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Big Tree Country Award Winners Announced

01/11/2011
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Big Tree Country Award Winners The winners of the Perth & Kinross Countryside Trust (PKCT), Big Tree Country Awards have been announced at a ceremony in The Gleneagles Hotel. The awards took place on Sunday (31 October), celebrating the interesting and innovative ways in which people throughout Perth & Kinross are engaging with Perthshire’s woodland heritage.

The three categories of Education, Community and Local Business were won by Blackford Primary School, Highland Perthshire Community Interest Company, Gilmore House, Blairgowrie (Small Business) and The Gleneagles Hotel (Large Business) respectively.

Perth & Kinross Countryside Trust Chairman, Bob Ellis, said:
“As this year has been designated the International Year of the Forest, we chose the theme Trees Matter for this year’s Big Tree Country Awards. We were thrilled with the quality of applications we received. The winning projects perfectly captured the awards theme, demonstrating devotion and enthusiasm to our local environment.”

Blackford Primary School has shown a total commitment to integrating outdoor active learning through the Forest School Programme. Highland Perthshire Community Interest Company are responsible for the successful not for profit management of the multi-ward winning Enchanted Forest event. Jill Merrouche of Gilmore House, Blairgowrie is a true modern ambassador for Perthshire Big Tree Country, particularly in her use of social media and blogs to promote the area, and The Gleneagles Hotel ‘Supporting Big Tree Country’ scheme is a great example of how a tourism business can help guests give something back to the local area. To date the generosity of guests and exceptional additional fundraising by staff has raised a staggering £120,000 to helping enhance and maintain Big Tree Country for the benefit of visitors – and for the people who live and work across Perthshire.

The awards were presented by Dr Kenny Taylor, wildlife writer and broadcaster who said: “These projects are inspirational. It’s great to see such a wide range of people, including schoolchildren, taking innovative steps to benefit trees, communities and wildlife.”

Highly commended certificates went to Goodlyburn Primary School and The Woodland Trust Scotland for Moncreiffe Hill.

The awards were designed and hand carved by PKCT Project Officer Robbie Gordon and entrants were piped in by PKC Greenspace Ranger, Fergus Cook.