If you go down to the woods today.... Hog House Hill has a stunning display of spring bluebells carpeting the floor

Following the survey of the Nature Reserve, instigated by Val Bradbury conducted by David Hawker( Botanical Recorder for Kirkcudbrightshire), David advised on the ideal mix of wild flower seeds for our reserve.

You will recall we've planted 4,600 trees in our Kippford Community Nature Reserve. However, it actually looks like we have planted 4,600 plastic tubes. These are to protect the saplings in the first few years of life -- mostly from the deer.

What a great turnout we had for our final weekend tree planting. Over 20 volunteers enjoyed the late winter sunshine (if not the cold northerly wind) to plant the block of 440 trees in the lower field.

We’re almost there!

Good progress has been made this week. By the end of Friday we estimate 4,000 trees will have been planted, leaving 600 to go.

We had a great morning on Saturday with 14 volunteers planting from 9.00 to 12.00, and almost completing one area of 400 trees from start to finish! This really has boosted our progress.

We’ve had some pretty inclement weather to deal with this week on The Kipp, so well done to those who came along to help.

By the end of Friday, we should have finished the compartment above Kipp House, so, in total we must have planted 3,000 trees!

This week the tree planting continues.  We are currently working in the area behind Kipp House.  Come in through the top gate at The Kipp, walk up the field and veer to the left.
Planting times are weekdays 9-11am, and weekends 9am-12noon.  Please note that we are NOT planting on Wednesday this week as the forecast is poor. 

We had lovely weather for today’s tree planting and lots of enthusiastic volunteers, many planting trees for the very first time.

The count at the end of Sunday is 1,050 mounds prepared, 850 trees planted! Pretty good!

We finally started planting trees today, with a 2-hour session in the morning and the same in the afternoon.

Again, many thanks to those who came along with their trowels, mallets and spades: we have planted about 200 oak trees. There was also a team preparing the mounds for planting, and they have, in total prepared planting sites for 900 trees.

Some 500 planting mounds, prepared over the past two days, are ready for our first tree planting session this weekend. We will be planting in the top field Saturday (tomorrow) 9.00 - 11.00 am and 2.00 - 4.00 pm. 

At our open meeting in the village hall last week we talked about the first phase of the Kippford Community Nature Reserve -- Tree Planting.

It was great to have people sign up as volunteers to assist in this.  Below are details of the dates for the event.

This week's Galloway News has a feature on The Kippford Communicate Nature Reserve.  Click here

On Monday 11th February at 7pm we are holding a brief update meeting regarding The Kipp.  We would be pleased to explain our funding applications, and our plans to plant 4,600 trees in the coming few weeks.

We have now secured funding to proceed with the project. Total funding stands at £89,000 to date.

The mounding for the trees has been completed this week. The mounds will have a couple of months to settle before we start tree planting in March.

Work started this week on the preparation of planting sites for the native woodland. A contractor with a digger will be on the land throughout this week creating planting mounds - basically small heaps of inverted turf into which we will, in March, plant the tree seedlings. The mounds provide an area of tilth in which the tree roots can establish, as well as suppressing the grass which might otherwise overwhelm the seedlings. The mounds will be left to settle over the winter.

The Forestry Commission Scotland have given their support to our plans for the Kipp Community Nature Reserve, having committed to provide £18,000 of funding. This money will cover the cost of 4,600 native tree seedlings to be planted in seven small woodland compartments across The Kipp. These will be important elements of the habitat mosaic which will also include, ponds, wetlands, meadows and scrub - perfect habitat for a diversity of wildlife.