Picnic Lunch in the Woods
On Sunday 3 June 2012 from 12.00-3.00pm

Come and enjoy a lunch with all your friends and neighbours at the old Curling Rink at the end of Craiglockhart Terrace from 12.00-3.00pm on Sunday 3 June.

This year instead of holding a fete we are organising our own “Jubilee street party” in the woods to create the opportunity for the community to come together and enjoy a special lunch along with all their neighbours.  Regal dress optional.

Bring something nice to eat and drink for your picnic and join the fun.

Some tables, chairs, tents and decorations for the festivities will be provided.

There will be a fancy dress competition for the children.

Do come along.

The natural world wakes up from a long sleep with buds bursting into leaf, flowers blooming and animals waking from hibernation.

Get stuck in with free ideas and downloads. Click here for downloads, spotter sheets and more.

We look forward to seeing you there.

This year 34 Green Flags were awarded to green spaces in Scotland with Edinburgh gaining 20.

We did well to retain our Green Flag status for another year.  We shall will continue to work to support the LNR and to ensure that it is maintained at a high standard.  We would like to thank everyone in the community for their on-going support which is crucial to our success.

Bat boxes were checked this month by one of our Countryside Rangers (CR) who has a bat licence, there was no evidence of bats using them although bats can be seen around the pond at dusk and just after the sun has set.  Some of the bat boxes have been nailed down which makes checking them difficult so we aim to replace these this winter with bat boxes which can be easily checked without disturbing any potential inhabitants.

Education

Susan Dickson, Senior Countryside Ranger had a meeting with some of the friends to discuss educational provision on the hill.  There are already good links with some local schools like George Watson’s College who use the site as part of their 2^nd year biology curriculum.  The Big World holiday club also use the site for a week in August learning outdoor skills and helping the woodland management with a bit of sycamore thinning.  Susan and the new Deputy Head of Craiglockhart Primary School have discussed how to use the woodland as a Forest School site for the Primary School children.  The children will visit every week to improve their knowledge and skills on environment and woodland subjects while improving self esteem and confidence building.

Maintenance/Conservation

The Countryside Rangers have been out strimming paths in September and the curling rink has been sprayed and scraped to tidy the area up, the wall around the wickets was also sprayed to remove ivy in preparation for repointing work.  The CR’s have been working with the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers removing Japanese knotweed, an invasive plant; cutting back vegetation on the causeway; raking fragmites reeds at the outlet pipe and cutting back the hedge.

 You are invited to join us at our Green Flag Award celebration on Thursday 3 November at 4.00pm at the top of Craiglockhart Terrace at the old curling rink in Craiglockhart Woods when the Green Flag will be raised.  There will be some light refreshments available, the opportunity to socialise and to find out more about Easter Craiglockhart Hill Local Nature Reserve.

 We hope you are able to come along.

Please meet at the gate by the pond on Lockharton Crescent at 10.00am.

All Welcome!