There's lots to look forward to in the coming weeks. At the end of this month we're having a 'fungal foray' in Portmoak Moss and at the start of October there'll be the annual apple day in Kilmagad Wood. In September, another chance to help pull birch saplings off the peat bog.

It's a long time since we've held a fungal foray but we've been lucky to find an expert guide, Dr Tony Lyon, who will lead a public walk to discover and identify the many kinds of mushrooms and toadstools which grow there.

We’ll meet at 2pm at the main gate to the Scotlandwell entrance and it’ll take approximately 2 hours. It’s open to all ages and will be a wonderful opportunity to find out about the fungi of all shapes and sizes which inhabit the trees and the ground beneath them. 

On Sunday 2nd October at 2pm we'll have our apple day and by the looks of the community orchard there's going to be an apple bonanza! As well as helping to pick the fruit you can bring apples from your garden and have them pressed into beautiful fresh juice. There'll be the usual groaning table of apple-themed baking as well as games for the children.

We are very lucky to have Andrew Lear, aka appletreeman, from Perthshire, to come and help identify apples from your garden. Just bring along some fruit and twigs and leaves from the mystery apple tree and he'll do the rest. He also brings a splendid display of apples, so you can learn about all the wonderful varieties which grow in Scotland.

Before that, on September 18 from 10am-4pm we'll have another birch pulling event in Portmoak Moss. There'll be more details to come but we hope to get a good squad of volunteers, to continue the important work of removing saplings from the centre of the Moss and stop the peat drying out.