First dwarf birch planted out in Glen Affric, May 2011

Dwarf birch plants propagated from seeds in our nursery at Plodda Lodge.

Staff members Ruth May and Mick Drury with dwarf birch plants in the car park at the Loch Beinn a'Mheadhoin picnic site in Glen Affric, ready to hike up to the planting site.

Ruth with a dwarf birch she's just planted on the high ground above the Coille Ruigh exclosure. Loch Beinn a'Mheadhoin is visible below.

Jure Rejec, a journalist from Slovenia, who was covering Trees for Life on assignment for the European Year of Volunteering, joined us for the day.

Jure with a newly-planted dwarf birch.

Mick with a dwarf birch planted inside a small exclosure that was set up to protect a naturally-regenerating (but rather wind-beaten!) Scots pine seedling.

One of the dwarf birch plants, growing in its new home, above Coille Ruigh.

While we were working this rainbow appeared in the sky, over Loch Beinn a'Mheadhoin.

Alan with a naturally-regenerating Scots pine sapling in the area where the dwarf birch were planted. At an elevation of 530 metres, this tree has struggled to grow to this height in the 20 years it's been protected. Photo by Ruth May.