Tree planting

Fires are a huge problem on Madeira and in the Canary Islands and there was devastation in the summer of 2010 when hundreds of acres of forest were lost.

Projects exist to replant the native Laurisilva forests and I was privileged to be invited to join the local conservation volunteers to work up near to the third highest peak, Pico de Arreiro.

The hotel where I have my timeshare apartment are sponsors and my blip is of the group photo just after our wonderful rustic lunch.

I was exhausted, heaving boulders, collecting bracken, all over terrain with stumps of felled burnt trees.

The highlight for me as I felt I could make some small contribution.

Tonight I will be eating a steak cooked on a genuine laurel skewer. Without guilt, as I helped plant 400 of the trees :-)