From October to December, our regular Garvald Fire and Craft Fridays have continued. The group were only thwarted by some path resurfacing works happening on the Penicuik to Dalkeith walkway which blocked access to Three Hares for a few weeks. The path works are ongoing but have now well passed our gate so all has resumed, back to normal. Undeterred by Heras fences, we managed to get the padlock key to let some groups use the site whilst the works were taking place. This included a second Fungi Day by the brilliant Myceliart Collective, and a Volunteer day with Edinburgh University Conservation group ‘The Dirty Weekenders’.
After undertaking some serious strimming through the land to make the path clear to the Musical Forest (as the gate to the Musical Forest was blocked by resurfacing works), we held some workshops with Trees and Seas Outdoor Adventures (Gracemount Primary) and Kaimes Autism School. These workshops were funded by the Longstone Trust/Foundation Scotland and travel to Three Hares was funded by the Community Woodlands Association Pockets and Prospects Fund. Gracemount is one of the most deprived areas in Edinburgh and some of the kids who attended had never visited a Woodland before. The groups had a walk through the land to the Musical Forest where Mischa Stevens facilitated a music workshop inspired by being in the woodland.
“Today’s session went really well. The weather was perfect for autumn—slightly chilly but very sunny. Mischa, an experienced and engaging music teacher, brought so much energy and joy to the session. His enthusiasm really resonated with the children, and they were captivated by his sense of humour and passion for music.”
Some testimonials from the kids:
– “Oh, Rita, this is beautiful! It’s my first time in the forest!”
– “I’m definitely coming back tomorrow!”
– “I had so much fun!”
Thank you to everyone who made this possible for the kids – Rita, Youth and Children Worker, Transition Edinburgh South.
‘Just wanted to say thank you again for such a great experience. The kids loved it. We really appreciate you taking us there and using the magical space.’ – Iain, teacher at Kaimes Autism School.
Three Hares were also lucky to be joined by the Green Team, twice over this period. Their first session was looking after trees that have been planted in the past few years at Three Hares. Tree care after planting is one of our most important jobs which entails replacing any broken tree guards and stakes, weeding grasses from inside tree tubes and weeding grasses from the base of the trees that compete for growth. The group also had chance to have some solo time to reflect on the woodland, write poetry and visit the Musical Forest. The second visit to Three Hares was right at the beginning of Tree Planting season. Coinciding with National Tree Week, we planted 120 trees (Hawthorn, Hazel and Dog Rose) creating a new hedgerow at Three Hares. It was great to see 14 young folk and 4 staff join our regular volunteers to create what will be a vital new habitat and celebrate the importance of hedgerows. Our thanks also goes to Edinburgh University Forest and Peatlands Team for donating the locally grown trees.
