent them suppressing growth of native wildlife friendly
species
July - August Blairgowrie core paths
PKC Hedgerow management
Weeding recently planted wildlife hedgerow
8th—15th August MacRosty Park Friends of MacRosty Park
Weeding Helping the Friends of MacRosty Park clean up the park to have it looking its best for the Highland
Fling event
August - March Perth Lade Lade Action Group Litter picking Removing litter from within Perth Lade and on the banking
August – March Perth, St Magdalene's Hill
PKC Pruning Cut back encroaching vegetation to keep path clear
August - March Perth, St Magdalene's Hill
PKC Cut back shrubs Cut invasive broom and gorse to improve biodiversity
August – March Perth, Kinnoull Hill PKC Removal of tree cages
Removal of tree cages that are no longer required to improve the visual appearance of the site
August – March Perth, Kinnoull Hill PKC Woodland management
Removal of invasive beech and sycamore seedlings and saplings to improve biodiversity
August – March Perth, Kinnoull Hill PKC Access improvements
Cut back encroaching blackthorn on paths leading to view point
September Perth, St Magdalene's Hill
PKC Biodiversity meadow management
Removal of grass cuttings to increase diversity of wildflowers
September MacRosty Park PKC Biodiversity meadow management
Removal of grass cuttings to increase diversity of wildflowers
September The Knock of Crieff PKC Bracken bashing Conserving the lowland heathland habitat by controlling bracken encroachment
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Group Volunteering Opportunities
Time of year to carry out
task Location Community group
or organisation
being supported
Task Description of task
September – March Luncarty Woods PKC Rhody Bashing Removing an area of invasive rhododendron making the area suitable for wildlife friendly species to grow
September - March Kingoodie PKC Woodland Management
Removal of invasive sycamore making the area more suitable for wildlife friendly species to grow
September - March Perth, St Magdalene's Hill
South Perth Greenspaces
Group
Encouraging natural regeneration
Removing invasive species and transplanting native trees to suitable locations
September - March Perth, St Magdalene's Hill
PKC Small tree removal Fell or thin small trees and shrubs to create or maintain views
September - March Perth, St Magdalene's Hill
PKC Woodland management
Removal of invasive beech sycamore seedling and saplings
September - March Kingoodie PKC Pond maintenance Removing debris from a pond helping to make it more suitable for wildlife
September - March Inveralmond Woods PKC Woodland management
Cutback understory below larch stand
September - October Lady Mary’s Walk PKC Footpath maintenance
Removing debris from drainage ditches beside footpath
September - December Den of Alyth PKC Path management Improving drainage on paths
September - December Den of Alyth PKC Woodland management
Removing beech seedlings and hazel coppicing
October - February MacRosty Park Friends of MacRosty Park
Waterway maintenance
Removing debris that has fallen into the lade
October - March Larghan Park PKC Planting beech hedge
Planting a beech hedge at the east side of Larghan Park
October - March Perth, Kinnoull Hill Arboretum Committee
Planting shrubs Part of landscaping improvements
October-May Bennybeg Crieff Crieff Development Trust
Widening footpath Widening footpath to ensure route continues to remain suitable for wheelchair use
October - November Michael Bruce Way Portmoak Community Council
Maintenance of drains
Carrying out essential maintenance by removing debris from drainage channels ensuring they
continue to work properly and keep water off the path
November -January Perth Lade Lade Action Group/Tulloch Net
Pruning orchard trees
Prune trees to maintain health and keep them low so that they can be harvested easily.
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Group Volunteering Opportunities
Time of year to carry out
task Location Community group
or organisation
being supported
Task Description of task
November - February Abernethy Glen PKC Planting fruit trees Planting fruit trees along eastern bank
November - February Invergowrie PKC Planting orchard trees
Planting orchard trees
Anytime Loon Braes Loon Braes Partnership
Vegetation management
Weeding, cutting back vegetation
Anytime Muthill Circular Walk
Muthill Development Trust
Footpath maintenance
Installing culvert pipe and repairing stile
November Blairgowrie PKC & TayARG Pond management Clearing pond to improve habitat for wildlife
Anytime Birks of Aberfeldy PKC Footpath maintenance
Clearing out the drainage ditches
Anytime Killiecrankie Path/Garry Tummel walk
on SSE land
Pitlochry Paths Group
Access improvements
Cutting back encroaching vegetation
Anytime Kingoodie PKC Fence removal Removal of derelict fencing to improve visual appearance of site
Anytime Moncreiffe Island Perth
Beautiful Perth Litter clearance Remove river borne and locally dropped litter
Anytime Abernethy Glen PKC Creating habitat piles
Clearing fallen willows and using timber to create habitat piles
Anytime Michael Bruce Way Portmoak Community Council
Fitting culvert piping Improving drainage by installing a culvert pipe to keep water off the path surface
Anytime Perth, Kinnoull Hill PKC Improvement of condition of Site of Special Scientific
Interest
Small tree clearance, scarification of ground to allow heathers to re-seed
Anytime Letham Community Allotments
Letham Climate Challenge Group
Establishing community plots
Work with school groups or preparing community plots for groups
Any time Perth, St Magdalene's Hill
PKC Access improvements
Re-profiling, digging drainage channels and reinforcing with stones sections of paths in Hilton
Wood
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PKC Conservation Volunteers Scheduled Tasks
Perth and Kinross Conservation Volunteers (PKCV) work with Greenspace Rangers Service carrying
out a wide range of practical conservation tasks.
Volunteers can benefit by learning new skills, improving their own understanding of the management of
the greenspaces and keeping fit. Most importantly PKCV offers a chance to meet like minded people,
share experiences and have fun.
The main aim is to improve greenspaces and access to it. This may be through direct conservation works, such as
Tree planting
Fencing
Path repair
Invasive species control
Pond clearance
Meadow management.
Friday 20
th March
At Birks of Aberfeldy removing vegetation growing in tree cages to encourage tree growth
Saturday 18
th April
To celebrate National Gardening Week get involved in carrying out a variety of gardening tasks at MacRosty Park Crieff
Wednesday 6th
May & Saturday 9
th May
As part of Get Walking Week we’ll be running 2 footpath maintenance tasks to keep paths in good condition and keep people walking, 6
th of May at Alyth Den and at the Birks of
Aberfeldy on the 9th
Wednesday 3
rd June
Volunteer during Volunteer Week and lend a hand with removing encroaching vegetation from path verge at St Magdalene's Hill Perth
Saturday 4
th July
Removing invasive non-native Himalayan Balsam to ensure it doesn’t outcompete wildlife friendly species at Lady Mary’s Walk in Crieff
Wednesday 21
st October
Come along to the North Inch in Perth and help us plant some fruit trees
Saturday 10
th October
Make a difference during Make a Difference Month and join our volunteer task day at the Knock of Crieff where we’ll be improving the aesthetics of the site by removing and old fence which is no longer required
Wednesday 28
th October
Make a difference during Make a Difference Month and join our volunteer task day cutting back areas of gorse at Kinnoull Hill
Wednesday 4
th of November
We’re running a task in partnership with TayARG (Amphibian Reptile Group) in Murthly where we’ll be pond clearing to improve the quality of the pond for wildlife
Booking is essential so we know how many tools to bring to each activity.
To book or for more information please call 01738 475000 or email [email protected]
01738 475000
Pullar House
35 Kinnoull Street
Perth
PH1 5GD
Perth & Kinross Council
The Environment Service
Community Greenspace