Welcome To Tormore Community Forest
During July, August and September Tormore Community Forest volunteers offered a full-to-bursting programme of nature and wellness activities – for the local community and visitors to “come out into nature”.
Everyone had an opportunity to test their artistic talents weaving a fish, creating with charcoal, and making clay tiles incorporating objects found in nature. You could learn about historical and current day events that shape today’s forest, make music on the hillside, and relax through yoga, mindfulness and meditation. The wide and varied choice encouraged many people to come along to several events over the summer.
In the middle of August the main event was held with everyone being invited to their Forest Open Day. The venue was the Fank (a stone walled sheep pen) which was revealed when the forest was felled a few years ago. On the lower ground the group’s polytunnel hosted the tree planting and tours were offered at the turbine house which is part of Sleat Community hydro scheme. https://sleathydro.co.uk/
Young trees, grown on site, are being dotted around the site to re-establish native tree cover, lost during the time of the commercial plantation.
The Turbine House
A fascinating tour with Kenny the Hydro-scheme Project Officer, proved very popular, giving us an opportunity to hear first-hand about the Community’s micro-hydro scheme. This was followed up with an opportunity to visit the intake (and dam) where the water is diverted into a pipe to the turbine house.
Sunshine on the Fank – an ideal gathering place for chat and nourishment.
Events continued to be of offer as the summer drew to a close and the community looks forward to putting on more as the new woodland matures and evolves into an ever-changing space for nature-based activities.
This project was made possible through the High Life Highland LEADER funded project on behalf of Think Health Think Nature
A winter event is planned to “remind the community of the benefits provided by the forest and nature during a time when they might be struggling with short days and lack of natural light”