
Coalfields to Wildwoods Project
The Coalfield Communities Landscape Partnership is a Heritage Lottery funded initiative led by East Ayrshire Council (EAC) focused on Cumnock and the surrounding East Ayrshire coalfields. In recent times the area’s landscape has been devastated by the impacts of opencast coal mining the last phase of a long period of coal mining history on which many of the communities relied. The subsequent loss of employment has resulted in severe socioeconomic challenges. The CCLP provides an opportunity to reinvigorate life in the landscape based on the lessons of the past, life in the present and a vision of life in the future.
Eadha’s Coalfields to Wildwoods project is one of a number of projects which seeks to enhance the landscape, improve biodiversity and create education and training opportunities. Our project will help empower local people and give them a direct stake in their local landscape. It will train them in the propagation of key native pioneer plant species including local rarities such as aspen, juniper and montane willow and set up a network of small local plant nurseries located in a range of venues to provide the resources required to initiate community growing. The aim would be to assist the restoration of open cast sites and improve overall woodland cover within the CCLP area.
Nurseries have or are being established at the following venues:
- Littlemill Primary School
- Logan Primary School
- The Zone, Dalmellington
- The Knowe Garden Centre, Auchinleck
- Netherthird Community Garden, Cumnock
- Dalcairnie Steading
- Patna Primary School
We are looking for volunteers to help with seed collection, plant propagation and planting.
Photos
- The Zone
- The Knowe Garden Centre
- Schools
- Glen Afton Guided Walk and Seed Collection
- Knockshinnnoch Guided Walk, Seed Collection and Seed Bombs
- Skares Restoration SIte