[djma] DJMA Newsletter #7

Welcome to latest issue of the DJMA newsletter. This is number 7 in the series and by rights should have been the Autumn/Winter edition. Alas, relying wholly on volunteer effort means that occasionally deadlines slip. For that I apologise. It is certainly not the case that publication of the newsletter was delayed because there was no news. If anything it is quite the reverse. So, this will be a bumper edition as there is plenty to report upon.

As ever I am grateful to the contributors and due to their efforts I am sure that you will find this edition interesting. The scope and scale of the efforts that DJMA and its partners in the John Muir Centre Project have expended in promoting and pursuing the concept of the 'Wild rocks, Sea and Sky' project will, I hope, be apparent. DJMA are very grateful for the support it receives from not just our partners in this project but also from individuals and local voluntary groups that are helping towards the ultimate goal of the Centre.

The Spring Newsletter also brings news about the John Muir Birthday celebrations. The past two celebrations have been a tremendous success and we hope to match these again this year. Such events help to reiterate Muir's principles on the absolute need for environmental respons-ibility and sustainability, and DJMA will continue to strive to leave our planet in safer hands for future generations.

As ever, DJMA would be delighted to hear from potential volunteers to help towards its goals. Please contact any Council Member if you would like to get involved in any way. Ed.

Millennium Bid Update

Rather less than three years ago, the John Muir Trust called the people of Dunbar to an open meeting to consider the possibility of promoting an environment centre in the town, to be named after the great pioneer environmentalist who had lived there for the first eleven years of his eventful life. As a result, late that summer, Dunbar's John Muir Association was born.

A winter of activity followed for DJMA - slide shows, coffee mornings, an exhibition in Dunbar Spring 1997

Library, and conservation work and a sponsored walk in the John Muir Country Park. At the same time, a prospectus was devised, and discussed with potential supporters for THE JOHN MUIR CENTRE, DUNBAR:

"Muir's life story will be the springboard for entertaining exhibitions and experiences (both virtual, exploring the wild places of the world, and real, simple hands-on demonstrations) geared to the 3rd millennium, attracting young and old alike. Staff of the Centre, in their search for effective new methods of Environmental Education, will be helped by visiting educationalists and research workers. The Centre, built to exemplify wise use of resources, will have many facilities in addition to exhibitions and experiences: space for debates, a meeting-place and shop-window for Scotland's conservation movement, an East Coast Environmental Gateway, and perhaps a public access point for East Lothian's Countryside Rangers"

In March, 1995, the Association put this proposal to the Millennium Commission and received an application pack for the first round of funding. Answers were not available to many of its questions, but the Commissioners said "answer what you can". A hectic month of effort resulted in an application by the deadline, and in June 1995 the project was placed on the Commission's B list - to the astonishment of professionals in the field. At the end of August, B-listed applicants were notified of the next deadline - early November 1995, by which time they were expected to submit a revised application showing substantial progress and warned that failure to do so would count against any bid they might later submit in the second round. The deadline was met using a professional 'scoping report' very generously funded by a private benefactor. But the project, whose estimated cost was £5 million, was not selected for detailed appraisal.

In April 1996 one of the Commissioners visited Dunbar and discussed the aims and methods of the Millennium Commission with the Association and with the public-sector organisations which had recently become its partners in the John Muir Centre Management Group - Scottish Natural Heritage, East Lothian Council and Lothian & Edinburgh Enterprise Limited (LEEL). It was made clear by the Commissioner that DJMA's aspirations had to be without unwarranted projections and attuned to financial realism, a view also held by the partners. Not only the capital costs but also the RUNNING COSTS of the Centre would be many times as large as anything DJMA has had management of to date. In effect major changes had to be made to the proposal if there was to be any likelihood of the project being funded. So, at the beginning of June 1996 the Management Group appointed consultants for a feasibility study to establish the scale, location and type of project which was LIKELY TO BE FINANCIALLY SELF-SUSTAINING in the longer term. Each of the partners, including DJMA, contributed several thousand pounds towards the fees - the Association is again grateful for very generous donations from members and benefactors. The consultants concluded that a centre on the cliff-top near the Leisure Pool, with interesting and entertaining interactive exhibits and modest cafe facilities, could attract about 35,000 visitors annually and would not be dependent on the public sector for its running costs. A possible design was suggested, with a total estimated cost of £2 million.

Still working on the principle 'nothing ventured, nothing gained', DJMA and its partners resolved that the proposed site should be chosen, and the Centre planned and constructed in a way that would enable developments to be made at a later date in accord with the Association's original intentions, should this first stage 'core' prove as successful as we hope and expect. The consultants had reported on 30 August 1996, just 16 days before the Millennium Commission required proposals for its third, and probably final, round. With very substantial financial and willing support from LEEL, further consultants (Brendan Quayle Productions) took the feasibility study and all the previous work by DJMA and created the full application document which went to the Commission on 11 November 1996 as WILD ROCKS, SEA AND SKY - THE JOHN MUIR PROJECT. Details of the Application were on show to the public in the Association's Exhibition in Dunbar Library during January 1997.

On 4 February 1997 the Commission published its findings on the 1011 third-round applications. About 85 percent of them were totally rejected. From Scotland, 8 were long-listed for detailed appraisal and review, and 3 were put on a short "reserve" list. Dependent on the amount of grant eventually awarded to those projects that have been long-listed, projects on the reserve list could be considered again towards the end of the year. THIS RESERVE LIST INCLUDES 'Wild Rocks, Sea and Sky'. While not wishing harm to those projects already long-listed by the Millennium Commission - DJMA congratulates them - the Association now has to hope that its turn will come. It will not be without problems. Even with help from the Millennium Commission and support from the partners, it is likely that DJMA will have to raise matching funds of about £250,000.

National Launch of John Muir Award Scheme

Representatives from DJMA were invited to participate in the Public Launch of the John Muir Award Scheme on Wednesday 26th February, 1997, at Dunbar Leisure Pool.. There were many exhibits from organisations who had piloted and/or supported the John Muir Award since its inception in June last year [see Newsletter #6]. DJMA, for example, had arranged for details of the Award and for some of the work that pupils of Dunbar Primary School had undertaken under the scheme to be included in the DJMA web site. See: http://www.cs.strath.ac.uk/Contrib/JMC/JMT/JMAward/index.html for further details.

Nigel Hawkins, Director of the John Muir Trust, writes:.
"The close links between the John Muir Trust and Dunbar's John Muir Association were further cemented - and celebrated - with the very successful national launch in Dunbar of the Trust's John Muir Awards.

The awards - which are creating for themselves a special place in the environmental field - add a complete new dimension to the work of the Trust adding to our vital task of being guardian of our four estates with their superb wild landscapes in the Highlands and Islands.

Aimed at encouraging people to appreciate and understand the value of the world's wild places, the awards are helping to bring John Muir's message to wider audiences in this country. And this in turn is increasing awareness that Dunbar was the place where the young John Muir developed his love of the wild.

It was therefore very appropriate that the John Muir Awards should be launched by Lord Lindsay, Scottish Office Environment Minister and a group of young people from Dunbar Primary School, treading in the footsteps of John Muir and exploring rock pools on the beach at Dunbar. And all in front of the BBC cameras.

Lord Lindsay highlighted the fact that less than one per cent of young people are actively involved in conservation. "The ultimate aim of the John Muir Awards is to increase this to engage the majority of young Scots and I very much hope the next step will be to expand the range of the scheme to the whole of Britain", he said.

This is good news for Dunbar. As more people become aware of John Muir's work and vision, there will be real appreciation of the achievement of Dunbar's famous son and more people will want to come to Dunbar to learn about his life and work.

This fits in so well with the aspirations of the DJMA who have worked hard to increase knowledge and understanding of the importance of John Muir's life and work and the relevance of his message to the world today.

The John Muir Trust was delighted to further strengthen our links with Dunbar and with DJMA through the launch of the award. We hope this will help the association to bring to reality its inspirational plans for explaining and presenting John Muir's world in the proposed centre looking out at the very rocks and seashore which fashioned the young man who was to become one of the world's great heroes."

DJMA Helps Local Schools to Secure £1000 Grant

On January 13th, 1997, representatives from Dunbar Primary School and its PTA, DJMA, and Alan Blackie - ELC Director of Education, met with Lindy McKeown from Australia. Lindy is the project coordinator for the Australian end of an education initiative known as newIMAGES. newIMAGES was initiated to mark 50 years of the British Council's presence in Australia. Lindy had originally come to hear about the John Muir Centre project via the WWW and, consequently, arranged to meet with us in Dunbar to explore the possibility of a collaborative project.

As a result of this meeting a project entitled 'Wild Things, Wild Places' was proposed and we are very grateful to the British Council in Scotland for awarding a £1,000 grant to the Department of Education and Community Services of East Lothian Council in support of the project. This grant is to be used to enhance Internet facilities and part-cover telephone costs in various primary schools which feed Dunbar Grammar School. At present, DJMA's Internet correspondent, Duncan Smeed of Strathclyde University, is coordinating this project on a voluntary basis.

Brief details of the project are given below. A fuller report will appear in the next Newsletter.

DJMA Coordinates Bid for Rural Challenge Fund

On Wednesday, 19th March, representatives from other local organisations and East Lothian Council met with DJMA in the Dunbar Initiative Office. The aim of the meeting was to see if there was enough interest and common ground for local organisations to submit a joint application to the Rural Challenge Fund. Two, complementary, suggestions were put forward.

The first suggestion was to bid for funding for the upgrading of the booklet 'John Muir's Dunbar' and the preparation and production of plaques and information points to mark the Dunbar Town Trail contained in the booklet. It was felt that this would be of benefit to the tourist trade and to the natural heritage of Dunbar.

The second suggestion was to bid for a grant to employ and resource someone to establish Dunbar, and its local community, as a major presence on the World Wide Web. This could be achieved in the course of a one year appointment by advising, and actively helping, local voluntary organisations to exploit the massive potential of the World Wide Web in terms of the opportunities for tourism, local business, education, community groups, etc. The ultimate goal would be to transfer knowledge and expertise to the local community so that by the end of the grant period, the project would become self-sustaining. In actual fact Newsletter #6 hinted at this sort of development in relation to the Virtual John Muir Centre.

There was enthusiastic support for both suggestions as they were seen to be complementary. However, the fact that the bid had to be submitted by the end of March effectively precluded the more ambitious second suggestion as there it was felt that there was not enough time to prepare a proper submission. Accordingly, the first suggestion will, in all likelihood, be the one submitted this time.

There was also agreement that the second idea should be pursued, as there could be other grant-awarding bodies that might consider such a submission, rather than waiting for another year until the next round of the Rural Challenge Fund. Please bring this to the attention of any local groups that might be interested in participating. The enclosed response form can be used to register interest.

Update on Past Events

Yosemite and The Yosemite Institute

Michael Rafaelli of the Yosemite Institute in California visited East Lothian in the first two weeks of December. Michael's visit came about as a result of Alan Blackie's trip to California earlier in the year (see the item on the forthcoming DJMA Spring Gathering on 15th April) and virtually (no pun intended!) all the arrangements for his visit were made via e-mail. On the evening of 12 December, in Dunbar Primary School, Michael presented a slide show on Yosemite and talked of the work of the Yosemite Institute. Thirty members and guests of DJMA attended the event and it was very well received especially as Michael's knowledge and enthusiasm of Yosemite, and for John Muir's work, was very apparent. Michael finished his talk by extending an invitation for anyone visiting Yosemite to 'look him up'.

During his stay in East Lothian Michael visited a number of schools throughout the county and Bobby Anderson - the County Ranger at John Muir Country Park, plus others from East Lothian Council's Community Services and Education Department - kept Michael busy. It wasn't all work and no play, however, as we hear that Bobby took Michael skiing in the Lammermuirs!

DJMA Exhibition '97

DJMA's annual exhibition was again held in the Gibb Room at Dunbar Library. The major theme of the exhibition was the Millennium Commission applic-ation 'Wild rocks, Sea and Sky - the John Muir Project'. The exhibition was open between 6th and 25th January and Norman Hampshire, the local East Lothian Councillor, formally opened the exhibition on Tuesday 7th January. Mr Hampshire writes:

"In 1996 the partners in this project, DJMA, ELC, LEEL, and SNH, had a major setback to our plans. The Millennium Commission did not approve our application for funding.

At this stage there was a feeling between partners that this was the end of the line for this project. It was Fred Last who arranged a meeting in Dunbar with Lord Dalkeith, Scotland's Commissioner. After this meeting the partners decided to try one more attempt. A small sub-group was formed with representatives from each partner. In a very short timescale, this group produced a package that has certainly excited the officers and Councillors of East Lothian Council. The Council feels this approach is achievable and will provide Dunbar and East Lothian with a superb facility we can afford to support.

I thank the members of the team, Carole Ross, Winifred Sillitto, Fred Last (DJMA), Rob Tinlin (ELC), David Dunn (LEEL) and Alan Leitch (SNH), who in difficult circumstances worked well as a team and provided a superb document that has united the partners and will impress the Commissioners who will hopefully provide the funding for the John Muir Centre." Norman Hampshire

DJMA Burns' Supper

Music composed specially for DJMA was given its premier at the third DJMA Burns' Supper, held on Saturday 18th January, in Our Lady of the Waves Church Hall, Dunbar. Memories of John Muir was written by Peter Aitchison, of West Barns. Mr Aitchison has very kindly presented the copyright of the pipe tune to the Association. It was played on the bagpipes by Allen Angus, North Berwick, who appeared free of charge but for a donation to the East Lothian Messenger, the talking newspaper for the visually impaired. Allen had earlier piped in the haggis, to A Man's a Man for a' That, which was addressed by Mike Williams, well-known farmer from Eaglescairnie Mains, Gifford.

Local solicitor, Alistair Mackie, gave a sparkling rendition of Tam o' Shanter - entirely from memory! Master of Ceremonies for the evening, Grant Bell, Hedderwick Hill, gave the Toast to the Lassies. Then East Lothian Courier 'Dunbar Page' reporter Graham Tibbets, recited a seldom-heard, but relevant Burns' poem Does Haughty Gaul Invasion Threat?

The guests then took to the floor as Graeme Cockburn's band struck up, with Graeme on drums and vocal, daughter Joanna on the piano, and Marion Anderson, from Edinburgh, on accordion. The organiser of the event, Ann Burns (no relation!), thanks Father Albert Gardiner for the use of the excellent facilities, and also all who who contributed to make the evening so enjoyable.

Date for your diary: next year's DJMA Burns' Supper will take place in Our Lady of the Waves Church Hall, on Saturday 17 January 1998. Watch this space!

DJMA/UNICEF Auction and Sale

Thanks to everyone who made this a success, raising over £1,200 to be divided equally between the two organisations.

As promised, the actor Gary Hollywood came over from Glasgow, and was helped by Sandy Wallace from North Berwick Stephen Bunyan recorded the sales and Evelyn Oakeshotte acted as Treasurer. DJMA members Margaret Laidlaw and David Jones bore the brunt of the organisation. They and their team of Unicef supporters have just completed a strenuous year, raising over £2000 from Dunbar to sink a deep well in a Mozambique village in addition to their usual annual target of £3,000 for Unicef's general funds.

Highlights of the 71-item auction were watercolour landscapes donated by DJMA members Carmen Ambrozewich and Christopher Carter, and a painting by Unicef supporter Margaret Ann Gardner of a house which used to grace the Old Harbour. A superb woollen sweater for a 56" chest, knitted in Madison, Wisconsin (where John Muir spent his university days) was a bargain, as were bookends of Dunbar marble polished by Pauline Last.

Among the sale tables, Rita Powdrill's cake stall was mouth-watering. Another table was piled high with books, many of them donated by Susan Butts. Beautifully illustrated catalogues of a dozen recent exhibitions were very generously donated by the Scottish Gallery, an Edinburgh business founded as Aitken Dott's while John Muir was a boy in Dunbar. Coincidentally, the Gallery's current exhibition includes a painting by Carmen Ambrozewich, and its March exhibition will be devoted to paintings by John Busby whose 'Shelduck' design for DJMA T-shirts was the inspiration for this auction.

The prime prize on the raffle table was a pair of 1st-class rail return tickets to London, for which we have to thank GNER.

Part of DJMA's travelling exhibition on John Muir's life and work was on show, as was the illustrated map, John Muir's Dunbar, and some new members joined the Association. Altogether an exhausting but worthwhile event.

Forthcoming Events

DJMA's Spring Gathering

15th April, 1997

Narthex, Dunbar Parish Church

7.30pm - doors open at 7pm

Tea & Coffee

"Why did Daniel Muir leave Dunbar?" - Stephen Bunyan
"What I found in Wisconsin" Katie Jackson
"The most beautiful place in the world" - Alan Blackie
"John Beatty's best slides of Dunbar, 1996"

John Muir Children's Birthday Party

The third John Muir Children's Birthday Party will take place between 1pm and 3.30pm on Saturday 19th April, 1997, in the Splash Leisure Centre, Dunbar. Tickets will be available from Brooke & Brown. Reservations for tickets can be made by post using the enclosed slip, or in person by calling in at Brooke and Brown in the High Street. Tickets will also be on sale at the DJMA Spring Gathering and can also be purchases through members of DJMA Council. Local press and posters will also be used to advertise the event and, as usual, non-members are welcome. As there is a limit on the number of places please book your tickets early if possible.

Muir Day '97

DJMA, in conjunction with Dunbar Primary School, are coordinating a John Muir Day '97 event. Schools worldwide will be invited to participate in this event - the purpose of which is to get the John Muir Day Study guide (or local equivalents) more widely adopted. Coordination of John Muir Day '97 will be done via the Internet and World Wide Web (WWW).

DJMA Conservation Work

Bobby Anderson, the County Ranger, is hoping to be able to offer some conservation work to DJMA members. As yet final details are not known but the work is likely to take place within John Muir Country Park in the second half of April. Please register interest using the response form. Thank you.

DJMA Trip to Bass Rock

DJMA has booked 25 places on Fred Marr's boat leaving North Berwick at 11am on Saturday 31 May 1997. Adult cost eleven pounds. Please use the response form to reserve places.

Scottish Planting Project, Scottish Borders, April 1977

The Chisholm Institute is organising its next planting programme from 31 March to 12 April. They offer accommodation and good food to volunteers, and a location of exceptional natural beauty.

The April planting is 4000 native hardwoods in shelter tubes for a Millennium Forest-assisted scheme.

Because of the short notice they realise it may be unrealistic to expect a large response from DJMA members but they would be pleased if only one or two people were able to participate - for any length of time.

Please contact Robin Thomson of the Chisholm Institute if you are able to help. Tel: 01450 880215. E-mail: nj55@dial.pipex.com

DJMA Newsletter #7

Newsletter No. 7
Spring 1997

Contents

Editorial