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New Era For Leading Conservation Charity

Jan 142016

Alan with new CEO, Steve Micklewright.

With thanks to Richard Bunting, Director, Richard Bunting PR.

Thirty years after founding award-winning charity Trees for Life, acclaimed conservationist Alan Watson Featherstone this week stepped down as the organisation’s Executive Director to take up a new role as Founder and Visionary, with Steve Micklewright becoming new Chief Executive Officer.

Alan Watson Featherstone said:

“This marks the beginning of an exciting new era for Trees for Life. I’m delighted to welcome Steve Micklewright as our new Chief Executive Officer, and I look forward to working closely with him to further expand and develop Trees for Life’s work to help restore the Caledonian Forest. It’s also a time to pay tribute to the excellent work of Trees for Life’s present and past staff and thousands of volunteers from all over the world who have done so much to rewild the Highlands.”

In his new role, Alan will have a focus on Trees for Life’s expanding conservation and forest restoration work, as well as liaison with its key partners and donors, and will continue to be the public face of the charity. While no longer responsible for the daily running of the organisation he founded, Alan will remain fully engaged with its work and will stay on its board of directors.

Steve Micklewright, who took up his new role on 4th January, said:

“It’s an honour to join this inspiring and pioneering charity which is making such a difference to Scotland’s wonderful wildlife and wild places – breathing new life into the stunning landscapes of the Highlands and helping to improve the lives of hundreds of people each year through hands-on and rewarding conservation opportunities.”

Steve has worked in nature conservation for over 25 years, most recently as Director of BirdLife Malta and previously for organisations including the Wildlife Trusts, WWF and CPRE (Campaign for the Protection of Rural England). He has placed a strong focus on the benefits of nature for the health and wellbeing of people throughout his career, and has worked on many forestry and woodland conservation projects.

Trees for Life’s story began in 1986 when Alan Watson Featherstone made a commitment during an environmental conference in Findhorn to launch a Caledonian Forest restoration project. Practical activity began in 1989, with tree guards used to protect Scots pine seedlings in Glen Cannich from being eaten by deer. In 1991, volunteers began planting some of the first new trees to grow in the forest for 200 years.

Trees for Life has since grown into a multi award-winning, leading conservation volunteering charity, with a dedicated staff team and thousands of supporters and volunteers.

Its volunteers have helped to plant more than one million trees at dozens of locations, and the charity has pledged to establish one million more trees by planting and natural regeneration by 2018. In 2008, it bought Dundreggan Conservation Estate, a 10,000-acre site and biodiversity hotspot in Glenmoriston to the west of Loch Ness.

Alan has won numerous awards for his work. At the end of 2015 he was awarded an alternative New Year’s honour by The Guardian newspaper in a celebration of the heroes of the year.

Next week, Alan will continue his acclaimed series of lectures with well-known writer and author George Monbiot, with events at the University of Exeter on 14 January and at the University of Plymouth on 15 January. The sold-out Plymouth lecture will be available via live web streaming, with details at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RewildingLiveStream.

The lectures will highlight the benefits of rewilding – the restoration of damaged natural ecosystems, and the return of keystone species.

People can support Trees for Life by becoming a member, carrying out conservation action, sponsoring trees for special occasions or sponsoring an acre of native forest. See www.treesforlife.org.uk.

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Rewilding Scotland And Tackling Climate Change

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Dec 082015

With thanks to Richard Bunting, Director, Richard Bunting PR.

People can help rewild the Scottish Highlands and take action on climate change this Christmas by having specially-dedicated trees planted for family and friends through conservation charity Trees for Life.
A dedicated native tree will be planted in the Caledonian Forest for each recipient of Trees for Life’s Christmas tree certificates – creating a home for wildlife and forests for the future.

A personalised certificate accompanies the planet-friendly gift, with one tree costing £15, and further trees £5 each.

Trees will also be planted for recipients of the charity’s ‘plant a tree’ winter gift card. Each card costs £6 + P&P, and contains information about the tree that will be planted and the wildlife that will benefit.

“People all over the world will be hoping that an effective global deal can be reached by the world’s governments currently gathered at the Paris Climate Change Conference. Alongside international agreements, we can all take personal action for our environment, with one tangible and specific way being the planting of a dedicated tree in the Caledonian Forest,” said Alan Watson Featherstone, Trees for Life’s Executive Director.

“Every tree dedicated will help reduce the impact of climate change by replacing the carbon footprint and packaging of Christmas presents with a gift that instead soaks up carbon dioxide, and that benefits wildlife and Scotland’s wild landscapes. It’s a meaningful and inspiring way of celebrating the festive season, which also makes a real positive difference for the planet.”

Only a fraction of the ancient Caledonian Forest now survives, but Trees for Life volunteers have helped to plant more than one million trees across the Highlands. Each tree dedicated for Christmas will help the charity to establish one million more trees by planting and natural regeneration by 2018.

Trees for Life also has available a range of unique Winter Gifts – including original artwork, T-shirts, and shopping bags – with all proceeds helping to restore the forest. The charity’s 2016 calendar (£10.95) provides an annual celebration of the richness of the Caledonian Forest and features stunning photography, while the beauty of the Highlands is also showcased in its 2016 Engagement Diary (£14.95).

A Sponsor a Squirrel gift pack (£30) – featuring a photographic print from wildlife photographer Peter Cairns and a soft toy or a signed limited edition Tori Ratcliffe art print – will help red squirrels return to areas of the Highlands from where they have been lost.

It’s also possible to sponsor an acre of wild forest at Trees for Life’s Dundreggan Conservation Estate near Loch Ness. Each sponsorship gift of £60 is recognised with a special certificate, and will help to expand Caledonian pinewoods for red squirrels, pine martens, wood ants and Scottish wildcats, and to create and restore precious habitats from wildflower meadows to wetlands.

For more details, please visit www.treesforlife.org.uk or call 01309 691292.

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Emergency Rescue Appeal For West Affric Woodlands

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Nov 122015

Trees for Life team inspecting a section of damaged fence in West Affric; damaged fence in West Affric

With thanks to Richard Bunting.

Conservation charity Trees for Life has launched an emergency rescue appeal to protect tens of thousands of young trees on West Affric from grazing deer.

A new generation of trees, many planted by TfL volunteers, has become established on West Affric over the past 20 years, after Trees for Life and the National Trust for Scotland created a series of 10 fenced exclosures.

The exclosures – areas from which large grazing animals are excluded – were designed to boost the recovery of native woodland by preventing the pressure of browsing deer.

But recent damage to the fences has left many of these trees vulnerable to grazing by deer, and Trees for Life is appealing to the public to help raise £20,000 for vital fence repairs to protect the emerging forest.

“This is perhaps the most urgent appeal we have ever made. We need to protect the results of two decades of positive conservation action to restore the Caledonian Forest in this area,” said Alan Watson Featherstone, Trees for Life’s Executive Director.

“The exclosures are vital to the protection of trees and vegetation from the intense damage that can be caused by deer. Repairing the fences will ensure that the young trees – and the species they support – are safe and can continue to flourish, bringing greater life and diversity back to this depleted landscape.”

Only a few scattered trees survived on West Affric before the conservation work begun in the 1990s, but the transformation of the areas inside the exclosures has since been dramatic. Vibrant young woodlands are now supporting a wealth of insects and birds, including black grouse, while many flowering plants such as angelica, primroses and bluebells are flourishing.

However, because of the challenging terrain and climate, several sections of fencing have been broken by drifting snow, allowing deer to enter the exclosures and damage some of the trees. Other smaller, slower growing trees and flowering plants are now at risk, especially with the approach of winter when there is little else for the deer to eat.

Overgrazing by excessive numbers of red deer – the result of an ecological imbalance caused by humans, including the loss of natural predators and the dedication of large tracts of land since the 19th century for deer stalking and sheep grazing – is a major problem hampering natural regeneration of Scotland’s ancient Caledonian Forest.

Managing deer numbers is essential for native woodland restoration. In turn, restoring the Caledonian Forest and its native woodlands will provide improved habitat for balanced populations of deer in the future, allowing them to grow larger and healthier through having more shelter and more diverse and abundant food.

West Affric is a remote 10,000-acre expanse of wild land situated at the western end of Glen Affric, encompassing the headwaters of the Affric River. The National Trust for Scotland bought West Affric in 1993 and alongside its partners carries out vital conservation work to protect its natural ecosystems.

To donate to the emergency appeal, please visit www.treesforlife.org.uk or call 01309 691292.

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TFL Creates Conservation Opportunities For Young People

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Sep 282015

Phil Duffield from Scottish Power Foundation (centre) meets Trees for Life volunteers (left-right) Sam Manning, Grace Burger, Emily Warner and Rebecca Schmidt at Dundreggan Conservation Estate

With thanks to Richard Bunting.

Award-winning conservation charity Trees for Life is running a new project to develop high-quality conservation volunteering opportunities for young people, thanks to a grant of £20,000 from the ScottishPower Foundation.

Those benefitting from the initiative include students from Aberdeen University, Peterborough Open Awards Centre, Glasgow University and Leicestershire’s Brooksby Melton College.

“This generous grant from ScottishPower Foundation is excellent news for the Caledonian Forest and its rare species, and for dozens of young people who will be able to study and carry out practical hands-on conservation work – including the establishment of native woodlands and managing land for wildlife,” said Alan Watson Featherstone, Trees for Life’s Executive Director.

“The funding will enable us to make our project accessible to the widest range of young people – particularly those facing disadvantages and financial barriers to participation.”

Ann Loughrey, Trustee and Executive Officer at the ScottishPower Foundation, said:

“The ScottishPower Foundation is committed to supporting community programmes that inspire young people to get more out of life, whilst giving something back to their local community.

“Through the Trees for Life initiative, the young people involved will gain practical skills that will support their career ambitions, as well as valuable life skills. We are delighted to support Trees for Life and wish all the young people involved every success for the future.”

The project will benefit 70 young people aged 18-25 years old during 2015. Through both week-long courses and long-term volunteering placements, the young people will be able to develop new skills and strengthen their employability.

Activities will include the planting of native trees and plants to expand woodland habitat, collecting and propagating seeds in a specialised tree nursery at Trees for Life’s acclaimed Dundreggan Conservation Estate near Loch Ness, and carrying out biodiversity surveys.

Although only a fraction of the former Caledonian Forest now survives, Trees for Life volunteers have helped to plant more than one million trees at dozens of locations across the Highlands, and to create 10,000 acres of new forest. The charity has pledged to establish one million more trees by planting and natural regeneration by 2018.

For more information about Trees for Life, see www.treesforlife.org.uk or call 01309 691292.

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Project Seeks Major Boost In Red Squirrel Numbers

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Aug 252015

Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) in scots pine forest, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland.

With thanks to Richard Bunting.

An innovative new project by conservation charities Trees for Life and the Highland Foundation for Wildlife aims to secure a major increase in the range of Scotland’s red squirrel populations for the first time in decades.

The Caledonian Forest Wildlife Project – which launches this summer – has the ambitious goal of establishing 10 new populations of the species in the Highlands over the next three years, with the long-term aim of boosting red squirrel numbers in Scotland by more than 10 per cent.

It will also provide a unique opportunity for volunteers, including those from remote communities, to take an active part in wildlife conservation.

The project will involve conservation experts carefully relocating red squirrels from areas of Scotland where they are thriving to remote forests in the north-west Highlands where there are no squirrels at present, but good quality habitat for them.

It will build on pioneering work by Roy Dennis MBE of the Highland Foundation for Wildlife which has demonstrated impressive results – 40 red squirrels that he moved into woodlands at Dundonnell in 2008, for example, have already expanded into a thriving population of around 400, and two further translocations were also very successful.

“Through an effective and proven approach, this exciting initiative will help red squirrels return to the forests where they belong for the first time in decades – leading to significant new populations of this iconic species and offering real hope for its long-term survival,” said Alan Watson Featherstone, Trees for Life’s Executive Director.

“Increasing red squirrel numbers will also benefit our native forests and the many species that depend on them, because red squirrels are nature’s tree planters. They collect and bury thousands of tree seeds each autumn, but frequently forget these hoards – which in spring take root and so expand our woodlands.”

The project has been made possible by a grant of more than £61,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Colin McLean, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, said:

“Thanks to National Lottery players, HLF grants have helped to protect an amazing range of landscapes, habitats, and species of plants and animals. The Heritage Lottery Fund is delighted to support the Caledonian Forest Wildlife Project – which will provide opportunities in both rural and urban communities for volunteers to learn about wildlife, as well as training in practical conservation skills.

“We are pleased to support projects that will stimulate an interest in our precious natural heritage and so help conserve it for future generations.”

Urgent conservation action is needed to secure the long-term future of the red squirrel, which is increasingly rare in Britain and is recognised in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan as a priority species. Only an estimated 138,000 reds are left in the UK, and their populations – devastated by disease and competition from the introduced grey squirrel – are still in decline.

Red squirrel numbers have also been adversely affected by the loss of their forest homes, which have been reduced to isolated remnants. Although many forests in the north-west Highlands offer suitable habitat, red squirrels travel from tree to tree and do not usually cross open ground. This means they cannot spread back to areas of fragmented woodland from where they have disappeared.

The Caledonian Forest Wildlife Project will see squirrels transported to carefully selected release sites in specially constructed nest boxes, lined with hay for comfort and warmth, and provisioned with peanuts for food and apple for hydration. These nest boxes will then be nailed to trees and their exit holes filled with moss – so that the squirrels can find their way out in their own time, once people have left, minimising stress for the animals.

Food will be provided for several months after release, to help the squirrels settle easily into their new surroundings.

Situated far away from disease-carrying grey squirrels, the relocated reds will quickly establish new populations.

Animal welfare measures will be central to the project. Once a squirrel has been caught, the trap will be covered with a dark cloth to keep the animal calm and reduce stress. All traps will be checked at a maximum of two-hourly intervals, and all squirrels will undergo a health check by a qualified veterinarian, to ensure that diseased animals are not introduced into the new populations.

No more than two squirrels will be taken from any donor site, so that their removal does not negatively affect the donor population.

Volunteers – including those from remote communities and disadvantaged backgrounds – will be able to join training courses covering red squirrel surveys and conservation, and will be given the opportunity to help monitor the progress of the translocations. An online training programme will allow people to develop the skills to monitor red squirrels in their local area.

The scheme will also involve the creation of partnerships with landowners, ongoing monitoring, and pioneering research to learn more about red squirrels, in order to strengthen conservation action. Talks and seminars will be held with communities to inspire people to get involved with the conservation of endangered wildlife.

Trees for Life is dedicated to restoring the endangered Caledonian Forest in the Scottish Highlands – one of the UK’s wildest landscapes. The award-winning charity’s volunteers have helped to plant more than one million trees at dozens of locations, and Trees for Life aims to establish one million more trees by planting and natural regeneration by 2018. For more information, see www.treesforlife.org.uk or call 01309 691292.

About red squirrels:

* The red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) lives in conifer-dominated boreal forests and in broadleaved deciduous forests. It is not ideally suited to woodlands now covering much of Britain, and has been outcompeted by the more adaptable introduced non-native grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) in much of the country. Greys also spread and transmit squirrel pox virus, to which they are immune but which is lethal to reds.

* While mainland Europe enjoys healthy populations of red squirrels, the species is now extremely rare in the UK – with current population estimates being 138,000 individuals. Approximately 120,000 of these are in Scotland, 3,000 in Wales and 15,000 in England.

* The red squirrel occurs throughout most of mainland Scotland, with the largest populations in Caledonian Forest remnants in the Highlands, and in Dumfries and Galloway. The Scottish population has increased slightly in recent years, probably due to the expansion of tree cover – but the animal’s range and population would have been much larger in the past, before the loss of most of the Caledonian Forest.

* The Eurasian red squirrel is widely distributed in Europe and northern Asia, from Scandinavia south to Italy and Bulgaria, and from Ireland and Britain across to Russia. Beyond Europe, its range extends as far as Mongolia, China, Korea and the northernmost of Japan’s islands.

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New Eco-designed Office For Environmental Charity

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Jul 242015

With thanks to Richard Bunting.

Alex Walker, Managing Director of Ekopia (left) with Alan Watson Featherstone, Executive Director of Trees for Life, at the new eco-designed office in Findhorn

After more than 20 years at its current premises in Findhorn, Conservation charity Trees for Life is this week moving into a new environmentally friendly office based at the Findhorn Community near Forres in Moray.
The award-winning charity is moving to a brand new building that has been constructed to high ecological standards, thanks to financial assistance from the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund.

“This is a very important development for us. We are delighted to be moving into this new eco-friendly office, which will provide a warm, welcoming and modern space for our staff and volunteers to work in,” said Alan Watson Featherstone, Trees for Life’s Executive Director.

“The office’s greatly-reduced energy needs brings our working environment into line with the charity’s ecological principles. With its significantly larger size, the new building is also enabling us to increase staff numbers, to facilitate an expansion of our work to restore the Caledonian Forest”.

Situated behind Findhorn’s Universal Hall, the building is owned by Ekopia – a Findhorn-based community benefit society that has invested over £1 million in a range of community enterprises.

The office is heated by an air-source heat pump, powered by electricity from the Findhorn Community’s wind turbines – making the building fossil fuel free in terms of its heating.

Energy efficiency has been increased through high levels of insulation – with Warmcel insulation made from recycled paper fibre in the walls and ceiling, and Thermafleece sheep’s wool insulation under the floor. All of the windows are double-glazed.

Water usage has been minimised through low flush toilets, a solar panel on the roof provides a hot water supply, and interior walls have been painted with ecological, non-toxic Auro paint.

Trees for Life is dedicated to restoring the endangered Caledonian Forest in the Scottish Highlands to one of the UK’s wildest landscapes. The charity’s volunteers have helped to plant more than one million trees at dozens of locations across the Highlands, and Trees for Life has pledged to establish one million more trees by planting and natural regeneration by 2018.

For more information, see www.treesforlife.org.uk or call 01309 691292.

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Beaver Reintroduction Offers Major Benefits To Scotland

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May 222015

With thanks to Richard Bunting.

The potential reintroduction of beavers to Scotland after almost 500 years is a historic opportunity that could bring major environmental and economic benefits to Scotland – including by generating millions of pounds through eco-tourism, said award-winning conservation charity Trees for Life today.

This week or next, Scottish Natural Heritage is due to report to the Scottish Government on the Scottish Beaver Trial – a five-year trial reintroduction of beavers in Argyll’s Knapdale Forest – paving the way for the government to announce later this year whether the species will be allowed to live freely in Scotland again.

Trees for Life says that reintroducing this native animal would allow the UK to play ecological catch-up with other European nations – 25 of which have already reintroduced the beaver, with Sweden leading the way as long ago as 1922.

The UK is one of only seven countries still lacking an officially-sanctioned wild beaver population.

“The beaver deserves to be welcomed back to Scotland with open arms. These remarkable ecosystem engineers can transform the health of our rivers and forest ecosystems, and could benefit communities through an estimated £2 million tourism revenue annually,” said Alan Watson Featherstone, Trees for Life’s Executive Director.

“We are legally obliged by European directives to consider the beaver’s reintroduction, and – having caused the animal’s extinction – we have an ethical obligation too. Reintroducing beavers to Scotland would be the right thing to do and a historic leap forwards for rewilding – the restoration of our damaged ecosystems.”

Beavers are a ‘keystone species’, meaning that they play a critical ecological role and provide a range of benefits for other species. They coppice and fell trees – letting light into the forest, enabling other species to grow. By damming watercourses they create wetland areas – habitats for amphibians, invertebrates and fish, which in turn attract birds and otters. Their actions can improve water quality and reduce flooding.

The European beaver (Castor fiber) was present in the UK until hunted to extinction for its pelt, meat and musk oil. The exact date of the animal’s disappearance from Scotland is unknown, but written records indicate that it may have survived in small numbers at a few locations until the 16th century.

In May 2009, following Scottish Government permission for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and Scottish Wildlife Trust to conduct a trial reintroduction of European beavers, beavers from Norway were released at Knapdale Forest in Britain’s first legal reintroduction of a mammal species to the wild. Independent scientific monitoring, coordinated by Scottish Natural Heritage, ran until May 2014.

Scotland also has another population of wild beavers, with over 250 animals estimated to be in the River Tay catchment – the result of breeding by beavers that escaped from captivity.

Given consistent widespread public support for the reintroduction of beavers and the multiple benefits that this would bring for both people and wildlife, Trees for Life is urging the Scottish Government to allow the natural expansion of beavers from Argyll and Tayside, and to authorise further licensed reintroductions in appropriate areas, accompanied by carefully considered management and monitoring.

Beavers prefer broad-leaved trees and so should not have an adverse impact on commercial forestry.

Occasionally, beavers’ burrows and dam building can cause localised flooding and tree felling issues. Trees for Life believes that the concerns of landowners and others can and should be addressed, using simple, proven methods that have worked in other countries.

As part of its restoration of the Caledonian Forest in the Highlands, Trees for Life has been expanding stands of aspen in key areas – particularly around Loch Beinn a’Mheadhoin in Glen Affric and at the charity’s Dundreggan Conservation Estate near Loch Ness – to create better habitats for beavers in the future.

For more information about Trees for Life, see www.treesforlife.org.uk or call 01309 691292.

Dispelling myths about beavers:

Many concerns expressed about potential impacts of beavers are in fact unfounded or inaccurate.

Salmon industry: Beavers are entirely vegetarian and do not eat fish. Concern has been expressed that they will dam rivers and prevent salmon getting upstream to spawn – but salmon easily negotiate beaver dams and the two species have existed together for thousands of years across Europe. In Norway, beavers have been shown to benefit the salmon industry by oxygenating water and, through damming, creating additional pools that are ideal for spawning.

Forestry operations: Beavers prefer broad-leaved trees and so should not have an adverse impact on commercial forestry. Concern has been expressed that they may damage native aspen stands – one of their favourite foods – but most aspen stands are away from suitable beaver habitat and those that are near watercourses can be easily protected by fencing or by placing sheaths around the trunks.Beaver felling of aspens will also encourage greater suckering, whereby aspen roots send up new shoots – this is the species’ principal method of reproduction.
Crops and farmland: Beavers sometimes feed on crops such as maize and sugar beet, but this is usually small-scale and localised. Crop damage is easily prevented by leaving a buffer strip by watercourses, or by planting crops that beavers dislike. In cases where beaver burrows cause subsidence of farmland at the edge of watercourses, management actions including protective fencing or translocations of animals to other sites can resolve the issue.

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Rewilding Creates Jobs And Training At Conservation Estate

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Mar 242015

An acclaimed forest restoration project near Loch Ness is demonstrating how conservation can create employment opportunities in the Highlands, says award-winning charity Trees for Life. With thanks to Richard Bunting.

This week Trees for Life introduced two new seasonal staff roles at its Dundreggan Conservation Estate in Glenmoriston, bringing the number of employees at the biodiversity hotspot to six – a substantial increase on the single employee under the site’s previous ownership, when it was managed as a traditional sporting estate.

With concerns about employment in much of the country, and across the Highlands in particular, Trees for Life says that the steady growth in employees at Dundreggan since its 2008 purchase of the estate –combined with high job satisfaction levels – shows how conservation action can be good for jobs.

“People benefitting from a wild, natural environment is part of our vision for a restored Caledonian Forest. Dundreggan shows that breathing new life into native woodlands and other natural habitats can offer fulfilling employment and meaningful training opportunities,” said Alan Watson Featherstone, Trees for Life’s Executive Director.

“When conservation groups buy Scottish estates, fears are sometimes expressed about possible reductions in employment – but Dundreggan shows that the opposite can be true. Bringing the land back to ecological health actually creates major benefits for local people and communities.”

Alongside the new jobs, hundreds of volunteers from diverse backgrounds – including the unemployed and those with limited access to healthy outdoor activities or training opportunities – are now gaining the chance to develop environmental skills, knowledge and accredited training each year.

With most practical work at Dundreggan carried out by volunteers, one of the new posts created by Trees for Life is a Long-term Volunteer Coordinator. In this role, former volunteer Tony Henry will help people to gain hands-on conservation experience, through Trees for Life’s Long-Term Volunteer Programme.

In the role of Seasonal Nursery Assistant, Emma Beckinsale will help run Dundreggan’s Native Tree Nursery. Here Trees for Life grows more than 30,000 locally sourced native trees each year, and is trialling innovative ways to propagate rare and hard-to-grow species such as aspen and montane willows.

Doug Gilbert, Dundreggan Operations Manager who oversees the estate’s management said:

“This is a very exciting time at Dundreggan. We are expanding our capacity to accept long-term volunteers as well as increasing the size of our tree nursery, so creating these additional jobs will really help us in our conservation work. It’s great to see enthusiastic people getting the chance to live and work in this wonderful Highland setting.”

Dundreggan has been described as a Highlands “lost world”

The establishment of the new roles has been made possible thanks to funders including the Scottish Power Foundation, which is supporting the Long-Term Volunteers Programme in 2015.

Since being purchased by Trees for Life, the 10,000-acre estate has been transformed into the charity’s flagship rewilding project. Home to a wealth of rare and endangered species – including 10 never recorded in the UK before – Dundreggan has been described as a Highlands “lost world”.

The expanse of wild land contains substantial areas of ancient woodlands, including remnants of the original Caledonian Forest and Scotland’s largest area of dwarf birch. It is home to a group of wild boar in a fenced enclosure as part of a native forest regeneration project, and also hosts groundbreaking scientific research projects.

Dundreggan’s previous role as a sporting estate has left much of it in poor ecological condition however, and restoration of its woodlands and habitats requires long-term conservation action and sustained funding.

The Caledonian Forest is one of the UK’s most endangered habitats, with many of its rare species in danger of extinction. Trees for Life has planted more than a million trees and aims to establish a million more by planting and natural regeneration by 2018. People can help by becoming a member, volunteering, and sponsoring trees for special occasions. See www.treesforlife.org.uk or call 01309 691292.

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Film-maker Backs Bid To Develop Wilderness Base

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Nov 212014

L-R, George McIntyre and Kay Jackson (The Gordon and Ena Baxter Foundation) and Alan Watson Featherstone (TFL)

With thanks to Richard Bunting.

A leading wildlife film-maker is backing a bid by Trees for Life to transform an iconic but derelict mountain bothy into an eco-friendly weather-tight base that will be used to launch a quarter century of forest restoration in one of Scotland’s great wildlife wildernesses.
Glasgow-based cameraman and film-maker Gordon Buchanan is supporting the conservation charity’s appeal to raise £30,000 to renovate Athnamulloch Bothy in Glen Affric on the Forestry Commission Scotland managed National Forest Estate.

And in a major boost, Trees for Life’s ‘Build the Bothy’ appeal has just secured a grant of £20,000 from the Moray-based Gordon and Ena Baxter Foundation, which supports worthy projects and charitable organisations, particularly in the north of Scotland and the Highlands and Islands.

The initiative to restore Athnamulloch Bothy is key to the next stage of large-scale forest restoration work being delivered in partnership by Trees for Life and Forestry Commission Scotland, in which volunteers will plant 250,000 trees to extend Glen Affric’s endangered forests further west, creating vital forest corridors and habitats for unique wildlife.

“For me, time spent in Glen Affric’s ancient forest is precious. Watching eagles soaring against the mountain peaks, red squirrels in the branches and glimpsing pine martens hunting amongst the heather is as wild and remote an experience as Britain can offer. How lucky we are to have this unique and wonderful landscape,” said Gordon Buchanan.

“The problem is that this forest is tiny, and these ancient pines are just a fragment of the forest that once filled the glen. Further west, the grasslands are silent and empty, and the only signs of the former forest that once grew there are tree roots scattered in the peat.

“I am thrilled to be supporting Trees for Life’s appeal for a new base in Glen Affric. It’s not possible to plant trees in this remote location without a place for volunteers to stay. We now have a fantastic opportunity to renovate Athnamulloch Bothy in the western glen, saving it from dereliction and bringing it back to life.”

Lying to the west of Loch Affric, the remote bothy became unsafe and was closed in 2008. Trees for Life’s volunteers had previously used it as a base for planting the first new Scots pines to grow in the area for centuries, but restoration of the Caledonian Forest in this part of the glen stalled with the bothy’s closure.

However, detailed plans have now been drawn up to renovate the building to a high ecological standard while retaining its rustic character, and the charity has signed a 25-year lease for the building with Forestry Commission Scotland. Generous donations and grants have contributed towards much of the total £137,000 cost.

The most recent of these grants is £20,000 from The Gordon and Ena Baxter Foundation based in Fochabers. Brothers Gordon and Ian Baxter, with their wives Ena and Margaret, established the foundation in 1981 so that the family could continue to extend its support for the Fochabers and district communities. In the last 12 months, the Foundation has widened funding activity to assist projects in the north of Scotland and the Highlands and Islands.

“We’re proud to support Trees for Life’s restoration of the Caledonian Forest and its Build the Bothy appeal. It is inspiring to think that this will lead to the planting of thousands of trees and create opportunities for hundreds of people to benefit from being physically active in spectacular Glen Affric,” said Kay Jackson, Manager of the Gordon and Ena Baxter Foundation.

A final £30,000 is now needed to complete Trees for Life’s most ambitious fundraising endeavour of recent years. This will bring the bothy back to life with new timbers and flooring replacing rotten woodwork, and the installation of a kitchen, living room, bedrooms, drying room, and a bathroom with eco-friendly energy and water systems.

To support the Build the Bothy appeal, please visit www.treesforlife.org.uk or call 0845 458 3505. The names of those donating at least £250 will be listed on a celebratory plaque at the bothy.

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Double Boost For Initiatives To Protect Forest And Wildlife

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Oct 172014

Conservation volunteers at Athnamulloch Bothy in Glen Affric (courtesy Trees for Life)

With thanks to Richard Bunting.

Plans to protect and restore one of Scotland’s most iconic and beautiful glens – alongside wildlife such as golden eagles, Scottish wildcats and red squirrels – received a double boost last week when charity Trees for Life won funding of almost £80,000 for new forest conservation projects in Glen Affric near Loch Ness.

The initiatives will involve the planting of 20,000 trees, opportunities for hundreds of people from diverse backgrounds to gain health benefits and conservation training, and the creation of an eco-friendly wilderness base at a remote mountain bothy.

Shona Robison – Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Commonwealth Games and Sport – announced on Thursday 9 October that Trees for Life will receive £60,000 from the Legacy 2014 Active Places Fund towards the renovation of the Athnamulloch Bothy, which lies to the west of Loch Affric on the National Forest Estate.

The news came just three days after Trees for Life’s Glen Affric Landscape Project secured almost £20,000 from the prestigious European Outdoor Conservation Association, following an online public vote in which more than 4,200 people voted for the conservation charity.

“Securing two major funding awards within a week for our conservation initiatives is fantastic news for the ancient Caledonian Forest and its rare species, many of which are staring extinction in the face – and for the hundreds of people who will directly benefit from these reforestation projects,” said Alan Watson Featherstone, Trees for Life’s Executive Director.

In partnership with Forestry Commission Scotland, Trees for Life’s Athnamulloch Bothy Renovation Project aims to renovate this derelict mountain bothy, creating a warm, weather-tight and eco-friendly wilderness base.

Trees for Life has secured a 25-year lease of the building – located far from normal services – which will be completely refurbished and equipped with ecologically-sound solutions for the on-site provision of water supply, energy and sewerage.

The Legacy 2014 Active Places Fund grant – part of the Scottish Government’s Commonwealth Games Legacy 2014 programme and administered by sportScotland – will cover almost half of the bothy renovation costs. Trees for Life plans to raise funds for the remaining costs through a public appeal and further grants. Those wishing to donate to the project are invited to visit www.treesforlife.org.uk.

Following its success in the European Outdoor Conservation Association awards, Trees for Life’s Glen Affric Landscape Project will see the charity working in partnership with Forestry Commission Scotland – which manages the Glen Affric National Nature Reserve – to enhance and extend the glen’s native Caledonian pinewood and conserve its rare forest-dependent wildlife through activities including the planting of 20,000 trees, removal of non-native trees and plants, and restoration of habitats.

The Caledonian Forest in Glen Affric supports over 1,000 animal species. The pinewoods in the glen’s eastern reaches are one of the largest surviving core areas of native pinewood continuing to benefit from conservation management, but more action is needed for this native woodland to expand westwards.

“Our sincere thanks go to everyone who voted for us in the European Outdoor Conservation Association awards, and to Northshots Photography for nominating us. The award is wonderful news for one of Scotland’s finest wilderness forests, and it will ensure further practical action takes place to reverse centuries of forest loss in the Highlands,” said Alan Watson Featherstone.

These new projects are key elements in an expansion of Trees for Life’s work of rewilding and will create opportunities for hundreds of people from diverse backgrounds – including those from deprived situations or facing challenges to their health, as well as outdoors enthusiasts, local people and community groups – to take part in green exercise and physically active recreation.

The announcements came during a week in which Alan Watson Featherstone and author George Monbiot highlighted the potential benefits of rewilding – the large-scale restoration of damaged natural ecosystems – at a meeting with MSPs at the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday, followed by a lecture on the subject to a full house of almost 500 people at the University of Edinburgh.

Trees for Life is restoring the Caledonian Forest, which once covered much of the Scottish Highlands but has been reduced to a fraction of its former range by centuries of deforestation. Many forest remnants consist of old and dying trees, with grazing pressure by red deer preventing the growth of young trees. Remaining forests, such as in Glen Affric, are amongst our most fragile and endangered habitats.

The charity has pledged to establish one million more trees by planting and natural regeneration by 2018, and is marking its 25th anniversary this year with expanded opportunities for volunteers. See www.treesforlife.org.uk or call 0845 458 3505.

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