This year marks the 30th anniversary of Trees for Life as a charity. It was a wonderful moment when our Founder, Alan Watson Featherstone, led the opening ceremony of the Dundreggan Rewilding Centre in April. Without Alan's vision and determination, Trees for Life would not exist, and we wouldn't have Dundreggan to share with you. The Centre is now fully open for day visits or longer stays, with new purpose-built accommodation. We invite you to come and visit us; a warm welcome awaits.
Alan founded Trees for Life with a great vision to 'Restore the Caledonian forest', and many articles in this edition of Caledonia Wild focus on our approach to forest restoration. James Rainey explores how trees existed without human intervention for millions of years. He underlines Trees for Life's shift in focus to the 'wild trees' still surviving in the landscape, viewing them as the source for restoring the Caledonian forest while maintaining genetic diversity.
While some tree species naturally regenerate, others need assistance. Jill Hodge demonstrates how our tree nursery at Dundreggan concentrates on rare and hard-to-grow species like aspen, which don't readily produce seeds in nature. Additionally, she highlights the 'wee' trees that should grow in the mountainous regions but have almost disappeared.
We aim to do more for these rare species and are seeking donations to support a new volunteer-led tree seed collection project. This initiative will aid us and Woodland Trust Scotland in gathering seeds from trees near the areas where planting is necessary, thus maintaining diversity and providing assistance where natural regeneration is not possible. Your contribution to this appeal would be greatly appreciated.
The return of keystone species plays a significant role in rewilding the Scottish Highlands. Alan McDonnell details our ongoing efforts to bring beavers back to Glen Affric, and Becky Priestley provides an update on the Lynx to Scotland project. We believe Glen Affric would make a thriving habitat for beavers, and the Scottish Highlands could accommodate several hundred lynx. The main hurdle is addressing concerns about coexisting with wild nature.
The human reluctance to coexist with nature and embrace diversity often impedes rewilding. We hope the articles in this edition of Caledonia Wild will illustrate how we can overcome these challenges.