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Trees for Life Woodland Services continues to grow from strength to strength. Despite the current situation, we have found that there is still a strong appetite among landowners to progress woodland restoration plans. We have been able to take advantage of any additional time in the office to progress Forestry Grant Scheme applications and continue to improve our project management systems. We are certainly still busy!
Our clients have been fantastic, remaining enthusiastic and embracing productive virtual meetings. The same is true for other organisations we work with, such as Scottish Forestry, which allows us to move projects onto the next step. As a team we are adopting new, greener working practices which we will take forward with us, as the situation recovers.
Springing forward with a new landscape scale project
We are excited to be starting work on a significant new project with landowners in Wester Ross. We are facilitating a scoping study on behalf of landowners in the area, funded by Scottish Forestry. The study will explore opportunities for landscape scale woodland creation and collaborative deer management between adjoining estates and individual landowners.
The study will consider how people could work together to establish new woodlands which would link directly across ownership boundaries to connect existing native woodlands. These woodlands include beautiful Caledonian pine, upland birch, oak and hazel which have high conservation status but are currently isolated and vulnerable to loss. The development of strong habitat networks across the landscape would lead to more resilient woodlands. And, would ensure species could move through the landscape and extend their range in the future. Such as red squirrels recently reintroduced to the area by Trees for Life.
Working together at a landscape scale is a rare opportunity and one which provides many potential benefits for nature and people. The reduced need for fencing can significantly reduce the costs of woodland establishment. It can also lessen visual impact, particularly important in a National Scenic Area where there is relatively little human infrastructure. There are pockets of remnant woodland scattered across the hills and crags within this landscape. By entirely enclosing and protecting hill summits, regeneration from this remnant seed source can enable a natural tree line to develop. Natural processes can start and shape recovery.
Protecting this particular landscape would allow an incredibly important recovery to start. This isn’t just about woodland cover. The cumulative nutrient depletion which the area has seen for centuries could be halted and reversed. A reduction in herbivore pressure would enable a varied mosaic of woodland, scrub and open habitats to develop and flourish over time. The condition of the rivers and lochs would be improved, as increased woodland cover reduces the acidification of watercourses and soils through increased leaf litter input. The leaching and erosion of soils would be reduced and the condition of bog habitat would improve, ensuring the effective retention of carbon. Ultimately, ecosystem functionality could be restored, creating a vibrant, diverse and rich landscape.
The project relies on the willingness of the landowners and organisations involved to work together and communicate effectively. Although we share a vision for a more ecologically resilient landscape, there are still multiple land use objectives to meet and balance and this can be challenging. This scoping study will identify the ways in which working together could enable us to collectively create a revived, more diverse landscape. This could benefit not just those directly involved but also the wider local population. As is happening elsewhere in Scotland, ecological restoration projects can form an attraction for visitors and create a beautiful and restorative landscape for recreational activities. These projects can, and should, reflect and enhance local identity. We are excited to see how this one progresses.