THE Kelty Community Council Greening Group has been working with its partner groups to create a wildflower meadow and small wetland area on waste ground at the Kelty Allotments.

The area is used by local schools and youth groups to study wildlife and get involved with the seasonal maintenance of the land. The aim of the project is to create a habitat that will encourage native plant, animal and bug species to flourish and to provide a safe space that is easy to get to, where organised school and youth groups can study the natural environment close up.

Paul McDonald, a KCC Greening Group volunteer said: “We have been successful with a funding application to Volunteering Matters Action Earth and we have used the grant to purchase plants to build on our project.

"Our young volunteers, assisted by Greening Group members, parents and community volunteers, will arrange the plants to create hedges of soft fruit bushes to form an edible highway across the site”.

The event was organised on Thursday, to plant the hedges and Alex Rowley joined the Group and engaged with the children in a discussion about biodiversity and what they were doing at the site. He presented volunteer certificates from Action Earth to both schools and a copy of Kelty’s Beautiful Fife Gold Award Certificate, in recognition of the part they played in that campaign.

Three further sessions are programmed for the project in November and December. This activity is part of the Volunteering Matters Action Earth campaign. Grant funding for the campaign is provided by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). If you would like to get involved in our ongoing project at Kelty contact Paul McDonald, on 01383 831792.

Volunteering Matters Action Earth will be supporting around 170 projects in Scotland in 2019 with grant awards of up to £500. These grants are aimed at groups who support and encourage volunteer activity through practical environmental projects.

Said a spokesperson for Action Earth: “Everybody can get involved in their local outdoor spaces. They are a shared resource and a shared responsibility.

"From the smallest individual action to a national campaign, every contribution helps! The Volunteering Matters Action Earth grants are designed to help groups of volunteers take practical action to improve and create places for wildlife.”

If you think you might have your own great idea for a project call the Volunteering Matters Action Earth team on 07808 860356 or register at www.volunteeringmatters.org.uk/actionearth