Members of the 1st Caithness 1st Wick Cubs and Scouts were invited to Stanstill Forest at Hastigrow by Forestry Commission forester Stephen Fraser to lend a hand in brightening up the edge of the coniferous forest with downy birch, ash, common alder and wild cherry.

The fun day got off to an informative start with Stephen explaining the usefulness of trees, their place in the ecosystem and their all-important carbon-fixing qualities.

The trees for the planting were already on site and "hidden" in temporary planting holes on the edge of the forest and the youngsters had great fun hunting for them amongst the grass and vegetation.

The Scouts and Cubs were split into teams of two for the planting. Each of the trees needed protection from deer so they had a protective tube placed over them.

Stephen said: "It was great to see the children really getting into it... they really started to make a good job of the planting after their first few trees.

Hard at work, the Cubs and Scouts plant a variety of trees at the edge of Stanstill Forest.

"There are definitely some budding foresters amongst them."

After about an hour of planting the Scouts and Cubs were invited to share a barbecue with venison and veggie burgers and hot chocolate. After this break it was back to the tree-planting until the light started to go.

Stephen added: "It will take 40 years for most of these trees to reach a mature height but it will be something the Cubs and Scouts of Wick will be able to appreciate every time they go past Stanstill Forest."

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