Lochore Meadows Volunteers

Publish Date: Tuesday July 6, 2021

A meeting recently took place at Lochore Meadows Country Park to mark the beginning of the transition of Lochore Meadows conservation volunteers from Fife Coast and Countryside Trust (FCCT) to Ian Laing, Park Manager, for Lochore Meadows Country Park. 

The volunteers have given generously of their time and skills across the 1200-acre country park for many years. Maintaining and developing new habitats, planting trees, laying hedges, managing wildflower meadows, recording wildlife are just some of the activities they have been involved with. 

Ian Laing commented, ‘I look forward to working with the volunteers and harnessing their expertise and enthusiasm to ensure that the Park’s varied habitats continue to flourish, all of which plays a significant part in the visitor experience of the many thousands of visitors who enjoy the park annually.’ 

A recent restructure of FCCT’s Community and Engagement Team saw Dallas Seawright, a well kent face at Lochore Meadows take up the role of Conservation Manager, part of his new role will be to identify volunteering opportunities across the more than 60 sites and paths managed by the Trust.  

He commented, ‘Volunteers are the cornerstone of the Trust’s conservation work. The contributions they give help to keep sensitive habitats in the best condition to support biodiversity across Fife and allow people to engage directly with wildlife in a positive and fulfilling way. From coastal areas, to wetlands, grasslands and woodlands, volunteers are vital in taking projects forward and ensuring that both local communities and visitors to Fife can enjoy the very best of our countryside.’ 

He continued, ‘While we will no longer be managing the Lochore Volunteers, we will continue to support Ian Laing and the volunteers by supplying a range of equipment and will continue to support the volunteers in an advisory capacity through the transitional phase. Going forward we will be actively encouraging FCCT volunteers to take part in activities across Fife, including exciting projects under development in Dunfermline, Lomond Hills Regional Park and in the Levenmouth areas.’  

The growth in interest in volunteering and contributing to local communities has become increasingly obvious during the pandemic, currently we have a backlog of applications to become an FCCT volunteer and in the coming months we will be rolling out a new volunteer programme of events as Covid restrictions allow. 

Photo L-R Dallas Seawright FCCT Conservation Manager and Ian Laing, Park Manager Lochore Meadows.