A GROUP of volunteers from the Argyll and the Isles Coast and Countryside Trust (ACT Argyll) has been lending a hand in Helensburgh to keep the town's much-admired street trees healthy over the winter.

The ACT Argyll team has undertaken a range of maintenance tasks to many of the town's street trees over the past few months which would otherwise have been left unkept, risking damage to the trees and even the loss of some examples.

They've been working with the Helensburgh Tree Conservation Trust (HTCT) on jobs including clearing of vegetation inside the narrow cages protecting many of the more recently-planted trees in the town without having to remove, dismantle and reassemble the cages themselves.

READ MORE: Tree planting ceremony marks Helensburgh community award

The ACT team also lent a hand with other tasks HTCT's own members and volunteers have struggled to undertake on their own, including mulching, removal and replacement of stakes and ties, fitting of strimmer guards on trees without cages, and pruning.

ACT Argyll trainee Robert Hart said: “Working with the Helensburgh Tree Conservation Trust was an experience that was both enjoyable and invaluable.

"From re-edging the base and laying fresh mulch to adjusting cages for access, the importance of protecting these trees from harm became clear, helping to provide access down the line without damage to the trees.

READ MORE: Helensburgh's trees added to Scotland's national collection

"We have pride in knowing that we have contributed to preserving the environment.”

The team's work on Helensburgh's trees is not the first local environmental project on which ACT Argyll has lent a hand: in the summer of 2018 they helped to weed and tidy up some of the flower beds in Colquhoun Square at the invitation of Helensburgh Community Council, and earlier this winter they also cleared undergrowth and carried out maintenance work at the Clachan Glen in Rosneath.

READ MORE: Environment team gets in on the ACT in Rosneath

ACT Argyll, an initiative hosted by the Argyll and the Isles Coast and Countryside Trust, is an environmental works project with a focus on improving Argyll’s natural and social environment.

The project is funded by the Scottish Government’s ‘social economic growth fund’ and has funded support until October 2019.

READ MORE: ACT Argyll helps look after Helensburgh flower beds

A spokesman for HTCT said: "The work undertaken by ACT to help maintain and enhance the trees has been a major contribution to the town and to the community.”