As I write it’s only May and yet it feels like summer is already upon us, with so many sunny days, warmth in the air and the trees, plants, birds, bees and other creatures making hay whilst the sun shines! We could do with rain because of the mounting fire risk but I am sure it will come all in its good time.
Jonathan Caddy, beekeeper and chair of FHT
FHT apiary bees are happy with nine out of 11 hives having made it through the winter, most now with strongly laying queens. We started weekly inspections at the end of April and have a few more people joining our core team of Martin Harker, John Willoner and I. It’s so important to pass on both our knowledge and enthusiasm so that future generations can learn and enjoy the gentle and rewarding art of beekeeping. Thank you to new member Mathijs, as well as Amanda, Goran and others, for stepping up to the mark. Great also to have visiting Gina Pattison and her son and daughter join the first inspection – read what they thought about the experience.
Opportunities for visitors to get involved in our regular Thursday morning (10am to 12.30pm) bee inspections are just one of the things we will be offering as part of the partnership between Findhorn Bay Holiday Park (FBHP) and FHT, along with Family Sharing Nature mornings, volunteering opportunities on the land as well as our regular tours. The most significant benefit to the charity will be FBHP using their booking system to offer our 11 camping pads to visitors when not in use by FHT volunteers. We are excited about this as it will open up the good work we do to more people (FBHP had over 10,000 visitors last year), bring in another potential source of income and provide a different experience to those that choose this camping option. It is an experiment and so let’s see how it goes this season. There have been a number of enquiries from students wishing to become long-term volunteers this summer and they may be able to help out with this project. FHT felt it was time to tighten up on how we involve volunteers so have done a little housekeeping to produce improved volunteering forms and agreements.
Another partnership that is developing is with the educational charity Growing2Gether, where we are offering Sharing Nature games up at our Woodland Shelter, facilitated by educator Roy Simpson. This is so that the secondary school pupils can come as a group and experience something outdoors to build confidence and gain some skills. Two groups have visited so far: Alness Academy on the 13th May and Inverness High on the 19th May. Roy also offered a free Sharing Nature workshop earlier in the month that was well attended by 17 local educators, including a number from Wild Things! One outcome was that Ada Valeria came forward to apprentice with Roy. This will ensure skills are passed on and Roy will have help delivering a summer programme of events.
With the fine weather the regular monthly work parties have also been well attended – during the winter there were surprisingly few people who came along to these worthwhile educational and community-building events. Two of note were tree planting on the southern edge of Wilkies Wood, where blown pines had been removed in the winter by Kajedo, our Land Manager, and small Scots Pines were transplanted from elsewhere in the woods; and the other was a productive team that helped in the Woodland Garden, some on the new adopt a plot scheme that Draeyk has put in place. 
FHT trustees have moved forward on two significant developments during this period. We have a change in green burial rates/way forward for this important part of the trust (also see Laura Shreenan’s article on the environmental impact of these burials), and have also decided to employ Laura from May to September in the position of Chair Support. Laura will help with the conscious, significant structural change FHT is going through as I step down as Chair in September, and how the charity is going to continue well into the future in a sustainable and resilient way. There will be more no doubt to say about this in the next newsletter, as with the prospective new trustees that should be joining the board this month.
There’s so much more I could talk about: the final landscaping and completion of the new sanctuary – see the story on FHT’s involvement; another successful Maypole dancing and ceremony event on the Green Burial area, led by Draeyk and attended by over 90 people as part of the community-wide Mayday celebration; progress with the land transfers from Duneland Ltd and the Findhorn Foundation, which are well on their way; and the printing of green burial folders which now have legacy information included. But suffice it to say that we are busy and thriving as your local charity custodians who care for and help people connect and learn from the land.
Jonathan Caddy
FHT Chair
11th May 2025
Chair’s Report – Spring/Summer 2025
As I write it’s only May and yet it feels like summer is already upon us, with so many sunny days, warmth in the air and the trees, plants, birds, bees and other creatures making hay whilst the sun shines! We could do with rain because of the mounting fire risk but I am sure it will come all in its good time.
Jonathan Caddy, beekeeper and chair of FHT
FHT apiary bees are happy with nine out of 11 hives having made it through the winter, most now with strongly laying queens. We started weekly inspections at the end of April and have a few more people joining our core team of Martin Harker, John Willoner and I. It’s so important to pass on both our knowledge and enthusiasm so that future generations can learn and enjoy the gentle and rewarding art of beekeeping. Thank you to new member Mathijs, as well as Amanda, Goran and others, for stepping up to the mark. Great also to have visiting Gina Pattison and her son and daughter join the first inspection – read what they thought about the experience.
With the fine weather the regular monthly work parties have also been well attended – during the winter there were surprisingly few people who came along to these worthwhile educational and community-building events. Two of note were tree planting on the southern edge of Wilkies Wood, where blown pines had been removed in the winter by Kajedo, our Land Manager, and small Scots Pines were transplanted from elsewhere in the woods; and the other was a productive team that helped in the Woodland Garden, some on the new adopt a plot scheme that Draeyk has put in place.
FHT trustees have moved forward on two significant developments during this period. We have a change in green burial rates/way forward for this important part of the trust (also see Laura Shreenan’s article on the environmental impact of these burials), and have also decided to employ Laura from May to September in the position of Chair Support. Laura will help with the conscious, significant structural change FHT is going through as I step down as Chair in September, and how the charity is going to continue well into the future in a sustainable and resilient way. There will be more no doubt to say about this in the next newsletter, as with the prospective new trustees that should be joining the board this month.
Jonathan Caddy
FHT Chair
11th May 2025