Borrowmeadow Redux

Volunteers planting on December 1, 2012

Over the past year TreeLink has been working with Stirling Council to manage some aspects of the woods at Borrowmeadow in Stirling. The woods were planted in a loop of the Forth to the north of the Forthbank Sports Centre about ten years ago. Stirling Council Rangers were joined by about fifty volunteers as well as staff from the Woodland Trust and they planted about 2000 trees including wild cherry, oak, holly, alder, birch and hazel.

This initial planting was intended to be the first step in creating a much larger woodland on the site. However, further site investigation revealed issues with the land that prevented additional planting and in the site receiving little attention or management in subsequent years.

TreeLink Stirling has as one its main aims the enhancement of local woodlands and was very pleased to get the opportunity to work with the council on this project. Upon visiting the site it was clear that a good number of the trees planted in 2012 had thrived, with birch, wild cherry, alder, oak and hazel all bursting out of their guards. It was also evident that many trees had died and so there were redundant tree guards. It was agreed that the site needed attention and that it would be a perfect project for TreeLink volunteers.

The Stirling Climate festival in October 2021 provided the ideal opportunity to get the work underway. Volunteers removed damaged tree guards, dead and diseased trees were cleared and around 600 new trees (rowan, birch, alder and goat willow) were planted with the old tree guards re-used. Further work parties have focussed on liberating thriving trees from their guards and removing old guards and stakes from the site. Another 200 willows were also planted.

Volunteer event on 17th October 2021 as part of Stirling Climate Festival

This has been a very enjoyable and worthwhile project and illustrates well the positive impact that volunteers can have on the environment. It was great to see the cherry trees flowering this spring and also some clumps of cowslips amongst the trees. A couple of visits every year should enable

us to monitor the trees and take any necessary actions to ensure that the trees remain in good condition.

Thanks are due to all the volunteers who carried out the work and to Guy Harewood who coordinated our efforts and made it all possible .