Portlethen Moss Conservation Group urgently need volunteers to help them plant over 2000 trees this month in what is set to become a community woodland for the town. The site, near Downies, is intended to help replace the trees that were lost during the building of the new Portlethen Academy.

Two community planting sessions are to be held tomorrow (Saturday) and March 27, running from 10am to 3pm each day, and chairman of the group, Denise Martin, is urging local residents to join in the fun and get digging.

She said: "The site at the minute looks great as the earthworks have started and a huge amphitheatre had been cut out - it's all very exciting. If people do want to come along they can phone the Aberdeenshire Council Ranger on 01569 768292 so we know how many folk are coming and how many spades we need.

"If people have their own spades and want to just turn up that would be great too. We would welcome any contribution, people can stay for as long or as little as they want, we just hope that we have a good turnout on the day! The more the merrier."

Mrs Martin added: "It is so exciting to be at this stage after so long and I just can't wait to start planting the trees. We've spoken about it, exhibited the plans, shown people what we are going to be doing on paper and people start to think it is never going to happen.

"It is a very community spirited project - when we have done similar things in the past everybody gets on really well and has fun, and they will be able to come back and see the fruits of their labour in the future."

Every school child in the town is also going to have the chance to get involved and plant a tree. Portlethen Moss Conservation Group was formed in 2004 and over the years has made improvements to the Moss with a number of other initiatives to improve amenity and biodiversity in and around Portlethen.

Support for the project - which has received funding from Forestry Commission Scotland - has come from across Aberdeenshire Council's services, including rangers and landscape services.

And there was more good news for the group recently, as the Kincardine and Mearns area committee approved funding of more than £3,500 from the council's Top Up Budget.

The Portlethen Moss group had previously applied for funding in 2008/09 but were not in a position to draw money as no work had started on the project and no invoices could be produced.

The money will go towards enabling landscaping and path construction to take place at the Community Woodland Park. The total cost of the project is over £22,000 but the group have also managed to secure funding from the Government Rural Development fund and local energy company Talisman.

Mrs Martin said: "We are absolutely delighted with the funding. We have been struggling to get money for a path across the railway bridge and it has to be put in place for health and safety reasons. We have been looking at various options to get the money, so this funding will hopefully go towards that. It takes a weight off my mind, everything is finally falling into place.

"Without all our funding and support none of this would have happened and although we are the group that is leading it, we are just part of a group of groups working together. We are very fortunate that we have had support from Aberdeenshire Council, the Forestry Commission and Talisman from the beginning and that we are able to see it through to the end."