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| Martin: man at work |
Today was a chance to give something back. We headed down the road to Inverarish where we had arranged to meet a couple of the locals. The plan was to help clear some Rhododendrons from a communal picnic area. Rhododendrons were brought to Raasay as part of the gardens in Raasay House and have since overrun parts of the island. The day was overcast and quite muggy; it was a nice change from the relentless sun we had been experiencing over the past 7 days.Everyone got stuck into the massive task at hand. The Rhodies were everywhere! Some of them were more like medium sized trees with thick trunks. It was clear that nothing else was able to grow there and that nothing would until the Rhodies were cleared. I had read about the problems that Rhododendrons could cause in woodland areas but, until now, had never experienced it first hand. I'm not sure I'll look at a Rhododendron in the same way again! Apparently, Rhododendrons cover the woodland floor in a blanket of shade; where nothing can grow. To add to that, they also turn the soil very acidic; making it harder still for other plants to grow. The plan of attack was a simple one: staff would use saws and loppers to cut down the offending bushes and the kids collected them and piled them high in one huge pile. It was hard work but great fun and the kids had a ball.
It was nice to talk to some of the local legends and get a feel for the place and the background. One of the women kindly offered to come and teach the kids some Scottish Gaelic one evening. After lunch we cleared some more and then some more. We had now amassed a huge pile of Rhodies in the picnic area car park. There was only one thing for it; a fire! And a rather large bonfire it was too, much to the delight of the kids. For some, probably the highlight of Projects so far.
