Recent events

FAB report for Autumn 2021

FAB has been busy this autumn. The main focus for the group is tree planting. Working with guidance from Fife Council’s arborist, the group is planting around 600 native trees in Cupar this November and December. The sixty volunteers involved in this project plan to continue planting trees next year, FAB has an ambitious target to plant one tree for every person in Cupar – 10,000 trees. On our first tree planting day, the sun shone and by the end of the day many trees were planted and new friendships made. This tree planting is being mapped on Google Earth maps so we will have a record of where the trees are planted, what is planted and when. We will also have before and after photos. A great resource for the future.

Over the past few months the group has been selling the FAB calendar featuring the wildlife of our River Eden, this project has raised over £1700. This fund will be used to buy many more trees to plant by the river. It will also be used for other River Eden projects e.g. control of invasive species.

There have been discussions in the group as to whether FAB will become a Climate Action Network. To this end the group is taking a stall at the farmer’s market in Cupar. This will give us a chance to have climate conversations with Cuparians. The November market was great, with many people wanting to join Sustainable Cupar and also offering their time to volunteer with FAB for planting trees. FAB will be discussing the Climate Action Network idea at the next FAB meeting in December.

Other FAB projects include assisting the Adamson Health centre to plant a small orchard, the group has funds available for fruit tree planting so the group is funding sixteen fruit trees for this project. This will enable staff, patients and relatives to have a garden to sit in, where they can relax and appreciate one of the best views of Cupar. The FAB Wassail will be held on the 15th January in the community orchard at Millgate. One of our members is exploring the treasures of our natural habitats in Cupar and there is a plan to highlight these in the summer of 2022. Fruit tree management will continue in 2022 with pruning and grafting fruit trees and then we will enjoy the blossom as it explodes in spring, and so the cycle of life goes on….

FAB report for Summer 2021

FAB has been active this summer. The group has held regular meetings by Skype and we have also been able to meet together, in person, a couple of times in the community orchard. One of these opportunities was a fruit pudding party, a time for the group to meet socially and enjoy some sweet treats together.Locally grown fruit was used to make pies, tarts and cakes. The FAB community fruit cage at Elmwood has once again been a great source of soft fruit for FAB members. Raspberries, red currants, gooseberries, blueberries, strawberries and josta berries have been harvested and used to make jam or frozen for winter use by FAB people. The group has worked together to keep the fruit cage weed free over the summer. Activities in the orchard this summer have included scything and summer pruning. The apple harvest is poor this year due to a very cold spell this spring when freezing winds blew through the orchard, hopefully next year we will have a better spring. New fruit trees have been planted by FAB in Westfield nurture centre, the Cupar community orchard and Bell Baxter, these trees are to replace the trees that were damaged last year by Fife Council workers whilst strimming around the trees, these trees were fully funded by Fife Council.

In November FAB plans to plant over 400 native trees along riverside. The trees are being provided by The Woodland Trust. FAB volunteers will work together to plant the trees. More volunteers are very welcome. Trees are also being planted in Westfield nurture centre to create a small woodland area for the nursery children.

During the summer FAB has been busy removing Himalayan Balsam from along the riverside, “balsam bashing” sessions have been organised twice a week for the last few months. The group is removing balsam because this non-native plant will dominate the vegetation. Its removal encourages the growth of native plants. These native plants are better for our native insects. The group has been balsam bashing for two years now and have made a big impact, but this is a project that will need to continue next summer. FAB volunteers pictured below pulling balsam, Norma is holding the balsam and it looks double her height - over 10 feet!! Volunteers from the Eden Angling group and the scouts have helped us in this project.

One other project that came out of lockdown was the creation of a FAB calendar for2021. Many local people walked the Eden during lockdown and many took photos of otters, kingfisher, heron and so much more. This calendar features the River Eden, it uses the photographs taken by local people and the project will raise funds for River Eden projects. These projects will involve tree planting, control of invasive species and possible river water testing. FAB will work with other groups, for example the Eden Angling Group, in this endeavour. The calendar costs £8, £5 from every calendar will fund the river projects. The calendar is available from Maisie and Mac and Nationwide in Cupar and Cambo. A brilliant local gift for Christmas. FAB plans to sell the calendar at Cupar farmer’s market in October. That day the group will have details of how to get involved with the tree planting by the Eden in November and we will also have local apples available for a donation. Below are a selection of photos of the calendar – which of course features the Eden otters!