SECC honoured at celebration event in the Highlands

Press Release16th June 2009

Contact: Kerrigan Bell. Telephone 01309 691292; Email marketing@treesforlife.org.uk.
 

Lesley Wilson from the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre plants a hazel tree at Dundreggan to commemorate the SECC’s support for Trees for Life.

The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) – Scotland’s Glasgow-based national venue for public events, concerts and conferences – was honoured by conservation charity Trees for Life last week for supporting the purchase of one of the largest areas in the UK ever to be bought for forest restoration.

In a weekend-long celebration of the purchase of Trees for Life’s 10,000 acre Dundreggan Estate, the charity’s supporters, directors, staff and special guests gathered on Saturday 6th June at the estate in Glen Moriston, to the west of Loch Ness.

A plaque was dedicated to all of the ‘Dundreggan Champions’ – including the SECC -- whose generous donations made the £1.65 million purchase of the estate last summer possible. Trees for Life patrons, author and ornithologist Roy Dennis MBE and author and broadcaster Vanessa Collingridge, were present for champagne toasts, a three course dinner and presentations.

Lesley Wilson, the SECC’s Conference Sales Administrator, attended the celebration and planted a hazel tree to commemorate the SECC’s support for Trees for Life.

Alan Watson Featherstone, Trees for Life’s Executive Director, said: “We’re extremely grateful for the ongoing generosity of the SECC which helped make our purchase of the Dundreggan Estate possible. The estate is going to be restored as an outstanding wild landscape that will bring great benefits to the environment and Scotland for decades to come.

“The commemorative trees we’ve planted this weekend symbolise the beginning of our long-term conservation project for this very special area.”

The SECC is one of Trees for Life’s largest corporate supporters. It sponsors the planting of an acre of native trees for each of its major conference events, and a grove of eight trees for smaller events. To date the SECC has donated over £18,000 to Trees for Life, sponsoring 81 Groves and 31 acres of the Dundreggan Estate.

On Sunday 7th June, local residents and supporters attended a free open day at Dundreggan to enjoy refreshments, children’s entertainment by environmental education charity Wild Things!, information and displays on Trees for Life’s award-winning conservation work, and opportunities to explore the estate.

Trees for Life plans to re-connect the ancient Caledonian Forest between Glen Moriston and Glen Affric through the planting of half a million native trees at Dundreggan. This will be accompanied by the return of native species, and by scientific research and education programmes.

Much of the restoration work at Dundreggan will be carried out by volunteers. Individuals and companies can support this work on Conservation Volunteer Weeks, recently selected as one of the world’s Top 10 Conservation Holidays by BBC Wildlife Magazine.

People can also support Trees for Life's award-winning work restoring the Caledonian Forest through specially-dedicated trees and Groves.

For more information call 0845 458 3506, email info@treesforlife.org.uk or visit www.treesforlife.org.uk.

Ends

 

Notes to editors

1. Trees for Life is a pioneering charity in ecological restoration. It aims to restore the Caledonian Forest to an area of 1,500 square kilometres in the Highlands west of Inverness. Today only 1% of the original Caledonian Forest remains.
2. Since planting its first trees in 1991 in Glen Affric, Trees for Life has planted over 800,000 trees. Its awards include 1991 UK Conservation Project of the Year, the Millennium Marque in 2000 and Top 10 Conservation Holidays worldwide (in 2009).

 

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Last updated: 25 August 2010