On arrival we were greeted by not only a lovely view of the Loch in the sunshine but also a friendly reception from two SNH Rangers, there to take us out to the site that we were working on. The walk there allowed time to find out about the site and how the new camping bylaw is already improving the problem of wild camping in this protected site. It was great to hear that this littering of the land and antisocial behavior has been actively curbed to improve the environment and also the overall enjoyment of the area by locals and people visiting the area. On the day we met a keen bird watcher who was already enjoying the change.
We may of only been a small number of volunteers but as soon as we got to the site we got stuck in to the work and in no time what was before a wibbly wobbly tangle of branches was now pathways we could walk through. These pathways will make it easier for the rangers to continue their removal of the invasive Himalayan balsam for years to come. It was such satisfying work to see the pathways we had just created and after lunch we used these paths for their intended purpose by accessing the Himalayan balsam and removing it before it had a chance to seed and spread.
All in all it was an extremely productive and fun day.