Caledonia Wild! Spring 2009
 Trees for Life magazine, Caledonia Wild!, Winter 2008-09 |
- 20 years of practical work in the forest
- Restoring the Forest
- Oak Woodland
- Research Projects
- Dundreggan planting
- Wildlife Counts
- Action for Mountain Woodland
- Local Volunteers
- The Forest Frontline
- Flowers of the Forest Update *
- News from Forestry Commission Scotland
- Dundreggan News *
- Dung *
- Beetle Survey on Dundreggan in 2007-08 *
- Funding the Forest
- Photo Gallery: The Burl-esque Beauty of Trees! *
- Species Profile: Scottish wildcat *
* Links to articles in other parts of this web site, rather than on this page.
To receive the complete copy of our magazines, please Join Trees for Life as a Member - with your support we will also be more effective in our work to restore the Caledonian Forest.
20 years of practical work in the forest
 Volunteers protecting a tiny Scots pine seedling in Glen Cannich with an individual tree guard in June 1989. |
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the first practical work on our project to help restore the Caledonian Forest. It was one Sunday in June 1989 that I took a small group of volunteers to protect some naturally-regenerating Scots pine seedlings in Glen Cannich, by placing individual guards around them, to save them from being eaten by deer. Although we only protected a few trees that day, it was nevertheless a very significant act, as it was the moment at which the vision I had been holding for several years began to take physical form. The care and concern I, and the other volunteers, had for the Caledonian Forest passed through our hands to nurture and sustain a new generation of young trees - the first to grow there for over 150 years - and all the energy and ideas I had pulled together for the project began to flow into practical action.
 Volunteer planting an alder at Inverwick in Glen Moriston in October 2008 - one of more than 725,000 trees planted since we began work in 1989. |
It was actually almost three years previously, in October 1986, that Trees for Life had started, when I made a public commitment, to 250 delegates at a major environmental conference at Findhorn, to launch a project to restore the Caledonian Forest. At the time, I had no idea how I would proceed, and nor did I have any experience of working with ecology or forests. I had no money to put into such a project, and neither did I have access to any land on which I could carry out restoration work. In short, I had nothing practical to develop the project with, but I had the most important things - the passion and inspiration of a positive vision for the forest's return, and the commitment to finding a way to make it happen.
In the years since then a tremendous amount of effort has gone into the work of restoring the forest, and also to the growth and development of Trees for Life itself. I've seen, and overseen, the transition from an initial idea to a successful and award-winning charity with a staff of 16, that is planting over 100,000 trees a year and now has ownership responsibility for 10,000 acres of land at Dundreggan. From that initial action in 1989 onwards, it has been by allowing my passion and inspiration to flow, and that of all the staff and volunteers who have contributed over the past 20 years, that has enabled Trees for Life to flourish as it does today. Every seedling that is protected, and every tree that is planted, represents a further implementation of the vision, and another step towards our goal of the return of the forest.
When people ask me about our work, I often say that we have a 250 year project, as it will take that long for mature forest to return to areas where there are no trees today. After 20 years, I still don't know exactly how we're going to achieve our long-term goal. However, I do know that by following our hearts and inspiration, and with your support, our work, and the forest itself, will continue to expand and flourish. We're beginning our next 20 years of work with a special 20th anniversary Grove that we're establishing this year at Dundreggan, so please join us in pledging some trees to that today!
Alan Watson Featherstone
Restoring the Forest
Oak Woodland
 View through the oak trees at Grudie Oakwood. Photo by Mick Drury. |
The oak tree was once thought of as the king of the forest and rightly so due to its longevity, great stature and variety of uses. More recently it has been appreciated for the wealth of associated wildlife it supports, mainly the invertebrate 'creepy-crawlies' that are an integral part of the woodland ecosystem and food chain. It's believed that the current distribution of oak in the Highlands is much reduced due to the selective harvesting of the tree from many woods out in the glens over the centuries. Oak was especially used as a great construction timber and for ship building, or in some areas for charcoal production, with the bark then collected for tanning leather. In Glen Moriston in the 1960s there was a mobile mill down by the river, alongside Dundreggan, that used oak for making bobbins. A calm section of the river nearby was used to prevent the wood from drying out and is still known locally as the bobbin pool.
 Dan Puplett with one of the young oaks near Coire Loch in Glen Affric. This tree grew successfully after volunteers protected it with a Netlon tree guard when it was a seedling. The guard has subsequently been removed, now the tree is too large to be damaged by deer. Photo by Mick Drury. |
It's always a pleasure to visit the old oaks or come across individuals I've not seen before. I was out at Levishie, to the east of Dundreggan in Glen Moriston, last autumn to collect acorns from a group of old oaks there. Several of those trees have many stems or boughs, most likely due to coppicing or pollarding in the past. They stand on a small hill within a large area of native woodland of birch, juniper and aspen. I was joined by the Parkinsons, a couple from West Yorkshire, on their day off from their volunteer Conservation Holiday. They have a particular interest in oak and Roger introduced me to his invention, a hand-held device for planting acorns without needing to stoop - I was reminded of Jean Giono's old tale, 'The Man who Planted Trees'!
There is a single old oak above Coire Loch, at the east end of Glen Affric, standing solid and proud, laden with ferns, mosses and lichens, its spreading boughs a testament to the past centuries. A few of its naturally-regenerating offspring are growing nearby, having been protected by volunteers some years ago, and are now above head height. A party of tits flitted amongst the upper branches another day in late autumn as I collected some small acorns from the grand old tree. There are only a handful of mature oaks remaining at the east end of the glen. Interestingly, Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) are currently looking at planting more broadleaves further west in Glen Affric and I trust that this will include oak, in sites where the soils are suitable and exposure is not too great.
I got out of the office again to visit FCS's Grudie Oakwood in Strath Bran, on a fine blue-sky day, collecting acorns and also appreciating the growth of new aspen trees planted out some years ago by TFL. I envisage all these acorns collected in the autumn germinating and growing on at the nursery, and then in a couple of years' time being returned as new young trees to the glens where they came from.
Research Projects
 This regenerating birchwood in the Athnamulloch 2 exclosure in Glen Affric was studied by Emily Moore in 2008. |
It would be useful to look at the distribution of oak woodland and suggest ways of connecting the fragments that survive. Over the years a number of students have worked on projects focussed on the ecology of the Caledonian Forest, and have helped with setting up longer term monitoring systems. Last year I went out with Emily Moore from St Andrews, to look at birch regeneration in the Athnamulloch 2 exclosure in Glen Affric. There are some fine old birches there, clinging on to the steeper slopes and providing a good seed source now that fencing has reduced the deer browsing pressure. For a while I watched a golden eagle circling effortlessly above. Emily was comparing regeneration success there, where deer are excluded, with a site on the Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve where new tree growth relies on deer culling instead of fencing. Elsewhere in the glen Jillian Gardner from Aberdeen was looking at soils in relation to tree growth at Coille Ruigh. We await their reports with interest.
We have yet to summarise some of these studies on the website but we've now updated the list of student research projects which could be undertaken. This includes ecological studies, work on mountain woodland, modelling forest habitat networks and an economic appraisal of the return of large scale forest. It's also time to re-visit Michelle Crowell's 1995-98 PhD study area at Athnamulloch 1 in Glen Affric. As Michelle said after writing up her thesis: 'If anything, the most exciting results are yet to come! My thesis provides a 'snapshot' of seedling performance four to five years after planting. We may find that the patterns of both tree performance and ground flora change drastically in the years to come.' Indeed, photos of the site show a dramatic change in a relatively short time period.
If you're interested in following up any of the suggested projects, or indeed have ideas of your own, do get in touch. Now that TFL owns the Dundreggan Estate, there is plenty of scope to set up longer term studies with us, for instance into the role of mycorrhizal fungi in aiding the establishment of some of the more demanding tree species.
Action for Mountain Woodland
 Dwarf birch (Betula nana) with catkins on Dundreggan in December 2008. |
We have now officially joined the Heritage Lottery funded Action for Mountain Woodland project. This is running until November 2010 on a range of sites across Scotland with partners including FCS, Scottish Natural Heritage and the RSPB. The aim is to raise awareness of the 'wee trees' of the montane scrub habitat, undertake further surveys and do some useful practical work to protect and enhance sites where treeline woodland is found. The project will be running training days during May and June this year, which will be especially useful for identification of the montane willows.
The proposal at Dundreggan includes interpretation and work with local schools. We hope to use dwarf birch as a motif around which to base our interpretive materials, perhaps including some carving of panel frames and seating using the distinctive rounded leaf shape. The children and youth could be involved with designs for these and with raising trees and then planting them out up on the hill. Remarkably, we collected dwarf birch seed in December last year! Additionally, we will receive some funding for a fenced exclosure within the dwarf birch zone on the estate and a contribution towards organising more surveys this summer, including work on neighbouring estates.
Mick Drury
News from Forestry Commission Scotland
 Kenneth Knott |
Kenneth Knott has been the District Forester in Forestry Commission Scotland's Fort Augustus Forest District for the past 10 years, and is one of the FCS staff that we have worked most closely with over that time. Here he writes about changes within the Commission and a joint project we're working on in Glen Moriston.
New Forest District structures and boundaries
Following the Forestry Commission's review of delivery structures a number of Forest Districts are amalgamating. Fort Augustus and Inverness are merging to form a new District named Inverness, Ross and Skye. The creation of larger districts creates opportunities for the organisation to focus on specific areas of activity. Principal areas have been identified as Operations (Fell/Restock), Planning, Environment, Recreation and Tourism, and each area will have its own dedicated team leader. The development of these teams will give rise to more detailed planning and delivery on a wide range of activities. The Environment Manager, for instance, will focus on developing and delivering long term management proposals including those for species, native woodlands and designated sites.
Forestry Commission Scotland is committed to bringing designated sites into the highest ecological potential by a set of agreed dates - typically 2010, as per government targets. The Inverness, Ross and Skye boundary encompasses the core Target Area that Trees for Life operates in, so there should be no change to current or proposed activity. Additionally, the Forest District review has created opportunities for Trees for Life to look at operating in the peripheral areas adjacent to the Target Area. This is due to some FCS staff changes, but also due to the commitment to Conservation Holiday programme planning by FCS/TFL staff alike.
Joint working project for Aspen on and adjacent to Dundreggan
Following TFL's purchase of Dundreggan, Fort Augustus Forest District have discussed a range of projects where both FCS and TFL could benefit. Building on some of the earlier joint work in Glen Affric, we have just agreed to co-operate on an Aspen planting project along the banks of the River Moriston, where our respective land-holdings meet.
 Colin Blyth, Allan Common and Mick Drury marking out the proposed fence line on the Dundreggan part of the riparian area on a stormy day in December. |
Kenneth Knott (FCS), Colin Blyth (consultant to TFL), Mick Drury (TFL) and Allan Common (TFL Dundreggan) met and looked at the options to develop an area for targeted Aspen planting (see map below). The options would have to include a mixture of considerations - for landscape, species biodiversity and woodland management.
This area will be fenced to allow the establishment of aspen, with a mixture of Scots pine and bird cherry as subsidiary species, and will allow linkage to the existing woodland pattern in the area. Enclosed within the fence will be some existing Scots pine and birch that will provide an additional seed source, as well as further enhancing the area. The agreement to carry out this project creates the impetus for us at the Forest District to complete a number of smaller projects, both to restore and improve the environment around this former quarry area. Species that will particularly benefit are badger and sand martin, although the new woodland that is being created will benefit a host of other species as well.
 Map showing the site of the joint TFL-FCS project beside the River Moriston. The area to the left of (and above) the green line is our land at Dundreggan, while the green shaded area to the right is FCS land. |
In working up this project, particular care has been taken with other opportunities such as those for providing access. The old track network that was within the former plantation on the site, that was lost when the planted trees blew down, will be reinstated, allowing access to and along the riverbank for the estate and visitors.
Another benefit arising from working together is that by spreading the planting of aspen on to FCS land as well as Dundreggan, it will enable an area of grazing land on Dundreggan to be retained so that a mixed land use and landscape will still be present for some time to come. Glen Moriston is quite a scenic glen with plentiful bird cherry blossom in the spring. The increased presence of aspen will provide contrasting foliage throughout summer, and will enhance the autumn colours (golds, russets, yellows) against the green of the Scots pine.
Kennetth Knott
Funding the Forest
Burns Night Auction Success Contributes to Burns Anniversary Grove
 Robert Burns |
Quite spontaneously and at short notice, we won the last of the limited edition bottles of whisky that the Famous Grouse company was giving away for auction by charities, to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, Scotland's most renowned poet. The bottle was auctioned off by the wonderful Margot Henderson at the Community Centre in Findhorn on Robert Burns night (25th January), and a group of 20 people very generously clubbed together to win it - raising £700 for us in the process. And to cap it off, they all gave the bottle back to us! We plan to 'recycle' it, auctioning it for the second time at the Dundreggan Celebration Event in June! All of the proceeds from the auctions will go directly to the Robert Burns Grove.
Started by Peggy Edwards, the Burns Grove celebrates the 250th anniversary of the poet's birth. It's intended as a lasting legacy for Burns, who was passionate about the Scottish Highlands. One example of his love of nature and the forest is his poem 'The Humble Petition of Bruar Water to the Noble Duke of Athole'. Burns wrote the poem in 1789 from the perspective of the River Bruar, asking the Duke of Athole to plant more trees along its banks.
"Would, then, my noble master please
To grant my highest wishes,
He'll shade my banks wi' tow'ring trees
And bonie spreading bushes".
Let lofty firs and ashes cool
My lowly banks o'erspread,
And view deep-bending in the pool,
Their shadows' wat'ry bed:
Let fragrant birks, in woodbines drest,
My craggy cliffs adorn,
And for the little songster's nest,
The close embow'ring thorn.'
So far, 175 trees have been dedicated to the Robert Burns Grove and it is hoped that there will be many more when we come to plant it this autumn. So, if you've ever felt inspired by Robert Burns' poetry, please visit the Burns Grove on our website and dedicate a tree to the grove today!
Link to us - link on website
We have new web icons on the Link to us page in the 'Support Us' section of our web site. If you have a website, or are on Facebook etc, then please add us to your site and help promote our work, as well as making yourself look good in the process! Just use the code that you'll find on the pages: www.treesforlife.org.uk/linktous.html and www.treesforlife.org.uk/linktous2.html.
Going the Extra Mile - Members Support
 Adam Druett prepares to go the extra mile for TFL. |
We'll be cheering on Jimmy Overton as he gears up to cycle from Lands End to John O'Groats in March 2010. He says, 'I want as many TFL members to sponsor me as possible, and to really get behind this'. He's also keen to have company along the way so anyone who's interested in joining him for a leg of the trip, please call him on 07890 229373. Another TFL member preparing to make the gruelling 950-mile journey by bike is Adam Druett, who's starting his adventure this August. He plans to complete the trip in only 10 days! You can sponsor Adam here. He aims to raise £1,000 to be shared between TFL and Sustrans, the UK's leading sustainable transport charity. Go Jimmy and Adam!
How you can get involved
- If you've got a fundraising idea, and would like to raise sponsorship for TFL, then visit our website for more ideas, or, like Adam, start a 'mycharitypage' and get in touch!
- Alternatively, if you think you would be interested in a more team based Trees for Life sponsored event, we're canvassing what the level of support there is for a 5 km mini marathon in Edinburgh or Birmingham in September.
- There is also the potential to participate in a more extreme 'challenge event' overseas - fancy a trek in Peru or up Kilimanjaro? A cycle ride from London to Paris? If you're interested in doing any of these to raise funds for us, please email me at marketing@treesforlife.org.uk.
Wish List
Thank you to Gordon McRuvie for the purchase of hundreds of Tick Twisters, enabling us to make these handy tick removal devices available to our volunteers. We now need the following items and services for our day to day operations to become more efficient:
- New ride-on mower for Dundreggan (£1,400).
- Two satellite phones for the Conservation Holidays (£1,420).
- Trailer for Plodda Lodge (£1,800).
- Laptop & software for GIS work at Dundreggan (£1,600).
- IT and Web upgrade work (£8,000).
- Outdoor Gear for Field Staff (£800).
If you can help us with any of the above items, or wish to contribute to their purchase, please call us today on Tel: 0845 458 3505, or drop us a line on info@treesforlife.org.uk. Thank you!
Electronic Newsletters - part of the eco-evolution!
I may be turning into a stuck record about this, but please, please consider receiving your copy of Caledonia Wild! by email. Electronic newsletters are the future! They do wonders for the environment and save TFL money in these cash-strapped times, so more can be spent on restoring the forest. Stay connected with all our good work and uplifting news, by dropping us a line at info@treesforlife.org.uk, and feel smug for the rest of the day!
Kerrigan Bell
See Caledonia Wild! Magazines, for excerpts from other editions.
First published: May 2009
Published online August 2009.
Last updated: 25 August 2010