Scotland: Camas Centre undertakes woodland regeneration

Source: Iona Community

Camas is an outdoor education centre on the west coast of Scotland, ran on behalf of the Iona Community. A mile and a half walk down a boggy track on the Island of Mull leads you to two old fishing cottages, right on the doorstep of the Atlantic ocean. Here residential weeks are hosted for individuals, young people and community groups. Many groups are from some of the most deprived areas in the UK.

The Camas experience particularly offers young people rest, adventure and the opportunity to grow, develop and become comfortable in this environment. Alongside outdoor activities they live together as a community for the week, sharing in meals and common life together. Guests experience life in a sustainable outdoor centre, with energy solely coming from wind and solar, the kitchen-garden, woodland and the sea on the doorstep. Camas provides hundreds of people each year with an opportunity to immerse themselves in Scotland's great outdoors!

A new project will see the planting of 4200 native trees across 1.4 hectares behind the Camas buildings. The centre has secured the trees, stakes and guards from The Woodland Trust and the centre is expected to provide protection from deer and sheep. Money is now being raised for the necessary funds for Camas to erect a deer fence which will allow the trees to reach maturity.

A huge amount of Mull has been deforested and never replanted, resulting in a loss of wildlife, ecology and extremely rare lichens only found on the west coast of Scotland. This new woodland at Camas will echo the success of an already established small woodland which has brought back an abundance of wildlife, bird song, habitats, shelter for the garden and fuel for the centre. The new Camas woodland will become an asset to the Ross of Mull and to the young people people who visit.

Links: https://iona.org.uk/island-centres/camas/ www.facebook.com/camascentre

@camastuath #camasappeal