Fay had been a dedicated and passionate focaliser of Trees for Life Volunteer weeks from the very beginning in 1990. Once she returned to that vocation after a successfully completed cancer journey in 1996/7, she conceived of a Gentle Week, realising that not everyone was able to keep up with the demands of the regular Volunteer Weeks.
Gentle Weeks, later renamed Nursery Weeks, took place both in Plodda Lodge and later in Dundreggan after Trees for Life bought that estate and set up its nursery there. Up until the very last year, she would co-focalise Nursery Weeks. She would encourage her friends in the Community to join in, no matter how frail or elderly they were. And indeed, each one who joined felt enriched and nourished by a week pricking out seedlings, transplanting them into wee pots and being a part of growing a forest. Anna Barton even took all the little planting labels home, washed and cleaned them to be ready for the next nursery week.
One of the volunteers was Rosemary Benham and this is her wee story from Nursery Week May 2016.
Moving the tent, Dundreggan Nursery Week 2016
I attended a number of Nursery Weeks at Dundreggan, mostly with Fay focalising. The first job in the morning after our arrival, was always to move the big tent from one side of the nursery to the other. We did not dismantle it, but just pulled out the pegs, then with one person on each upright, we carried it complete to the other side of the nursery where we put it down and replaced the pegs. Of course, we needed tables and chairs, so not to waste any time Fay piled chairs into a wheelbarrow and ran after us, firing off instructions as she went. We could then sit comfortably out of all kinds of weather, to prick out tiny seedlings, planting them into special root training pots. When the tiny seedlings had grown, they would be taken up the hills by other volunteers to plant.
Dominic was co focalising with Fay, and he asked Beryl Hines, a participant, and friend of mine from Woodbridge Suffolk, to take some photos. Both photos of Fay, with the tent, and weeding have been taken by Beryl.
Recently reminiscing with Beryl about the May 2016 Nursery Week, we both decided that it was good fun. And so it was.
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This story is displayed in the Dundreggan Rewilding Centre.
Guest Authors are contributors who are not COIF members (for various reasons).
Thank you, Rosemary, can just hear Fay “advising” on how tent moving should be done!
That’s me holding the back right hand corner! I remember it well. I really enjoyed my several weeks at Dundreggan, with Fay, Rosemary, Beryl, Jane, Diana, Rita, Helen and others. I went again in May 2023 and hope to keep it up. There is “Fay’s Grove” there now overlooking Glen Moriston, with a seat, her name in wood, and 12 trees representing a volunteer week, 11 aspens, the propogation of which Fay pioneered, and a Scots pine (Fay). She did so much there, and is well remembered, and at Findhorn.