Learning about forest skills and woodlands

I first started volunteering for Greener Kirkcaldy at Ravenscraig Walled Garden in 2021. I was working part-time and preparing to retire at the end of the following year. As a result, I was keen to explore new activities and make social connections as I had only recently moved to Kirkcaldy.

When I started, everyone was extremely welcoming, even though I had very little experience of gardening. We all muck in and share knowledge and skills.

The staff who run the project, Carol and Ross, are very supportive and ensure the garden is volunteer-led, giving us opportunities to choose what crops we want to grow each season. As well as fruit and vegetables, there are plenty of flower borders. It is such a beautiful setting to spend time in each week, it really supports my physical and mental wellbeing.

We are also offered lots of opportunities to attend free training. Two years ago, I attended Fife Climate Knowhow training. As a result, I became motivated to reduce my carbon footprint and even made a decision to give up owning a car. As well as massively reducing my carbon footprint, this has saved me a fortune. It also greatly increased my fitness levels as I’m a lot more active.

I jumped at the chance to take part in a free forest skills training course based at the Ecology Centre in Kinghorn. The course ran over eight weeks on a Monday afternoon and it led to a Level 4 Forest and Outdoor Learning Award. There was also the opportunity to attend a weekly supported volunteering group. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and learned a lot about woodlands and sustainability, as well as having fun and enjoying being part of a team.

We did different activities each week. We learned skills including woodwork, building campfires and shelters, foraging and tree identification. We also learned about the importance of biodiversity.

The final session at the end of March was longer. We built a shelter in the woodland, cooked our lunch on a campfire and planted some trees.

I would really recommend the course to anyone interested in learning more about how to enjoy spending time outside and in woodlands responsibly, while having fun and meeting other folk with similar interests.

Penny Stafford, Gardening and Growing Volunteer

Find out more about joining us as a Gardening and Growing Volunteer