Grant Application for Ecological Garden providing Equality and Education at

The Hub, Dalchreichart, Glenmoriston.

Ref: FR-0075489

Date of award: 05/03/2024

Grant Application to the Great Glen Energy Co-op Fund, Ref: FR-0075489

I am pleased to inform you that a grant of £20,000.00 has been awarded to West Glenmoriston Community Company.
 

WHY IS AN ECOLOGICAL GARDEN NECESSARY IN OUR RURAL ENVIRONMENT?

Our Community is surrounded by dense Forestry. The intense farming of the same species of trees has lowered the levels of biodiversity in our area. Biodiversity needs variability of life on genetic, species, and habitat levels. It is fundamental to the planet and people, maintaining natural balance and providing function ecosystems that supply oxygen, clean air water and food. Biodiversity has been decreasing in our area for decades and more actions are needed to reverse this development.

We have a lack of pollinator plants to satisfy moths, butterflies, insects and bees which are needed to increase biodiversity. Having spoken to Bee Keepers in the area who state their bees have insufficient pollen to survive without food supplement. Our Community have empty unused hives because the previous apiaries starved to death.

We have a lack of diversity in local gardens because of the high deer population. Most of the gardens are not enclosed and the residents and have not erected expensive deer fencing. The numerous deer are stripping the gardens of the pollinating flowers and shrubs.

The community are concerned regarding the numerous frogs that are being killed on the road in this area by passing local traffic and logging lorries.

Frogs are economically valuable for biodiversity. They also provide a critical food source for birds, other wildlife and snakes.

In Scotland, there is great concern about the decline of the adder, which are a protected species. This is mainly due to habitat loss and climate change. Climate change is greatly effecting our bog land areas.

Amphibians, particularly frogs, require damp habitats, bog areas in gardens are essential to nurture frogs.

An Ecological Garden, including a Bog Garden, would not only benefit the local wildlife, it would be a local focal point of interest. A place where not only plants, but also people may all interact together. It would provide different interest throughout all the four seasons, not only in summer.

Nature is educationally inspiring, to have it in your surroundings is excellent for mental health, and general well being. It stimulates conversation, and for all the residents who have chosen to live here in The Great Glen, a spiritual asset for the whole community.

The garden would help educate the community about it’s environment, help with rural regeneration and advance environmental conservation of the natural environment.

LOCATION AND HISTORY OF OUR COMMUNITY

Dalchreichart is situated on a minor road on the north side of the River Moriston just off the A887 in beautiful Glenmoriston, approximately 7 miles from Invermoriston.

The Hub was originally Dalchreichart Primary School which closed in 2006 when the school roll dropped to 2 pupils.

In 2013 the Community took ownership and management of the facility.

West Glenmoriston Community Company is a Charitable Company and is funded by grants primarily from community benefit schemes from local wind farms.

The Hub is located in the classroom side of the property. The school house is rented as a social housing dwelling.

The Hub includes 2 meeting rooms, a kitchen and toilets including an accessible one. It is a fully equipped resilience centre to support residents during an emergency.

There is parking and an extensive outdoor space, including an enclosed land area immediately in front of the old school room, and a second larger area to the rear of the car park and property.

Over the years The Hub building has been extensively developed to make it a welcoming, flexible facility, by numerous dedicated and hard working volunteer directors. The outside grounds are in need of attention and further development, to allow them to be used by all.

The Hub is open several times each week for regular functions and events which include Coffee Mornings, Craft and Chat, Music Group, Games Evening, Book Borrowing and Quiz night. We also hold special seasonal events throughout the year.

We have 50% of our residents who regularly attend our events.

The ‘Community’ refers to residents who live between the Cluanie and Dundreggan Dams, although all are welcome from the surrounding area. We total about 65 homes.

Of the resident community approximately 75% are over 60 years of age. There are several people who live alone, some who have been recently bereaved.

Some residents have physical disabilities and require suitable access and seating to allow them to join in and mix freely with everyone in the community. The garden project has been planned to give equality.

We all need mental stimulation, old and young alike. To learn something new, or to pass on and discuss knowledge already gained, is educationally beneficial to all.

The planning, development and continued growth of this garden would be educationally stimulating not only to the residents, but to their visitors, grandchildren and walkers passing through our glen.

In the past talks on the subject of vegetable cultivation have been welcomed by the community, the speakers have received a high attendance figures. An ecological garden would provide an avenue of interest whereby speakers could be invited to give environmental gardening talks to educate the community on this subject, using our own garden as a visible example.

Interest has already been shown in engaging speakers, from the Butterfly Trust Scotland, The Bumblebee Conservation Trust, NatureScot, The Scottish Wildlife Trust, and our near neighbours Trees for Life, to provide educational talks regarding conservation and environmental issues. These talks would be well advertised not just for the local community but also to include the residents of Invermoriston and Fort Augustus.

We already have residents within the community actively involved in some of these organisations.

INTENTION, TO DEVELOP AN ECOLOGICAL GARDEN

Apart from keeping the outside area tidy, and compliant for accessibility, there has been very little development to allow outdoor usage of the grounds at The Hub, by the community.

We would like to develop the outdoor areas, with Ecological interests, which are sympathetic to the area and building. It is also necessary to make these outdoor spaces more accessible for all. The community could use the garden area when The Hub building is closed, to meet and interact with other residents, have a rest while out walking, or as a purpose to leave their home to look at nature as it grows and develops within our garden.

The garden would also be used when The Hub is open, giving an area for people to sit outside with their coffee or tea and cake on the Coffee Mornings, or work outside at the Chat and Craft functions, weather permitting.

It would provide an excellent outside area, with many uses, including seating for a Community BBQ, or other functions.

We also have many non resident walkers who explore this area on their holidays, the garden would provide a seating area for them to rest and enjoy a snack or a packed lunch.

Our first space for improvement, is the almost enclosed area immediately at the front of The Hub main meeting room. It is fenced at one side and has stone walls to the remaining two sides. Access is available next to the main entrance into The Hub.

There is one established tree on the site, the ground is reasonably flat, but has very little soil, and the building gives some shelter from the wind. Stock wire attached to posts would need to be erected above the stone wall to prevent entry by deer, allowing us to use a varied selection of plants in this area.

A variety of Ecological native shrubs, would be placed in a border, along the wooden fencing and part of the stone wall. This would also provide screening, and privacy, for the adjoined property. The Hub already has a large supply of stones as a result of demolishing an old stone built shed that had become unsafe. These stones are suitable to be reused as an edging along the border, giving a natural effect. Natural bark would be used to top dress this border.

A rockery would be created under the existing tree, which would not disturb existing roots. This would give some height to the garden. Native plants will be used that will not only thrive more in the soil, they will contribute more to the gardens overall microhabitat and the surrounding ecosystem. It will also make a fantastic home for insects and other bugs which help support and sustain the local ecosystem. We would be recycling the rocks we already have on site.

Perennials, wild flowers and grasses will be grown in three environmentally responsive raised beds, to attract pollinators and birds. The area we have chosen for the garden has very little soil, it will be necessary to make provision for top soil and peat free compost. Raised beds have a positive impact on water conservation, pesticide reduction, carbon sequestration and habitat creation. They will help create an environmental garden and support biodiversity. They will be erected to such a height that everyone will be able to see, touch and smell the plants and flowers, promoting sensory stimulation.

A bog area, which would be far safer than a pond for a communal area, would interact well with these surroundings, and would be developed to encourage dragon flies and frogs.

Our second area, at the rear of The Hub, is surrounded by stone walls, but again would need 1meter high stock fencing erecting above the walls to prevent deer access.

This area would have a large rockery area, shrubs, and a concentration of wild flowers to encourage butterflies, bees, moths birds and wildlife.

Enquiries have been made at two local garden centres which grow plants specific to the Highlands, and advice sought, for ecological plants, which are not only native, but interact together to attract wild life, birds and insects. Deer resistant species have been paramount in the choice.

Two supported picnic style tables, which have easy access seating, and two 5 feet benches, together with two tables and eight individual chairs for specific use by people with mobility issues, thus giving equality for all, would be placed within both these areas for seating. All sourced from a local sawmill. Allowing people to sit and observe nature in these tranquil surroundings.

To add extra ecological features and interest, two Bug Hotels, together with different types of RSPCA approved nesting boxes, including and an owl box, and bat boxes, will be purchased and erected within the curtilage of the property. Together with six outdoor weatherproof notice boards to display visual identification and information regarding, insects wildlife and birds.

An additional feature we would like is two nesting boxes with a cameras, one for robin occupation and the other for blue tits. These would be linked to The Hub Wi-Fi, allowing the community to access the community Wi-Fi and watch the nesting birds from the comfort of their own home.

Ecological studies regarding the relationship between living things and their habitat have found the best way to help birds is to give them a safe habitat in which to live and feed on seeds, grubs and insects rather than on foreign seed. A bird table, feeders and bird bath, will not be part of this garden, which hopefully, will also help prevent the transmission of avian disease.

The Hub already have a quantity of paving stones that could be re used at the entrance area of the front garden, this would allow greater accessibility for all ages to the garden. Once again recycling is advantageous for our environment.

The rest of the paths would be constructed of compacted aggregate and flat gravel. With a geotextile membrane used underneath for water to permeate, and prevent weed growth. All paths will be compliant in size for wheelchairs and buggies.

All products and labour will be sourced locally, for the benefit of Highland communities.

The start date for this project is funding, weather and work force dependant, ideally spring to give the plants ideal growing conditions. The project will be organised and run by the seven volunteer Directors of the West Glenmoriston Community Company (the management committee) and the one volunteer.