We are delighted to be able to share that RSPB Lochwinnoch is benefiting from a grant of £18,950.89 from FCC Communities Foundation.
The money will be used to improve our woodlands through tackling an invasive plant species called Tolmiea menziesii, without using pesticides, and dealing with Ash Dieback disease. Both are causing loss of habitat on the reserve and therefore, their removal will be followed by the planting of a wide range of native wildflower and tree species, especially berry-producing trees. These will provide much needed food over winter for a variety of wildlife.
Image: Tolmiea menziesii dominating woodland - Rosser1954, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Tabby Lamont, Site Manager at RSPB Lochwinnoch, believes the project will make a huge difference to the woodland and will benefit visitors as well as wildlife.
“Ash Dieback disease and invasive plant species are a real problem on this reserve and in many other places in the UK, so it’s fantastic that FCC Communities Foundation has awarded us the money to deliver this project, turning the negative effects of the disease into something more positive.
Dealing with the Ash trees in a sympathetic manner will allow us to manage them safely and improve our habitats at the same time, and removing the Tolmiea menziesii will create space for native wildflowers to return. We’ll carry out tree and wildflower planting to make sure the species assemblage is rich and varied, and this will also benefit the other woodland wildlife our visitors come to see.”
FCC Communities Foundation is a not-for-profit business that awards grants for community projects through the Landfill Communities Fund. The project will be delivered over winter 2023-24.