Woodland park
Big tussocks of moss, wet birch woodland dripping with lichen...
Big tussocks of moss, wet birch woodland dripping with lichen, common lizards basking in the sun on the boardwalks, birds flitting, the buzz of insects on wildflowers and the recreation of local people, all this is part of our community woodland.
Opened in 2007 but a good few years in the making, the Westmuir Community Woodland Park was set up by a few visionary local people (give names?) to be a peaceful amenity for the village and to protect and enhance the nature that lives there. The Westmuir Community Development Trust was set up to develop and look after the community woodland and it is still doing this today.
This area of nearly 9 acres is leased from the Lindertis Estate and during the setting-up, grants were received from various organisations to create a network of all-ability paths, signage, a car park, recycled-plastic boardwalk over wet areas and fencing. Since then, there have been many hundreds of volunteer hours spent planting trees, maintaining paths, building drystone entrance walls, planting wildflowers and putting up bird boxes. The kickaround area has been mowed each spring, summer and autumn by volunteers but now we are delighted to have the help of the Angus Council Justice Service Community Payback Team.
There have been various phases of tree planting: the natural wet birch
woodland has been enhanced by the planting of alder (which love this wet
site!), rowan, aspen, hazel, hawthorn, gean or wild cherry and a scattering of
oak. Sadly, we lost our largest Scots pine tree to Storm Arwen but others have
been added. We have also had donations of crab apple and elder trees so we
will wait to see how they like our woodland site.
We have tried to add other native flowering plant species, like snowdrop,
native daffodils & bluebells in drier locations, we will see how they settle
and whether they thrive. The wonderful late summer display of devils-bit
scabious flowers turbo-charges the nectar and pollen on offer to insects, and
earlier in the flowering season the star flower of chickweed wintergreen shows
this area has never been ploughed.
In fact, many years ago this area was used as a gathering point for cattle
drovers before heading to markets near and far.
We’ve been fortunate to have the support of experts in plants, bugs, birds,
fungi and herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians to you and me!)
Since the beginning volunteers have been the life blood of our park. Ordinary,
local people have brought ideas and energy in an extraordinary way. Could you
be part of our team? Please consider volunteering in whatever way you can,
it’s a place that gets under your skin!
Ending on a high, in 2024 we were encouraged to enter the Scotland’s Finest
Woods competition in the Best Small Community Woodland category. After a visit
from the judge and a long wait, we finally heard we won! A representative of
the Westmuir Community Development Trust went to the Scottish Parliament at
Holyrood in November 2024 to be given the award- a lovely cherrywood plaque.
We also received £1,000 to spend on looking after the woodland.
This was the most amazing boost to all the volunteers, past and present, who
have helped care for this very special place.