January started slowly but by the 9th most people wre back and ready for our first event, attendance at the Take Time Event in the Queen's Hall.

This is attended by many community groups hoping to get people involved. It matches up organisation or project need with people looking for volunteering opportunities. It was a good day.

Our Deputy Project Manager - Archaeology, Paul Duffy, began with the project on February 20th. He will be half time DBLPS and half time Glasgow University Archaeology Research Division.

On Saturday January 24th, a bitterly cold day, Andy Robinson from the RSPB came over to help us to officially open the Ettrick Bay South bird hide. It was a great day, guided walks, events for children and a 'formal' ceremony saw close on 100 people brave the cold to see what we had built.

The evening of Wednesday January 28th was the launch of the Storytelling Project at the cinema within the Winter Gardens. Our Storytellers, John and Noreen Hamilton and Ian Stephen, provided a super evening of stories to kick off further work. Over the ensuing nine months they will be working with the schools, community groups and indivisuals to research old stories and develop new ones. There will be storytelling training and events.

The 31st, bright and sunny if cold, saw half a dozen Bute Conservation Volunteers turn out to 'pilot' hedge planting before the launch of the community hedge planting events. This was a good day culminating in the eating of 'pie in a roll'.