Lothians Conservation Volunteers
16/09/2012 Posted by
Summer may have been late arriving this year, but it arrived in style for the summer resi at Scone Palace, contributing to a thoroughly successful week of rhodi bashing with a bit of random destruction thrown in for good measure. Day tasks have been running nicely as well with impressive turnouts for some of the historically quieter midsummer outings. Even if bad weather forced us to postpone a badger watching trip, socials have been successful with another good showing at the pub quiz and a most enjoyable festival trip. On the organisational front there's been progress on the website with a final colour scheme now in place and work afoot to get the members' mailing list sorted once and for all. [More]
16/09/2012 Posted by
LCV founder member Colin McLean sadly died earlier this year. Volunteers and others who knew Colin share their memories of him. [More]
16/09/2012 Posted by
In July 2012 a crack team of volunteers took up residence in the decaying grandeur of the Factor's House at Scone Palace for the latest in a series of competitions against their arch-nemesis: Rhododendron ponticum. It is possible that some kind of sporting event was taking place in London at the time, but the details rather escaped our notice. [More]
16/09/2012 Posted by
Determined to make amends for the scientific shambles of New Year, a second attempt was made on the summer resi to measure Colin McLean's suggested Sequoiadendron. This was made all the more poignant by the sad news of his death, which had reached us on the first work day. [More]
16/09/2012 Posted by
A meal in itself, this dish also benefits from rice and any curry sides you happen to like. The level of heat can be varied to suit all tastes. [More]
16/09/2012 Posted by
Retaining the colours of the Italian flag, this is a refreshing veggie take on a classic. [More]
26/06/2012 Posted by
Not being a car owner or driver, one of my favourite aspects of LCV is going to places I couldn't easily access or simply don't know about. So thanks go to Greg Milne for guiding us along the cycle paths and quiet roads of East Lothian on a lovely cycle ride to Ormiston for the recent LCV social trip. [More]
14/06/2012 Posted by
You never can tell what spring in Scotland will bring and this year has been no exception, with snow showers at Alness contrasting - only a few weeks later - with T-shirt weather at Beecraigs. [More]
14/06/2012 Posted by
On Friday 4 May nine of us set off for Alness in Easter Ross for a weekend of tree planting and associated tasks at a worksite new to LCV. We stopped in Aviemore, marvelled at the snowy Cairngorms and refuelled at the chippy before setting off for the second leg to Sleeperzzz hostel in Rogart, near Golspie. This is similar to the bunkhouse at Glenfinnan, consisting of several converted old-style train carriages. [And First Class compartments at that! -Ed.] On the way we passed Loch Fleet, the site of a previous summer resi. [More]
14/06/2012 Posted by
How does the ripple effect theory go? A distant butterfly flaps its wings causing slight atmospheric changes, and a hurricane results some weeks later. Well at Taynish on the weekend of 10-11 March, LCV contributed to a real-life butterfly effect. The butterfly in question is the rare marsh fritillary. It lives in damp open grassland. The caterpillars mainly feed on devil's bit scabious and are declining in every European country. Western Scotland, in particular Argyll, is one of the species' remaining strongholds. So the following band of Conservation Brothers and Sisters set about making a little bit of the Taynish National Nature Reserve, which is managed by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), more suited to this rare butterfly. [More]
14/06/2012 Posted by
The use of the title Wellingtonia should be banned forever. Although I have every admiration and respect for the Iron Duke, the use of his name in connection with the tree is pure politics. So-called by English botanist J. Lindley in 1853, many US scientists objected to the name due to proximity of the 1812 war. Thus in 1854 the American C. Winslow proposed the name Washingtonia. [More]
01/04/2012 Posted by
There are signs of spring from my window here today so - touch wood - perhaps we have made it through this winter without sub-sub zero temperatures, snow drifts and multiple cancelled tasks. This is not to say that the weather has been entirely cooperative. The storms of the third of January caused a delay in work at Scone Palace on the New Year Resi and forced the rangers of Beecraigs Country Park to postpone two tasks while they endeavoured to clear enough wind-blown trees from the many public footpaths to allow their re-opening and our safe access. [More]
01/04/2012 Posted by
The artificial mound of Moot Hill in the grounds of Scone Palace is the coronation site of Scottish monarchs such as first king, Kenneth McAlpin, and Robert the Bruce. In Victorian times the Mansfield family built the mansion house of the palace and improved its environs. [More]
01/04/2012 Posted by
Our friend Colin McLean, retired convenor of Bawsinch, Addiewell and Roslin SWT reserves, set us a task for our day off at Scone. In 1970, while working at the Scone Palace pinetum he had measured one of the Wellingtonia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) trees. Planted in 1862 it was due to turn 150 in 2012: re-measurement seemed a fitting birthday present. [More]
25/01/2012 Posted by
It's been a good few months for LCV, not least because the unusually mild autumn has led to a run of really fine days out. We've been along to two volunteer fairs, one run by the Edinburgh Volunteer Centre and one by Edinburgh University, which have generated an encouraging number of new volunteers, so well done to those who helped out. [More]
25/01/2012 Posted by
It's getting chilly here at Mucker Central. I'm starting to wonder if all editors have to wear fingerless gloves to keep their hands warm, as no amount of furious typing seems to be helping mine. Neither do multiple high-speed revolutions in my Imposing Editorial Chair. So, instead, why don't I explain what's in store this quarter? [More]
25/01/2012 Posted by
On Friday evening we set off promptly from St Andrew Square with our sights set on the National Nature Reserve at Taynish, near Tayvallich on the west coast. This is just about thirty miles south of Oban. [More]
25/01/2012 Posted by
Well, wasn't it a remarkably balmy night for the ceilidh? In previous years gloves and scarves have been the insulation of choice for those manning the door, but not so this year. We had a turnout of about seventy willing dancers who were entertained by the jigs and reels of the Nine Points of Roguery Ceilidh band, and even a rendition of "Big Yellow Taxi." The band certainly knew how to keep the crowd going! [More]
25/01/2012 Posted by
Are you bored of that plain old Victoria sponge? Chocolate cake dragging you down? (Not that I'm aware of - Ed) Well no more! Brighten up your resi with a Jaffa Cake cake. [More]
25/01/2012 Posted by
Delicious and (mostly) healthy spiced poached pears. [More]
