25 Oct Shona Irvine reports on a volunteering weekend at the Old Man of Storr
Last weekend OATS Activity Projects Manager, Shona Irvine, who manages the charity’s volunteer programme, was involved with a volunteer project which was a bit different to the programme she has been running in the Cairngorms National Park since March 2022 – habitat restoration at the Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye.
Here is Shona’s report:
With over 200,000 visitors a year, the Old Man of Storr is one of the most popular spots on the island. For those who have not visited before, the 55-metre tall pillar is the remnants of a volcanic plug and is prominent on the Trotternish skyline, north of Portree.
The Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland is working, as part of the Skye Iconic Sites Project, to repair areas of erosion and degraded habitat surrounding the Storr, particularly Species Rich Grassland which is home to a range of flora including grasses and flowering plants such as tormentil and wild thyme. High footfall and intense rainfall have lead to large areas of exposed earth and vegetation which is struggling to regrow.
On Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 October we had a team of local volunteers come along and get involved.
The Habitat restoration processes taking place on the site are being developed as the project goes with a variety of techniques being used. These include the blocking of gullies with spoil removed from the new path works round the back of the Storr which will prevent run-off worsening man-made path lines; and blocking of ‘pigeon holes’ (man-made steps) on the hillside.
However, with our group of volunteers we focused on the laying of Geojute. The net-like Geojute is laid on badly eroded patches of the hillside where grass has no chance to grow back and will help trap silt and seeds and allow the vegetation to recover.
The first step in the process is to lay down small turfs across the bare earth, and working out how much jute is required. With the help of Donald Kennedy, consulting on the habitat restoration project, volunteers removed the turfs carefully so as not to damage other areas of the hillside and not leaving any bare peat or earth exposed.
We then cut and carried the jute to the location and pinned it in place. The ends of the jute are dug into the ground to minimise the chance of the material moving. Rocks are then placed on top for extra measure. Both the rocks and the jute itself will provide shelter for seedlings, and in time the jute will break down providing more substrate in these areas of thin soil.
Cutting the jute, carrying the cut pieces to the eroded site, and ensuring the patch was covered effectively all required a good amount of teamwork and it was great to see everyone getting stuck in.
Big thanks to the volunteers who came along. Whether it was through the Skye Environment Forum, the Skye Climate Action, or heard through other means, it was great to make connections with the local communities in Skye.
Suzy from Radio Skye also came along and her fantastic feature piece broadcast on the 24th October Breakfast Show can be heard on the Listen Again site:
https://radioskye.com/listen-again/
Breakfast Show with Suzy – Mon 24 October
Latest local news, weather and interviews 8am
Please note – part one starts about 27 minutes in to the programme and finishes about 40 minutes 17 seconds in & part two starts after a song at 43 minutes 15 seconds in.
Over time the vegetation at the Old Man of Storr will hopefully take hold, and this will mean the hillside is more resilient in periods of wet weather. It is important that the jute is fenced off and visitors avoid walking in the spot locations of habitat restoration and stick to the paths to give the grasses and wildflowers the best chance.
