Ticket Gone,
Clear on Deer - John Muir Trust?
- Thread starter bladesman
- Start date
Caberfeidh
Well-Known Member
Any feedback on this event, how did you find it?
Hi There Caberfeidh,
Apologies for taking this long to get back.
The film was ok and had bits of interest in it, but I think it was very much a case of "whoever gets the first word in must be right Ok " format.
Before the film started there was a JMT staff member introducing the staff present at the front and a bit of background to the film and film maker. This went on for too long I would say and possibly delaying the Q & A time at the end.
There was another spiel from the chap at the end and the Q & A session was limited.
A chap sitting along from me who I know well, said during the questions session that their film was five minutes short, as it never had any input from the grass roots people that would be affected by their (JMT's) desire to cull deer to very low levels in an attempt to create their "vision" for the areas they "manage". No mention of 2nd and 3rd generation stalkers/ Ghillies/ who in all likelihood would suffer along with the estates, shops, hotels and other services.
This I think was agreed by a lot of the folk present who actively work on the land, but were not seen as a priority by the JMT hence nothing being included, which I think they knew fine and deliberately avoided. (get their view in first and to hell with everyone else).
I struggled at times to hear some folk speaking, it seems to be a modern thing that folk bloody whisper and forget they are in a room addressing folk, and missed some of the questions but I was filled in by one or two I spoke to later.
There seemed to be an extraordinary number of student'y (spelling
)types whom I assumed worked for the JMT and in total there would have been 40-50 folk in total there.
After the session ended I spoke with one of the JMT staff and said I fully understood where they were coming from but when they go culling on open hill/ no boundaries ground, their actions can and will have serious repercussions to their neighbours and they did not seem to give a fig about it.
Not much he could say apart from the same old statements.
I also asked why no showing in Sutherland??? and that they missed a trick by not showing it in Inverness as well. Some excuse about venues and organisation.
Interesting also that the meeting was recorded and we were told that if we spoke and we didn't want what we said recorded we would have to say we didn't want it recorded.
Aye exactly!!! Were they hoping for a bit of a shouting match or a bit of stand up comedy.
I will leave you to draw your own conclusions about that.
Did I leave a donation ?
Not a chance
Cheers
Apologies for taking this long to get back.
The film was ok and had bits of interest in it, but I think it was very much a case of "whoever gets the first word in must be right Ok " format.
Before the film started there was a JMT staff member introducing the staff present at the front and a bit of background to the film and film maker. This went on for too long I would say and possibly delaying the Q & A time at the end.
There was another spiel from the chap at the end and the Q & A session was limited.
A chap sitting along from me who I know well, said during the questions session that their film was five minutes short, as it never had any input from the grass roots people that would be affected by their (JMT's) desire to cull deer to very low levels in an attempt to create their "vision" for the areas they "manage". No mention of 2nd and 3rd generation stalkers/ Ghillies/ who in all likelihood would suffer along with the estates, shops, hotels and other services.
This I think was agreed by a lot of the folk present who actively work on the land, but were not seen as a priority by the JMT hence nothing being included, which I think they knew fine and deliberately avoided. (get their view in first and to hell with everyone else).
I struggled at times to hear some folk speaking, it seems to be a modern thing that folk bloody whisper and forget they are in a room addressing folk, and missed some of the questions but I was filled in by one or two I spoke to later.
There seemed to be an extraordinary number of student'y (spelling
)types whom I assumed worked for the JMT and in total there would have been 40-50 folk in total there.After the session ended I spoke with one of the JMT staff and said I fully understood where they were coming from but when they go culling on open hill/ no boundaries ground, their actions can and will have serious repercussions to their neighbours and they did not seem to give a fig about it.
Not much he could say apart from the same old statements.
I also asked why no showing in Sutherland??? and that they missed a trick by not showing it in Inverness as well. Some excuse about venues and organisation.
Interesting also that the meeting was recorded and we were told that if we spoke and we didn't want what we said recorded we would have to say we didn't want it recorded.
Aye exactly!!! Were they hoping for a bit of a shouting match or a bit of stand up comedy.
I will leave you to draw your own conclusions about that.
Did I leave a donation ?
Not a chance
Cheers
Caberfeidh
Well-Known Member
No problem tattie, thanks for the feedback.Hi There Caberfeidh,
Apologies for taking this long to get back.
The film was ok and had bits of interest in it, but I think it was very much a case of "whoever gets the first word in must be right Ok " format.
Before the film started there was a JMT staff member introducing the staff present at the front and a bit of background to the film and film maker. This went on for too long I would say and possibly delaying the Q & A time at the end.
There was another spiel from the chap at the end and the Q & A session was limited.
A chap sitting along from me who I know well, said during the questions session that their film was five minutes short, as it never had any input from the grass roots people that would be affected by their (JMT's) desire to cull deer to very low levels in an attempt to create their "vision" for the areas they "manage". No mention of 2nd and 3rd generation stalkers/ Ghillies/ who in all likelihood would suffer along with the estates, shops, hotels and other services.
This I think was agreed by a lot of the folk present who actively work on the land, but were not seen as a priority by the JMT hence nothing being included, which I think they knew fine and deliberately avoided. (get their view in first and to hell with everyone else).
I struggled at times to hear some folk speaking, it seems to be a modern thing that folk bloody whisper and forget they are in a room addressing folk, and missed some of the questions but I was filled in by one or two I spoke to later.
There seemed to be an extraordinary number of student'y (spelling
After the session ended I spoke with one of the JMT staff and said I fully understood where they were coming from but when they go culling on open hill/ no boundaries ground, their actions can and will have serious repercussions to their neighbours and they did not seem to give a fig about it.
Not much he could say apart from the same old statements.
I also asked why no showing in Sutherland??? and that they missed a trick by not showing it in Inverness as well. Some excuse about venues and organisation.
Interesting also that the meeting was recorded and we were told that if we spoke and we didn't want what we said recorded we would have to say we didn't want it recorded.
Aye exactly!!! Were they hoping for a bit of a shouting match or a bit of stand up comedy.
I will leave you to draw your own conclusions about that.
Did I leave a donation ?
Not a chance
Cheers
No surprises then, it sounds as if people’s expectations relating to them looking for support to assist in pushing their agenda came to fruition. More or less what I expected.
I believe that the JMT have people working for them in Lochinver who, in my opinion, could’ve arranged a venue, probably a bit concerned in regards questioning about a certain stag wounding incident earlier in the year. They don’t appear to have many fans here in Assynt.
Thanks again for the feedback.
Caberfeidh
Well-Known Member
Yep, saw the above article in the Times yesterday.....funny that the trustees didn't seem to know what was/is going on! Still, as ever in the world of "conservation", I'm sure it'll all become clear at some date in the future - along with some more pleas for funds to continue their wonderful work!
Having just been up in Sutherland, I was interested to hear the JMT is held in such disdain.....
Having just been up in Sutherland, I was interested to hear the JMT is held in such disdain.....
Caberfeidh
Well-Known Member
It’s not just Sutherland, Gamekeepers/Deer Managers that hold the JMT in such disdain, people that don’t croft, stalk or fish freshwater have a distaste for the JMT and quite severe in some cases and it appears to be because of their attitude towards deer.
i wonder what the late John Muir himself would make of this attitude of deer out & trees in ?
i haven't read up on the guy or know his ideals.....
just curious as to how this lot aren't striving 3for a balance and accepting some level of damage to young trees etc.... just seems to be a zero tolerance kind attitude
Paul
i haven't read up on the guy or know his ideals.....
just curious as to how this lot aren't striving 3for a balance and accepting some level of damage to young trees etc.... just seems to be a zero tolerance kind attitude
Paul
Caberfeidh
Well-Known Member
I read up on John Muir sometime ago and can only recall small snippets of information.
If I remember correctly, he felt the greatest threat to the areas that were very close to his heart (Yosemite and Sierra) came from domesticated livestock - with sheep being the worst offender, which, I think, he referred to as ‘hoofed locusts’. Strange how Assynt has a lot of common grazing for sheep and cattle, yet the Trust appears to target deer.
Again as I recall, John Muir starting associating with someone by the surname Pinchot, who eventually became the head of the ‘United States Forest Service’, his view was that ’forestry is tree farming‘, and as such wanted to manage the countries natural resources as a long-term sustainable commercial enterprise. Pinochet’s views clashed with that of John Muir, and the association lasted around a year as Muir viewed nature more as being spiritual and having transcendental qualities.
Thinking about it now, it appears the JMT preaches conservation whilst having the views of Pinchot……….the reason why Muir ended their association.
More trouble at t' Mill for the JMT apparently.....
It has been highlighted in the press and by Andy Wightman that the JMT have dished out redundancy notices to a third of their staff - apparently a rather large shortage of money has been discovered.
Maybe if they'd tried working with people rather than pis*ing them off, they would get on bit better!
It has been highlighted in the press and by Andy Wightman that the JMT have dished out redundancy notices to a third of their staff - apparently a rather large shortage of money has been discovered.
Maybe if they'd tried working with people rather than pis*ing them off, they would get on bit better!
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