Clyde and Avon Valley Landscape Partnership

29th August 2013 Volume 2, Issue 7

Valley Life
Training this month included CAVLP participants learning strimming, woodchipping and mowing skills with Clydesdale Community Initiatives. Check out more training opportunities over the page. Our recent Village Tour Networking event at Nemphlar resulted in locals and the active VIVA group providing excellent ideas for future projects. Want to have your say and input into project proposals for your area? Upcoming village network events in local village venues include Dalserf (19th Oct) Kirkfieldbank including Central Scotland Forest Trusts community consultation on a new orchard project (9th Nov), Ashgill (23rd Nov) and Braidwood(14th Dec).

Our People, Our Land, Our History: Shaping our Future

Bringing the harvest home

This years bumper fruit crop welcomes in a number of orchardrelated projects, the highlight of which is a celebration of all things food and fruity at Fruit Day on October 5th at Overton Farm. Orchards are a special feature of the Clyde Valley landscape and through funding from CAVLP, the Rural Development Trust and orchard owners are investing in schemes to replant and manage the orchards as well as rekindle lost skills in managing productive orchards. Recently volunteers came to pick cookers and eaters in an abandoned orchard, bringing in more than 300kg of fruit ready to be made into juice to tickle your taste buds at Fruit Day. Over sixty would-be green fingered gardeners also enjoyed the summers introduction to fruit growing course. Septembers Scottish Archaeology Month resulted in locals exploring the Bronze Age burial cairn and Iron Age fort at Blackhill with the Royal Commission on Ancient & Historic Monuments, others discovered ancient mills in the Falls of Clyde with the Clydesdale Mill Society and some encountered historical figures from the past at New Lanark. New Lanark Trust also ran a successfully landscape art course, funded by CAVLP, including a free lecture for the community with over forty attendees.

Connect With Us:

Level 1 Offices Robert Owen School, New Lanark, Lanark, ML11 9DB Tel: 01555 663430 www.clydeandavonvalley.com info@clydeandavonvalley.com Follow: @ClydeAvonValley Like: Clyde and Avon Valley Landscape Partnership Sign up to our monthly e-news: newsletter@clydeandavonvalley.com

Certificated and vocational training

Clydesdale Community Initiatives have spaces on Green woodwork (log splitting, pole lathe and Shave horse): Thursday 17th October, Venue tbc. New courses will be available in November please contact Niall McShannon on 01555 664211 or enquiries@cciweb.org.uk FREE Training Opportunities from South Lanarkshire Council IOSH Working Safely: Wednesday 6th November, South Venel, Lanark Emergency First Aid: Tuesday 3rd December, South Venel, Lanark Booking essential, please contact Louise on 01355 236644 or email louisa.maddison@southlanarkshire.gov.uk.

Events, talks and dates for your diary

South Lanarkshire Environmental Volunteer Networking Day, Thursday 10th October, David Livingstone Centre, Blantyre, 9.45am to 3.45pm. Meet groups, find out about projects and schemes and learn new skills. Contact Louisa on 01355 236644 or louisa.maddison@southlanarkshire.gov.uk. VIVA Walkers and Strollers October to November programme, every Thursday 10.30am Explore the many walks around the CAVLP area. Contact Joan Rankin on 01555 860664 for information. http://www.clydeandavonvalley.com/uploads/Viva_Walking_Program_Sept2013.pdf Lantern making workshops and parade, Sunday 10th November, Falls of Clyde with Scottish Wildlife Trust, 10. 30am to 2pm, 5 per person. Contact Laura Whitfield on 01555 665262 or email lwhitfield@swt.org.uk. Winter Warmer walk, Sunday 15th December, Falls of Clyde with Scottish Wildlife Trust, 1.30 to 3. 30pm, 3-6. Contact Laura Whitfield on 01555 665262 or email lwhitfield@swt.org.uk. Staying Special: Protecting Local Heritage, Tuesday 5th November, Linlithgow, Scottish Civic Trusts annual conference looks at community led conservation projects. Useful for groups developing their own built heritage conservation projects SPECIAL OFFER: CAVLP are offering funded places to local groups to go to the conference with transport. To apply for a place contact info@clydeanavonvalley.com. Free Fieldwalking Event at the Museum of Rural Life, Discover the Past event on Sunday 13th October,
1pm to 4pm., at the Museum of Rural Life, Kittochside, East Kilbride. Metal Detectorists welcome. Just come along.

Autumn Craft Workshops, New Lanark, everyday Sunday 13th October to Saturday 19th October, 2pm to 4pm, children workshops for ages 7 to 12. 3 including materials and juice. More info on www.newlanark.org/events or call 01555 661345 to book.

Volunteers needed:
Scottish Wildlife Trust are looking for a Teacher Naturalist, Archeological Dig volunteer, Events Assistant, Wildlife Watch Group leader and volunteers for the Lanark local members centre. Contact Laura Whitfield on 1555 665262 and email lwhitfield@swt.org.uk . More info: http://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/how-you-can-help/volunteer/ Path Surveyors: If you like going for walks and are interested in improving routes why not join the South Lanarkshires Adopt-a-Path Scheme? Contact Chris McGinley on 07795 453441 or email chris.mcginley@southlanarkshire.gsx.gov.uk. More info: http://www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk/ press/article/734/path_surveyors_wanted.

Our Events
Connecting with the Clyde
Saturday 7th December, Lanark Tolbooth, 10.30am to 3.30pm. What are your connections to the Clyde River? Do you simply cross it on the way to work? Or does it go further than that? Come along and explore in fun, innovative ways your connections to the Clyde Valley today and in the past with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland and CAVLP. Free family friendly activities and tasty titbits on offer. Drop in and join us. Does your community group or organisation operate within the Clyde and Avon area? Do you have opportunities for locals to get involved through events, training or volunteering? If yes, you can advertise through our Facebook, website and e-newsletter. We want to connect local people with new opportunities to learn about and explore the Clyde Valley as well as developing skills within our community. For more information contact us on 01555 663430 or email info@clydeandavonvalley.com.

Get Involved
There are many groups doing great things in the CAVLP area. Here are some that you can join, many are working with us to develop new projects and interesting opportunities for you.

Clydesdale Mill Society are currently excavating Bonnington Sawmill in the Falls of Clyde. The
mill was represented on a map but remains lost, however over the summer the society has discovered the foundations and many artefacts. Check out our Volunteer section to find out how to get involved.

Friends of Castlebank Park If you are interested in horticulture, heritage or the restoration of

one of the Clyde Valleys best kept secrets, then Lanark Community Development Trusts Friends of Castlebank Park is for you! By becoming a Friend you will not only receive on-going updates on the restoration work, but also have a chance to help to breathe new life into Lanarks jewel in crown. Check out their website to find out more www.lanarktrust.co.uk.

Laughs and Landscapes project run by VASlan, is looking for young adults to get involved in a
film-making project to collect local stories about the social and environmental history of Lanarkshire. Free digital film-making skills training available. Contact Mark Melville on 0141 641 8884 or email at mark.melville@vaslan.org.uk. Also, if your group has an interesting story to tell about its heritage or has some old slides or footage to be made digital, contact Mark.

Rosebank Community Initiative aims to improve the local environment and capturing village

history. They are working to spruce up the village, putting in flower tubs, doing litter picks and carrying out local wildlife surveys. Current plans are to put in hanging baskets and a village Christmas tree and run events such as carol singing and recording the memories of older people in the village. To find out more or get involved, please contact penny.stevenson34@yahoo.co.uk.