James Jones & Sons took part in a Rural Skills Day arranged through Seafield & Strathspey Estates. 100 pupils from Fordyce and Cullen Primary Schools attended the event on Friday and were given a demonstration of all the employment opportunities available in their local area.
The children were split into groups and spent 20 minutes at each demonstration outlined below -
- Farming - A range of farming vehicles throughout the ages were displayed along with livestock.
- Falconry - Two short eared owls, one barn owl, a Harris Hawk and Peregrine Falcon cross.
- Game keepers - Euan, Head Gamekeeper of Seafield Estates, gave a talk on Osprey and Eagles that nest on the estate and some of the bird conservation work they have been involved in. The talk also covered control of wildlife such as foxes and crows.
- Deer management - Another gamekeeper explained why deer management was required.
- Fire Safety - A firefighter took the children around a fire engine and explained all of the equipment.
- Wildlife Protection - Police Scotland gave a talk on bats and their protected status, and provided examples of work they have been involved with such as bird theft and illegal traps.
- Forestry - Caitlin, Forestry Manager of Seafield Estates, gave a talk on her role and covered tree growth, felling and replanting of trees. Duncan Wells, Trainee Harvesting Manager at James Jones & Sons, spoke about the machines that were on display and their use in harvesting operations - the harvester, forwarder and lorry.
Fordyce primary commented "We can't say thank you enough to everyone involved to make this such a fantastic learning experience for our pupils".
