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* Links to articles in other parts of this web site, rather than on this page. To receive the complete copy of our newsletters, 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. Welcome to a World of Wonder!
One day in early May I went to Dundreggan, just after we heard that our formal offer had been accepted, and that we therefore had a binding contract for the purchase of the estate. It felt like an auspicious day, and I was eager to see the birchwood with the fresh green leaves of spring, and to experience the re-emergence of life on the land, after the long dormancy of winter. I spent some time talking with Allan Common, who lives in the Keeper's Cottage and works on the Estate, and then walked up the track towards the birchwood behind the buildings, heading for some primroses I could see blooming in profusion at the edge of the trees. It was a bright sunny day, the air was warm and the sounds of birds and the gentle breeze filled the air. Taking in the beauty of the primroses, I sat down to have my lunch in the sun at the threshold of the woodland. After a few minutes my attention was caught by movement at the periphery of my vision. As I turned to get a closer look, I saw a butterfly land on one of the primroses. Carefully moving closer, I saw that it was a peacock butterfly, and my heart and spirits soared as the significance of this sank in. I had seen a peacock butterfly on Dundreggan once late last summer, and as a result we had included a photograph of one on the special fundraising brochure (PDF) we produced for the estate. In fact, the butterfly featured in apparent giant size on the cover photograph, and again on the donation form inside, next to the words 'Yes, I want to help Trees for Life purchase the Dundreggan Estate!' Through this, it became the symbol for our whole fundraising drive. Seeing the butterfly in real life again then, at the very moment of entering the forest on Dundreggan for the first time since our purchase was confirmed, I knew it was no coincidence. It seemed to me that the peacock was welcoming me, and Trees for Life, to the forest we will care for and regenerate. It was as though the butterfly was saying, 'see, I did help you purchase the estate!'. Two weeks later, I was out on Dundreggan again, this time with Mandeigh, our marketing manager, whose idea it had been to feature the peacock butterfly so prominently on our brochure. By then, spring was more advanced, and it felt like we were discovering a whole world of beauty. Many of the junipers were covered with a spectacular orange rust fungus; Allan Common took us to an aspen stand, where we saw a great spotted woodpecker emerge from its nest hole in one of the trees; and Mandeigh caught sight of a slow worm in the grass. A hillside near Dundreggan Lodge was covered with primroses, and another week later the peacocks were still feeding on them. I couldn't help but smile as they fluttered around, and their presence seemed to say to me, 'Welcome to the world of wonder that is Dundreggan' - a welcome that we extend to you in the centre pages of this newsletter. Alan Watson Featherstone
Nursery News
Seedlings Galore!Spring has got to be the most exciting time for many people working in the world of horticulture and for me, the germination of seeds is still 'the best bit of the job' - and it's all the more amazing if you have been waiting several years for those seeds to come up! So I am delighted to report that there have been lots of excitement in the nursery this spring, such as the germination of dog rose seeds which were collected in 2003, bluebell seeds (collected in 2004), holly seeds (collected in 2003), rowan seeds (collected in 2005), alder seeds (collected in 2005), and particularly fantastic is the germination of about 800 juniper seeds, as this is the first time we have had more than a half a dozen juniper germinating from seed in the nursery. The juniper berries were collected from bushes in Glen Affric and Glen Moriston in 2003 and have been stratified (i.e. stored outside to lose their dormancy) for three winters, before they all germinated at exactly the same time this spring! The seedlings are currently looking healthy, but growing slowly, and it is likely that they will be in the nursery for several more years, before they are large enough to be planted out in the glens. Digging in the Snow!This year work really got underway on the nursery in late February when a work party came to dig up all the bare-root trees from the nursery beds. Unfortunately, however, after all the relatively mild winter weather, we had chosen the one week when temperatures plummeted to minus nine degrees Celsius and several inches of snow fell! The insulating properties of the snow and the layer of mulch on top of the beds were greater than I ever imagined, however, so despite the cold temperatures at night, the soil beneath the mulch remained unfrozen and a particularly hardy group of volunteers helped me to dig the alder and willow trees from the beds and grade, dip and bag them up, ready for storage before planting out in Glen Affric later in the spring. Now, as I write, in the middle of June when we have just had a fortnight of hot, dry weather and the midges are out in full force whenever the wind drops, that week at the end of February seems a whole world away, especially as just so much has happened and so much work has been achieved mainly thanks to all the volunteers who have helped on the nursery during April and May:
Many other tasks have also been carried out, and as a result the nursery is now full (to bursting point!) of young trees. I hope that some of the volunteers who've helped on the nursery will be back to plant them out in the glens at some point in the future! Aspen SuckersJust now, during summer, work focuses on our aspen propagation project, as the root cuttings we have collected since January and planted in the poly tunnel are now sending up masses of shoots (called suckers), each of which is cut and rooted as an individual young tree in our mist propagation unit. This year we are particularly concentrating on aspen of Glen Moriston provenance which will, in the future, be planted out on our land at Dundreggan to help re-establish the forest there. Jill Hodge
Tooth & Claw - Living alongside Britain's predators
Everyone has an opinion about predators and how – or whether – they should be managed. Despite our deep-rooted fascination with eagles, otters and even wolves, their need to kill other animals to survive can distort our perspective and influence our attitude towards them. Predators mean different things to different people but very few with an interest in the British countryside remain indifferent. Foxes, hen harriers and peregrine falcons have all become political symbols, pawns in battles between different socio-economic or special interest groups, each filtering out selective information to the public which best serves their particular agenda, often at the expense of biological fact. Managing predators is really about managing people's perceptions – what we believe, what we value and how we interact with the natural world. So how do we really feel about Britain's predators and how are those feelings persuaded by culture, myth and economics? Can the shooting of seals to protect fish farm interests ever be justified? Should the impact of pet cats on small birds and mammals be controlled? Should public money be spent on returning wolves and lynx to our wild areas? Tooth & Claw is an innovative multi-media initiative which will explore some of these issues and provide a meeting place for anecdotal evidence and scientific fact. Its objective is to break down preconceived barriers and improve communication and awareness on a range of predator-related issues. The recently-launched Tooth and Claw web site is the foundation for the project which, over the coming years, is set to be the most far-reaching survey of its kind in Britain. Visitors to the site can contribute to a discussion forum, complete a thought-provoking questionnaire or simply register to be kept up to date with the project's progress. Wide participation is vital and everyone with an interest in how our countryside is managed is encouraged to take part. Peter Cairns, wildlife photographer and project founder says "The time is right to build bridges between conflicting interest groups and we firmly believe this can only emerge through constructive dialogue, a better understanding of our wild predators and a stronger empathy with communities whose lives are affected by their presence." Tooth & Claw ultimately asks questions of ourselves: it exposes our fears, our prejudices, our inconsistencies and reminds us of our place in nature - as the most powerful predator of all. Tooth & Claw is grateful to Trees for Life for endorsing the objectives of the project. Peter Cairns
Farewell Hazel and welcome to Holly!
Locating a new minibus has been interesting! At one point it didn't seem that there was a single new Ford Transit minibus on the planet, but luckily we were able to locate the perfect vehicle for our requirements, a specially ordered minibus that had then been cancelled and was just waiting for a new home. This new minibus will take over from Hazel, our old workhorse who now needs to be put out to pasture. We still need some more funds for the payment of Holly though, so if you want to help keep our volunteers on the road, please keep those donations coming in. Thank you to all of our supporters who contributed and to the Linley Shaw Foundation who donated £5000 to the appeal. Our current total is now £12,000. And, if, like Gordon McRuvie and Norman Thomas, you'd like to sponsor a seat or two, we'd love to hear from you. Thank you! Mandeigh Wells
See Caledonia Wild! Newsletters, for excerpts from other editions.
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If you have found the information on this page and/or website useful please consider making a donation, for example to our current appeal and/or becoming a member of Trees for Life, to help us further our work of restoring the Caledonian Forest. You can join or make a donation on-line via our secure server if you like, or contact Trees for Life by post, phone or email at the address below. First published: August 2006. First published online, 9 November 2006. | |||||||||
