UPDATE:
We are overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and support for our idea. We want to continue this momentum and give people the chance to support Camas and the work we do here. All money raised above our original goal will allow us to strengthen our aims set out in our stretch target. This money will enable us to reach out to more young people and local community groups; giving them a residential, community based experience with a hands on connection to creating our new forest. All money raised above our target will enable more and more people to become part of this project on the Ross of Mull.
Camas is an outdoor education centre on the wild west coast of Scotland, ran on behalf of the Iona Community. A mile and a half walk down a boggy track leads you to two old fishing cottages, right on the doorstep of the Atlantic ocean. Here we host residential weeks for individuals, young people and community groups. Many of the groups we work with are from some of the most deprived areas in the UK.
The Camas experience offers these young people rest-bite, adventure and the opportunity to grow, develop and become comfortable in this environment. Alongside outdoor activities we live together as a community for the week, sharing in meals and common life together. Guests experience life in an immersive, off grid and sustainable outdoor centre. With energy solely coming from wind and solar, our kitchen-garden, woodland and the sea on the doorstep - Camas provides hundreds of people each year with an opportunity to immerse themselves in Scotland's great outdoors! Our blog is a great inisght into the goings on at Camas: http://thecamasdiary.blogspot.co.uk/
This project will see the planting of 4200 native trees across 1.4 hectares behind the Camas buildings. We have secured the trees, stakes and guards from The Woodland Trust provided we can provide adequate protection from deer and sheep. This crowdfund will provide the necessary funds for us to erect a deer fence which will allow the trees to reach maturity.
A huge amount of Mull has been de-forested and never replanted, resulting in a loss of wildlife, ecology and extremely rare lichens only found on the west coast of Scotland. This new woodland at Camas will echo the success of our already established small woodland which has brought back an abundance of wildlife, bird song, habitats, shelter for the garden and fuel for the centre.
You can help! Helping us reach our target will go a huge way to getting the fence installed so we can plant the trees. If we reach our stretch target we can offer residential trips to Camas for local young people and community groups - enabling the new Camas woodland to become an asset to the Ross of Mull. Follow our progress on facebook: www.facebook.com/camascentre and Twitter: @camastuath #camasappeal
